The Grand Strategy of Philip II

by Geoffrey Parker

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From 1556 until his death in 1598, Philip II of Spain ruled the first global empire in history, yet no one so far has analyzed precisely how he accomplished this feat. The author investigates the strengths and weaknesses of Philip's strategic vision, the priorities that underlay his policies, the practices and prejudices that influenced his decision-making, and the external factors that affected the achievement of his goals. Geoffrey Parker begins by defining the characteristics of Spain's show more strategic culture: the king's distinctive system of government, the "information overload" that threatened to engulf it, and the various strategic priorities and assumptions used to overcome the disparity between aims and means. He then explores the surviving documentation (from the Habsburgs, their allies, and their adversaries) on the formation of strategy in three crucial case studies: Philip's unsuccessful efforts to maintain his authority in the Netherlands, his defective peacetime management of foreign relations with Scotland and England, and his failed Armada campaign against England. Finally Parker examines the small but fatal flaws in the execution of Philip's Grand Strategy, assesses the response of the king and his ministers to their failures, and questions whether the outcome might have been different with other policy options, another ruler, or a different strategic culture. Pointing to modern parallels between Philip's problems of governance and those facing Hitler and Churchill, or Kennedy and Johnson, this powerfully argued book provides a fascinating commentary on the nature of empires and the decision-making process as practiced by great powers. show less

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3292. The Grand Strategy of Philip II, by Geoffrey Parker (read Feb 9, 2000) This work is heavy on footnotes and I found it too thorough for me to enjoy, having no overweening interest in its subject. It revels in primary sources and told me more than I wanted to know. I read the author's biography of Philip II in April of 1996 and I thought it well-done but this book did not engross me.
Libro interessante, ma anche un po' deludente: la grande strategia viene appena abbozzata in un paio di pagine, e per il resto si parla di altre cose, come p.es. dei limiti dell'azione di Filippo II. Gravi dubbi sulla fattura del volume: per prima cosa ci sono chiarissimi indizi che sia stato tradotto dalla versione spagnola del 1998 e non dall'originale americano dello stesso anno: il titolo del volume di Paul Kennedy è citato in spagnolo, e sempre in spagnolo viene riportata una dichiarazione dell'ammiraglio di Elisabetta I, Howard. Ma la cosa più grave è che non si capisce come un volumetto di 137 pagine quasi in 32º possa essere la traduzione integrale dell'originale di 466 pagine, o dell'edizione spagnola di 568. E infatti show more l'originale consiste di dieci capitoli e vari apparati, mentre nell'edizione italiana i capitoli sono esattamente la metà, senza nessun apparato. Epuure da nessuna parte trovo scritto che la traduzione non è integrale. show less

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38+ Works 3,967 Members
Geoffrey Parker is the author or editor of more than twenty-five books. He is Andreas Dorpelan Professor of History at Ohio State University. (Bowker Author Biography)

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Genres
History, Nonfiction, General Nonfiction, Biography & Memoir
DDC/MDS
946.043History & geographyHistory of EuropeSpain & PortugalSpainCharles I and Philip II 1516-98
LCC
DP179 .P39History of Europe, Asia, Africa and OceaniaSpain – PortugalHistory of SpainHistoryBy periodModern Spain, 1479/1516-1516-1700. Habsburgs
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Reviews
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Rating
½ (3.57)
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English, Italian, Spanish
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Paper
ISBNs
4
ASINs
3