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Imperium hiszpańskie
Jak doszło do tego, że Hiszpania, kraj sam w sobie niezbyt bogaty, słabo zaludniony, a z uwagi na położenie geograficzne znajdujące się w pewnej izolacji od reszty Europy, stała się pierwszym globalnym supermocarstwem z posiadłościami na wszystkich kontynentach. Dlaczego nie zdołała utrzymać tej pozycji? Jakim przeobrażeniom podlegało to imperium, jak żyli w nim ludzie, dlaczego z czasem osłabło i upadło? Czy był to proces nieuchronny, czy zdecydowały inne względy?
Autor przedstawia szeroki, panoramiczny oraz imperium hiszpańskiego – od jego początków, czyli odbicia z rąk Maurów Granady, aż do końca, jakim było opanowanie Teksasu i Kalifornii – a zasadniczą tezą jego książki jest to, że imperium nie było strukturą narzuconą, opartą wyłącznie na przemocy, choć to ona, okrutna i krwawa, wpłynęła na wizerunek Hiszpanii. Jego istnienie zależało od współdziałania zdobywców (i metropolii) z Indianami obu Ameryk, Murzynami oraz Azjatami. U jego podstaw leżała zatem różnorodność narodowościowa, kulturowa i obyczajowa. Ostatecznie było to jednak również jego słabością, która zdecydowała o przegraniu przez Hiszpanię rywalizacji z Anglią
Autor przedstawia szeroki, panoramiczny oraz imperium hiszpańskiego – od jego początków, czyli odbicia z rąk Maurów Granady, aż do końca, jakim było opanowanie Teksasu i Kalifornii – a zasadniczą tezą jego książki jest to, że imperium nie było strukturą narzuconą, opartą wyłącznie na przemocy, choć to ona, okrutna i krwawa, wpłynęła na wizerunek Hiszpanii. Jego istnienie zależało od współdziałania zdobywców (i metropolii) z Indianami obu Ameryk, Murzynami oraz Azjatami. U jego podstaw leżała zatem różnorodność narodowościowa, kulturowa i obyczajowa. Ostatecznie było to jednak również jego słabością, która zdecydowała o przegraniu przez Hiszpanię rywalizacji z Anglią
592 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2003
34 people are currently reading
897 people want to read
About the author
Henry Kamen
85 books64 followersHenry Kamen is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society in London and an emeritus professor of the Higher Council for Scientific Research in Barcelona.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 42 reviews
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January 23, 2014Rarely do I not finish a book, but.... On page 119, Kamen presents the Spanish invasion of the land now called Chile by Pedro de Valdivia--something I know quit a bit about--in what is a tissue of outright error, hasty fact, and muddled indirection. At this point I set the book down, for I no longer trusted Kamen.
And, since much of Kamen's ignorance concerns the indigenous people who are one half the history of that invasion, I was deeply troubled that his errors were precisely those of empire.
Perhaps, in a huge and condensed, professorial revision of history--which Empire is--the author might not quite be able to keep his eye on the sparrow. After all, Kamen covers almost three hundred years in about six hundred pages--roughly two pages per year....
And perhaps, as one born in Chile and a student of the indigenous peoples of the Americas, I am giving this single erroneous page undue importance....
Still and all, I'm not finishing or rating this book. I'm taking Empire back to the library, and looking forward to a good, well researched historical novel.
And, since much of Kamen's ignorance concerns the indigenous people who are one half the history of that invasion, I was deeply troubled that his errors were precisely those of empire.
Perhaps, in a huge and condensed, professorial revision of history--which Empire is--the author might not quite be able to keep his eye on the sparrow. After all, Kamen covers almost three hundred years in about six hundred pages--roughly two pages per year....
And perhaps, as one born in Chile and a student of the indigenous peoples of the Americas, I am giving this single erroneous page undue importance....
Still and all, I'm not finishing or rating this book. I'm taking Empire back to the library, and looking forward to a good, well researched historical novel.
September 19, 2007
Henry Kamen's examination of the Spanish Empire serves as a deconstruction of the very idea of Spain itself. His position takes the often cited observation that Spain did not exist in any concrete sense during the early modern period to one extreme. If Spain did not exist, then precisely who presented the most formidable presence in Europe and the force capable of colonizing the New World? The answer he puts forth argues that the Spanish monarchy encompassed a global enterprise, inlvolving not only Castilians, but also Basques, Catalans, Italians, Germans, Aztecs, Incans, and others.
These non-Spainiards created the very idea of spain by marshalling the resources necesary to perform the tasks of empire. Yet, as an empire united under one monarchy this assemblage of peoples was exceptionally difficult to maintain. As a new take on the Spanish colonial project, Kamen's interpretation offers a new perspective on the problem of Spanish decline.
