OLD DUFFER'S
BOOK CORNER

Philip II

Geoffrey Parker for Open Court

This is a US imprint with the third edition. Parker seems to be doing a lot of reprinting recently, leaving us all with the question of whether the updates are worth the loot. This life of El Rey Prudente is less on the political, economic, religious and military issues of his reign but on how they impacted on his life. It is a history of the king and not his kingdom. As such I found it very enjoyable if too short. It certainly brings one a different view of the king from that of the Black Legend and the appalling crimes against the Moriscos are treated as a 16th century person would treat them (if a 16th century person were a historian) - mere events.

The king's reactions are given a gloss as being Obsessional - a rigid demand for obedience which (once given) is followed by a flexible set of terms. What if the king had gone to the Netherlands rather than Alba (whose mind-set was Rigid-Rigid) things might have been different. Where the book is valuable is making one see how policy might have appeared where it was being made (in Spain) rather than where it was being implemented (The Netherlands, the Med, America, Germany, France etc etc). Those addicted to conspiracy theories will note that Professor Parker is a Knight Commander of the Order of Isabel the Catholic. No Popery!

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© Copyright 1997 by Charles and Teresa Vasey.
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