Philip V of Spain: The King Who Reigned Twice

by Henry Kamen

Philip V, who reluctantly assumed the Spanish throne in 1700, was the first of the Bourbon dynasty which continues to rule Spain today. His 46-year reign, briefly curtailed in 1724 when he abdicated in favour of his short-lived son, Louis I, was one of the most important in the country's history. This highly readable account is the first biography of Philip V in English. Previous writing on Philip has been largely negative, dismissing him as comic, stupid, and indolent. Henry Kamen demonstrates here, however, that the king initiated significant developments in politics, imperial policy, finance, government, and military affairs that laid the basis of the modern Spanish state. Philip also encouraged literature, the creative arts, and music in ways that brought Spanish culture closer in touch with the rest of Europe, and he dealt authoritatively with issues concerning the autonomy of the provinces of Spain and the role of the monarchy itself. Drawing on contemporary opinion and fresh archival sources, Kamen discusses Philip's character, decisions, and policies. He offers a new assessment of the king's illness (which led earlier historians to view Philip as mad) and evaluates positively the role of his two wives. Kamen's account of Philip as king provides an essential introduction to the study of early eighteenth-century Spain and the Bourbon monarchy.

Genres: History, Biography, Spain, Royalty, 18th Century, Spanish History, Nonfiction

336 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Henry Kamen is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society in London and an emeritus professor of the Higher Council for Scientific Research in Barcelona.

Reviews

[Yooperprof]

Interesting biography of a very French prince (grandson of Louis XIV) who ruled as the first Bourbon King of Spain in the first half of the 18th century. Philip was earnest and hard-working and took the interests of his new dominion to heart, but in his adulthood he was plagued with a severe mental illness which the author Kamen believes (credibly) to have been bi-polar disorder. As a result of his often debilitating episodes, the King's efforts to steer Spain toward a financially sound future were significantly hindered. (The personal was the political, even in the 18th century.)

To help him through his often paralyzing mood swings, Philip V relied to an exceptional degree upon his consort Queens, who exerted political power to an unusual degree: his first wife the remarkable Marie Louise of Savoy, the second the equally indomitable Elizabeth Farnese. Because they were foreign, intelligent, and politically savvy, the Queens were the subject of considerable opposition and scurrilous rumor-mongering. Kamen admirably humanizes the royal subjects of his study, and strengthens the book with a deep knowledge of the primary economic and literary sources for the era.

[Samuel]

Libro riguroso y bien escrito, de los más amenos libros de historia que he leído de un tiempo a esta parte.
Por otro lado, siempre es grato leer un buen trabajo de un historiador que ha cambiado mucho la perspectiva que tenía de este rey del que solo conocía las anécdotas...
Muy recomendable si quieres conocer quién fue en primer borbón

[Solor]

Very enlightening and well researched account of this extremely important figure of the history of the kingdom of Spain. Especially useful is the author account of the Spanish secession of war which is today’s one of the reason d’etre of the Catalan independentist movement.

[Mingo Lee]

Interesante biografía, escrita con brío y meticulosa en el análisis, aporta claridad sobre un rey y una época de la historia de España que suele prestarse a topicazos, aquí desmontados, o cuando menos muy matizados, por el autor

[?]

A mediocre tyrant that was related to King Louis XIV of France.

[Edward]

A really interesting read. When I first read the book, I didn't have much knowledge on the subject, other than a broad overview of European history of the time. What I really liked about the book was that the style isn't dry and holds your attention. However, I did find that sections in the book could be a bit long at times.

The author does a good job at developing Philip as a person. We see him as a young man thrusted into the throne of a nation he does not know, or speak its language with a complex system of government. Almost immediately after being put in this strange land, he has to go to war to save his crown. To make matters worse, the young king suffered from manic-depression which lead to erratic behavior, such as charging into battle without regard for his safety. Other times, he would fall into the deepest depths of depression, and he would take such tragedies as the death of his first born son and his first wife very hardly. It is a wonderful biography on a truly complex man in history.

[Judy]

Traditionally, historians have viewed Philip V, the first Bourbon king of Spain, as either mentally ill or else completely dominated by his second wife, Italian-born Elizabeth Farnese. But Henry Kamen, a historian with the Higher Council for Scientific Research in Barcelona, portrays Philip in a more positive light. While admitting that the King's bipolar disorder had a decidedly negative impact on his ability to effectively control the government and the court, Kamen also argues that Philip, despite his health issues--both physical and mental--worked to revive the economy, culture, and government of Spain in a positive way. An interesting view of a much maligned monarch.

[Doria]

This is the second biography I've read by Henry Kamen (I also read his Philip II), and I really enjoy his writing. Lucid, spare, and above all, humane, he does not embellish the facts, yet somehow manages to breathe life into dates and facts and figures, so as to create the image of a human being who once lived and ruled. Both Philips (II and V) have been judged harshly by historians and the general public, yet he is able to look closely, unflinchingly, at his subjects, so as to arrive at deeper truths. Fascinating and moving, his Philips are unforgettable.

[Michael]

One of my favorite books. In Philip, the first Bourbon king of Spain, many of us can find inspiration. He was a man who accomplished so much in spite of crippling anxiety and paranoia. Surprisingly, I found myself rooting for him in the end.