CO-4

Though he ruled over Spain at the peak of its "Golden Age" of power and influence, Philip II has long suffered from a negative historical image. Henry Kamen's book seeks to address this by providing a rounded portrait of a conscientious and diligent monarch, one who was surprisingly modern in many respects. Kamen succeeds in describing both the grandeur of Philip's reign and the many challenges he faced as a monarch, from perennially impoverished treasury to the unrest and rebellion in the Netherlands. Yet the biography suffers from a lack of analysis: space used to detail innumerable processions and court intrigues would have been better spent explaining the operations of Philip's government or the factors underlying the problems he faced. This limits Kamen's achievement with this book, which demonstrates the need for a better understanding of this important ruler without fully meeting the demand for it. ( )

A solid biography less partisan than most earlier ones; tends to see Philip as more pragmatic and capable than most hostile writers. I'm not sure I'm convinced. ( )

Kamen attempts a revisionist make-over of King Philip II, often regarded as one of the great villains of early modern European history. (c.f. "Don Carlos," the play by Schiller and the opera by Verdi). With great attention to the primary sources of the 16th century, Kamen depicts Philip as a well-educated Renaissance Prince who was a warm and loving family man who cultivated learning and even enjoyed dancing. He was no more intolerant than the normal ruler of his time, and not particularly avid in serving the Papacy and aggressive Roman Catholicism.

"Philip has often been presented as the Knight-errant of militant Catholicism in these years, but his priority was always peace. He never ceased to express his concern for religion, yet in practice his policy decisions were more realistic. No imperialist fever reigned at the King's court."

All those "bad things" associated with Spain in the late 16th century - the Inquisition, the Armada, the repression of the Netherlands and the disastrous war that ensued, the collapse of the Spanish economy - apparently those were not all Philip's fault. "Philip was never at any time in adequate control of events, or of his kingdoms, or even of his own destiny. It follows that he cannot be held responsible for more than a small part of what eventually transpired during his reign. To many spectators, he was the most powerful monarch in the world. In the privacy of his office, he knew very well that this was an illusion. . . For all his power, he had been unable to stop his realms being sucked into a whirl of war, debt, and decay."

That the reader is likely to finish the book less than completely convinced of Kamen's argument does not detract from the author's skill in presenting it. His scholarship is exemplary and his effort in scraping off the layers of myth about Philip's record is completely commendable. This biography is very readable and very informative. ( )

Biografía do rei Felipe II de España, I de Portugal. O autor desvela a grande humanidade do chamado "Rey Prudente", e deita por terra a mã chamada "lenda negra" criada pelos ingleses e franceses. ( )