Empire: How Spain Became a World Power, 1492-1763 (Paperback)

by Henry Kamen (Author) "In a small ceremony in the year 1492 at the university city of Salamanca, in north central Spain, Queen Isabella of Castile was presented with..." (more)
Key Phrases: monarquía hispánica, cardinal infante, papal donation, New Spain, North America, Don Juan (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Whether the term "globalization" is defined as the global imposition of a hegemonic culture or as a more creative dynamic of global interactivity, it's nothing new-it can be traced at least as far back as the Spanish Empire of the 16th and 17th centuries. Kamen (The Spanish Inquisition: A Historical Revision) depicts this golden age globalization on a suitably grand canvas, tracing the surprisingly hesitant and serendipitous spread of empire from Naples to Manila. He demonstrates to superb effect that this empire was in its very origins a truly multinational enterprise in which the Spanish element was one among many. This element, he suggests, was wholly-if understandably-distorted by contemporary propagandists. In reality, without Genoese bankers, expansionism into the Canary Islands (and Italy itself) would have been unworkable; without Muslim agency, Granada would not have fallen, nor Tenochtitlan without indigenous collaboration; there were Greeks, Netherlanders and at least two blacks in the party that conquered the Aztec capital. Like David Northrup in his recent study, Africa's Discovery of Europe, Kamen restores agency to those who have been relegated to victim status: the black people who helped forge colonial society, and the indigenous peoples of the Americas. While he recognizes that empire catalyzed Spanish patriotism, not least a regressive nostalgia among settlers in the New World, he observes that among those who cried out "Espa¤a!" at the battle of Muhlberg (1547) were crack Hungarian cavalry. While memories of empire (not quite so dead as Kamen claims) continue to shape Spanish culture, and as new forms of global imperialism develop, this sophisticated and broad-minded book could not be more timely. 16 pages of color illus., 11 b&w photos.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist
Kamen's rich, lengthy narrative is for serious students of European history, who will be rewarded with an impressive reinterpretation of the nature of the empire Spain built not only in Europe but also in the Americas and Asia. Focusing on, as the book's subtitle indicates, the three centuries of Spain's hegemony over its European sister-states while it stood as the world's "superpower," the author argues that Spain did not wield its empire based simply on its own resources but had to marshal the resources of the regions it controlled, including the Netherlands, much of Italy, and territories in America. In other words, the forging and maintenance of such a vast enterprise cannot be viewed as a "unique achievement" of Spain but as a collaborative effort, for "in war as in peace," so Kamen avers, the "power of Spain depended on its allies." Beginning with Ferdinand and Isabella, the great "Catholic Monarchs," the trends and tendencies that welded Castile to Aragon and spurred expansion of Spanish rule from Manila to Havana are tracked in dynamic detail. Brad Hooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 640 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial (February 17, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060932643
• ISBN-13: 978-0060932640
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #70,804 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good history with an important Caveat, September 17, 2004

By	Griswel (Rochester, NY) - See all my reviews

The caveat is that the Spanish Empire was in many ways not Spain's. Empire reminds us that many of those working, and fighting, for Spain were non-Spaniards. This is repeated throughout the book, for the most part to good effect.

Empire is a truly academic work, in the sense that it presents us with the dark side of the Empire, without pretending that Spain of five centuries ago should be judged by modern standards. What Spain did wrong, and there is plenty, is presented as simple fact, and placed in the context of how human beings behaved in that time period.

The two minor flaws I see in the book are these: Empire reminds us, rightly, that many who worked for Spain were not Spaniards, however, too much can be made of this. The men involved thought they were working for the Spanish Empire, their successes were attributed to that Empire, and benefitted that Empire. Where Spain's soldiers were born is interesting, but not quite as important as the author believes. Still, he can be forgiven for over-emphasizing in this book something that is ignored in others.

The other flaw is a lack of consistency in applying this underlying principal to other countries in their dealings with Spain. When the Spanish Empire faces other powers, whether in the old world or the new, the troops of those powers are typically treated as homogenous masses. Surely, if Spain's men were not all Spanish, and that is important, then the makeup of the forces opposing Spain should also be investigated...

