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Loading... Spain: The Centre of the World 1519-1682 (edition 2015)by Robert Goodwin (Author)
Work InformationSpain: The Centre of the World 1519-1682 by Robert Goodwin
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. I was wondering what happened back then. These guys (Charles and the gang of Philips and their bad genepool) took over. (I like the Carlos V chocolate bar that still remains the best but that's not in the book). So here is the spoiler: Spain wasn't much, then it took all the silver in Peru and the gold too, it had its day, the money slowed, and that was it. Along the way Don Quixote and el Greco were hot (along with some others). The Catholics went ballistic. The (new) world got screwed. ( ) I enjoyed the first half of this book tremendously. I hadn't knows much about Spanish history of this period, about Charles V and Philip II and their less worthy successors. The authors narrative was informative and moved right along at a perfect pace. The second half of the book was a detailed look at some the the works of literature, sculpture, painting and theater of the period. There are many pages of detail about the plot and the author's anaylsis of Don Quixote. I found this part of the book less interesting. As a history, I'd give it 4 stars if I had just read the first half. no reviews | add a review
Distinctions
The Golden Age of the Spanish Empire would establish five centuries of Western supremacy across the globe and usher in an era of transatlantic exploration that eventually gave rise to the modern world. It was a time of discovery and adventure, of great political and social change--it was a time when Spain learned to rule the world. Assembling a spectacular cast of legendary characters like the Duke of Alba, El Greco, Miguel de Cervantes, and Diego Velázquez, Robert Goodwin brings the Spanish Golden Age to life with the vivid clarity and gripping narrative of an epic novel. From scholars and playwrights, to poets and soldiers, Goodwin is in complete command of the history of this tumultuous and exciting period. But the superstars alone will not tell the whole tale--Goodwin delves deep to find previously unrecorded sources and accounts of how Spain's Golden Age would unfold, and ultimately, unravel. Spain is a sweeping and revealing portrait of Spain at the height of its power and a world at the dawn of the modern age. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)946.04History and Geography Europe Spain and Iberian Peninsula Spain Charles I and Philip II 1516-98LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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