These non-Spainiards created the very idea of spain by marshalling the resources necesary to perform the tasks of empire. Yet, as an empire united under one monarchy this assemblage of peoples was exceptionally difficult to maintain. As a new take on the Spanish colonial project, Kamen's interpretation offers a new perspective on the problem of Spanish decline.
April 7, 2018
Long before there was a Britain to have an empire upon which the sun never set, Spain established a presence that spanned the globe. From the Caribbean and Central America to the Philippines, the Spanish empire thrived as the first expression of European global dominance — an achievement even more remarkable when set against the unpromising circumstances from which it started. How Spain achieved this is the subject of Henry Kamen's book. A longtime scholar of Spanish history, Kamen marshals a career of study to explain the nature of Spain's dominance, one that he reveals is all too often misunderstood.
At the core of this misunderstanding is the nature of Spain itself. Kamen begins by highlighting the often-overlooked fact that in the 15th century "Spain" was an abstraction consisting of a collection of Iberian territories united only by a common monarchy. Because of this, the monarchs were constrained in their ability to deploy Spanish resources to achieving their goals. Fortunately for them, their resources were not confined to Spain alone. One of Kamen's main contentions is that the "Spanish" empire was actually more of a pan-European one, as Spain's leaders in the 15th and 16th centuries frequently drew upon the resources of their extended empire —including Italy, the Netherlands, and the Holy Roman Empire —to finance and staff their presence throughout much of Europe
While this mobilization was key to Spain's presence in Europe, their overseas empire was more of a purely Spanish operation. Because of this, as Kamen makes clear, their control was far less secure than their cartographic assertions made it appear. Spain's "empire" in the New World was concentrated mainly in the Caribbean, Mexico, Peru, and a few other coastal regions, while their control over the Philippines was limited mainly to their outpost in Manila. Much of this depended upon cooperation with (or co-option of) local elites, further underscoring the non-Spanish nature of Spanish control. While effective and profitable, this structure came under increasing strain as European competitors emerged in the 17th and 18th centuries, first to displace Spanish dominance in Europe, then to undercut Spain's presence in the wider world. Though the Spanish fought back against this, Kamen makes it clear that their efforts were ultimately unsustainable with their traditional imperial structure, forcing them to follow the example of their competitors and establish more of a truly "Spanish" empire by the 18th century.
Kamen ends his book short of Spain's loss of their Latin American empire early in the 19th century. While he makes it clear that the writing was on the wall by that point, it is unfortunate he did not carry his analysis forward to that point, for he has provided a superb overview of the rise and decline of Spain's empire in Europe and elsewhere. It does so by blending the political, social, cultural and economic history together, showing the multifacted interactions that defined Spain and the Spanish presence in the world. While this comes at the understandable cost of a lack of coverage of events within Spain itself, supplementing this book with a national survey covering these years (such as J. H. Elliot's classic Imperial Spain, 1469-1716 or Kamen's own Spain, 1469-1714 fills this gap nicely, giving readers a good understanding of Spain and its "Golden Age" of global preeminence.
At the core of this misunderstanding is the nature of Spain itself. Kamen begins by highlighting the often-overlooked fact that in the 15th century "Spain" was an abstraction consisting of a collection of Iberian territories united only by a common monarchy. Because of this, the monarchs were constrained in their ability to deploy Spanish resources to achieving their goals. Fortunately for them, their resources were not confined to Spain alone. One of Kamen's main contentions is that the "Spanish" empire was actually more of a pan-European one, as Spain's leaders in the 15th and 16th centuries frequently drew upon the resources of their extended empire —including Italy, the Netherlands, and the Holy Roman Empire —to finance and staff their presence throughout much of Europe
While this mobilization was key to Spain's presence in Europe, their overseas empire was more of a purely Spanish operation. Because of this, as Kamen makes clear, their control was far less secure than their cartographic assertions made it appear. Spain's "empire" in the New World was concentrated mainly in the Caribbean, Mexico, Peru, and a few other coastal regions, while their control over the Philippines was limited mainly to their outpost in Manila. Much of this depended upon cooperation with (or co-option of) local elites, further underscoring the non-Spanish nature of Spanish control. While effective and profitable, this structure came under increasing strain as European competitors emerged in the 17th and 18th centuries, first to displace Spanish dominance in Europe, then to undercut Spain's presence in the wider world. Though the Spanish fought back against this, Kamen makes it clear that their efforts were ultimately unsustainable with their traditional imperial structure, forcing them to follow the example of their competitors and establish more of a truly "Spanish" empire by the 18th century.
