Spain: The Centre of the World 1519-1682

By Robert Goodwin

In the sixteenth century, the Spaniards became the first nation in history to have worldwide reach; across most of Europe to the Americas, the Philippines, and India. Goodwin tells the story of Spain and the Spaniards, from great soldiers like the Duke of Alba to literary figures and artists such as El Greco, Velázquez, Cervantes, and Lope de Vega, and the monarchs who ruled over them.

At the beginning of the modern age, Spaniards were caught between the excitement of change and a medieval world of chivalry and religious orthodoxy, they experienced a turbulent existential angst that fueled an exceptional Golden Age, a fluorescence of art, literature, poetry, and which inspired new ideas about International Law, merchant banking, and economic and social theory.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
• Release date: May 7, 2015
• ISBN: 9781408843574

Robert Goodwin

Dr Robert T. C. Goodwin was born and educated in London and was awarded his PhD by the University of London for his thesis on Golden Age Spain. His first major book, Crossing the Continent 1527–1540: The Story of the First African-American Explorer of the American South, was published in 2008. He is currently a full-time writer and historian and is a Research Associate at University College. He divides his time between London and Seville.

Reviews for Spain

[gbelik_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

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.

[kerns222 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.