Still, the book is the very readable story of one of the greatest empires in european history. It deals with the worst aspects the Empire without either condoning them or descending into moralistic chest-thumping. If you're interested in the subject matter, you'll enjoy this book.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid Study, May 23, 2003

By	R. Albin (Ann Arbor, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Empire: How Spain Became a World Power, 1492-1763 (Hardcover)

This is an interesting history of the Spanish Empire from its foundation at the end of the Reconquest of Spain to the 18th century. The author is a leading authority on early modern Spain. Kamen has two primary objectives. The first is simply to provide an accurate narrative history of the Empire. The second is to rebut nationalistic claims that the Spanish Empire resulted from the formation and activities of a powerful Spanish (actually Castillian) state. As can be seen by some of the negative comments of prior reviewers, this second objective is surprisingly controversial. Kamen demonstrates well that early modern Castille was not a strong state and that the assembly of the huge Spanish Empire resulted from a confluence of factors that had relatively little to do with the strength of Castille. A crucial fact was the dynastic good luck of the Castillian state. A series of very competent rulers - Ferdinand and Isabella, Charles V, Phillip II - were in charge during the formation of the Empire. Beyond their own personal abilities, they were also pan-European figures and the formation of the Empire owed a great deal to the fact that the ruling dynasty was able to tap into the talents and capital of other European entities. The Castillian monarchs also exercised power in the Low Countries and Italy, and under Charles V, in Central Europe. These territories and resources were crucial for building the Empire. Kamen shows very well the multi-ethnic and trans-national aspects of the Empire. A great deal of the capital for overseas investment came from Italy. Italians, Flemings, and Germans were all important servants of the Crown. The assembly of the Empire in the Western Hemisphere was largely a private enterprise though the Crown did provide crucial captial and sanctions. While most have concentrated on the Western Hemisphere, Kamen does an excellent job of reviewing the Empire in Europe and imperial efforts in North Africa. Kamen is concerned also with undermining the view that the conquest of the Americas was due to the overwhelming power of the Europeans. He points out repeatedly the importance of native American allies and the crucial role of epidemics involving imported diseases. In this context, Kamen probably misses a chance to make an important connection. Not only did epidemic disease facilitate conquest but it really made it possible for the Europeans to impose their culture, language, and rule in permanent ways. As Hugh Thomas pointed out in his book on the conquest of Mexico, without the huge depopulations that followed the conquest, the Spanish Empire in the Western Hemisphere might have resembled British India in the 18th and early 19th centuries, an administrative European veneer over a powerful native culture. Kamen shows very well the weaknesses of the Empire. Since Castille was not a strong state, the success of the Empire depended crucially on appropriate management of resources contributed from the holdings of the Empire. Without a competent dynast at the center, problems occurred. Also, problems in one important part of the Empire tremendously affected the rest of the Empire. The revolt of the Netherlands played a large role in dissipating the windfall of precious metals from the Western Hemisphere. A real virtue of this book is how it shows how rapidly the linkages between the Americas and Europe developed. Surprisingly, however, the Castillians themselves never became particularly cosmopolitan. Despite being the center of this huge Empire, Castillians remained insular. In later decades, Spanish Emperors had difficulty finding individuals with the language skills to serve as diplomats, and Castille was relatively intellectually barren. In the long run, the inability of Spain itself to become a major financial, intellectual, or industrial center doomed the Empire to failure.

44 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Reign Explained, March 4, 2003

By	Bruce Loveitt (Ogdensburg, NY USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Empire: How Spain Became a World Power, 1492-1763 (Hardcover)

Mr. Kamen begins his book with the following lines of Bertolt Brecht: "The young Alexander conquered India. All by himself? Caesar beat the Gauls. Didn't he even have a cook with him?" The answers are obvious. Mr. Kamen asks a different question: Who built the Spanish Empire? The answer to that question seems obvious, also....the Spanish, right? But Mr. Kamen spends the next 500 pages showing us that the obvious answer, in this case, is the wrong answer. In a dazzling display of erudition, covering events in Granada, North Africa, Italy, the Spanish Netherlands, the Caribbean, Mexico, Peru, the Philippines, etc., the author reveals that the Spanish Empire was built and maintained with the help of the people of many nations- that it was a true "multinational enterprise." Mr. Kamen also shows that rather than the Empire being created by Spain, Spain was created by the Empire- for, at the starting point of the book, 1492, there really was no such entity as Spain. Like several European countries of the time, such as Italy and Germany, Spain consisted of many geographical units- each with its own language and/or culture, and people felt a loyalty to that particular area rather than to the larger abstraction called Spain. Only after the Empire developed and the language of the largest geographical area, Castile, became the language of Empire did people start to think of themselves as belonging to something bigger than the particular region they lived in. Mr. Kamen also points out that the population of Spain (which was much less than that of France or England) was never great enough to provide the quantity of soldiers needed to support the far-flung Empire. Where did this Empire come from, though? When Ferdinand of Aragon died in 1516 the thrones of Castile and Aragon passed to his grandson, the archduke Charles of Habsburg (known to us as Charles V). Charles was born in Ghent and raised in the Netherlands. In 1520 he was crowned Holy Roman Emperor. Besides Spain, his responsibilities included (from his Burgundian inheritance) the Netherlands and (from his Habsburg inheritance) also Austria, Hungary, Naples, Sicily and the continent of America. So, the Empire started by inheritance rather than by conquest. But, to maintain what already existed and to, later on, "branch out," Charles and later rulers had access to the people and resources of these various possessions. Thus, most of the soldiers were Italians, Belgians, Germans, etc. with the addition of mercenaries, such as Swiss troops, when needed. As Castile didn't have the financial resources necessary to handle the responsibilities that went along with administering these areas, most of the financing was provided by the bankers of Milan, Genoa, Amsterdam, etc. When the Empire expanded to encompass the Caribbean, Mexico, Peru, the Philippines, etc., it had to rely on native peoples, and African slaves, for manpower. The Spanish didn't have the muscle to conquer and control these vast areas and had to rely on cooperation, usually, rather than coercion. Fortunately for the conquistadors, native tribes were usually at war with one another and some of them were only too willing to form alliances with the Spanish in order to defeat powerful enemies, such as the Aztecs or Incas. Even so, the areas under Spanish control were usually not extensive, as they still didn't have enough manpower to control large regions. Tribes that were hostile to the Spanish would simply go elsewhere and the two sides would generally just stay clear of one another. These arrangements also existed in the American Southwest. In the Philippines, again, the Spanish presence was so slight that they had to depend on native Filipinos for labor and on outsiders, such as the Chinese, in order to maintain a trading network. Mr. Kamen is particularly fascinating when he helps us to follow the "money trail." The huge amounts of silver mined in Mexico and Peru went both west (to the Philippines and, ultimately, to China) to pay for trade goods and east (to the Italian and Dutch bankers, and to many places all over Europe) to pay off soldiers and loans- and to buy the goods that people in Spain desired but couldn't produce themselves. It is interesting to note that the Spanish even found it necessary to have most of their ships manufactured in other countries. So, the vast amounts of silver did not end up in the coffers of Spain, but went towards "growing" (in modern parlance) the economies of many countries. Mr. Kamen notes the irony that when the Empire started to decline in the last half of the 17th century, Spain's enemies had to be careful not to let her fall too far, lest they drag themselves down with her! I don't, however, want to make this book sound like an economics treatise. Mr. Kamen's book is intended for the general reader and although he uses statistics to support his arguments he never loses sight of the human element. He talks about the cultural aspects of the Empire- how Spain expected the other countries she dealt with to learn Castilian, while not even the Spanish diplomats (in most cases) would bother to learn the languages of the other countries; how the people of other countries were eager to read Spanish literature but how the Spanish were very insular and not much interested in other countries (again, this is generally speaking). The human touch is present in many places as Mr. Kamen gives us excerpts from the narratives of diplomats, soldiers, missionaries, etc. I found I had to read slowly, not because the book had an awkward style (quite the contrary- the prose is often elegant) but because the ideas being presented were new to me and also because the book was so wide-ranging in time, space and content. The book represents a lifetime of learning and thinking by the author and it is a very rewarding experience for the reader.