Kamen ends his book short of Spain's loss of their Latin American empire early in the 19th century. While he makes it clear that the writing was on the wall by that point, it is unfortunate he did not carry his analysis forward to that point, for he has provided a superb overview of the rise and decline of Spain's empire in Europe and elsewhere. It does so by blending the political, social, cultural and economic history together, showing the multifacted interactions that defined Spain and the Spanish presence in the world. While this comes at the understandable cost of a lack of coverage of events within Spain itself, supplementing this book with a national survey covering these years (such as J. H. Elliot's classic Imperial Spain, 1469-1716 or Kamen's own Spain, 1469-1714 fills this gap nicely, giving readers a good understanding of Spain and its "Golden Age" of global preeminence.
August 1, 2010
¿Después de la Reconquista, qué estaba España? Un reino junto que nació de la guerra, del último suspiro del Moro; una gran península de piedra y tierra que tenía un ejército de montañas y varias grandes mesetas. La joven nación, en que la sangre católica circulaba apasionadamente y con sed del mundo desconocido, por la mar occidental realizó imperio. Para Castilla y Aragón del oeste llegaban las riquezas doradas y plateadas - las que se han manchado con la crueldad y la avaricia de los conquistadores - hasta que la clase rica se vestían de oro. El Santo Emperador Romano Carlos V, nieto de los reyes Fernando e Isabel - los que juntaron los dos mayores reinos españoles como de los cuerpos - los trajo a su dominio escabroso ambos la sangre noble de la casa de Habsburgo y muchos alemanes que estaban ávidos de poder, los dos que, por fin, sería demasiado pesado para la armazón dorada del imperio de los mundos nuevos y viejos. Al anochecer el imperio estaba rompiéndose y España - de las dos orillas del océano, de dar y de tomar - empezaba a regresar a nación rota y partida por idioma, tradición, e historia ambos real y mitológica.
El señor Kamen tiene mucho conocimiento de estos años gloriosos y decadentes; para leerlo es como si escuchase un conversador de voz liso y sabio - lo que sabe que el fin llegará y traerá mas dolor; que el gran imperio se tragará, y muchos países estará los que para el futuro quedan; los pedazos que, temblando de miedos y de dudas, otra vez crearían sus anécdotas hispañas para dar a la gran historia del mundo.
El señor Kamen tiene mucho conocimiento de estos años gloriosos y decadentes; para leerlo es como si escuchase un conversador de voz liso y sabio - lo que sabe que el fin llegará y traerá mas dolor; que el gran imperio se tragará, y muchos países estará los que para el futuro quedan; los pedazos que, temblando de miedos y de dudas, otra vez crearían sus anécdotas hispañas para dar a la gran historia del mundo.
April 5, 2018
This is one of those books that's very hard to decide why I gave it 5 stars. Just easy to read, good summary, good insight into very simple ideas about the Spanish Empire. A lot of his points kinda hit me out of nowhere, they were that simple and abrupt. Maybe that's why I liked it. A viewpoint you maybe haven't thought about, even though it might be super obvious. I wish he would have gone about 40 years further, but there's always an argument for that with every history book you read, so that's not something to dock this book on.
December 27, 2013
This extraordinary lucid study is even more awe inspiring by its profundity and understanding the world of Europe’s cusp into imperial power, from the foundations of the world’s first defining global market.
Explaining how; who; why, and repercussions of the first truly global empire, where all the propagators belonging to many nations, be them Dutch, Belgians, Lombard, Hungarian, German, Neapolitans, Milanese, Sicilian, Corsican, Sardinian, Bohemian, Portuguese, Irish, Genoese, the Americas etc... Who saw themselves as part of a common, bigger act in which the Castilians were surprised to find themselves orchestrating?
It is a thoroughly pleasurable historical read and can’t refrain from exalting the beauty of its clear and defining narrative.
Explaining how; who; why, and repercussions of the first truly global empire, where all the propagators belonging to many nations, be them Dutch, Belgians, Lombard, Hungarian, German, Neapolitans, Milanese, Sicilian, Corsican, Sardinian, Bohemian, Portuguese, Irish, Genoese, the Americas etc... Who saw themselves as part of a common, bigger act in which the Castilians were surprised to find themselves orchestrating?
It is a thoroughly pleasurable historical read and can’t refrain from exalting the beauty of its clear and defining narrative.
May 3, 2010
The prose can be awfully dense, but it's worth slogging through every page.
The author's discussion of Spain's empire (on both a micro and a macro level) has colored the way I think about international relations.
By far, I consider this to be one of the best books I've read in the past year.
In fact, I like it so much that I've read this book twice.
The author's discussion of Spain's empire (on both a micro and a macro level) has colored the way I think about international relations.
By far, I consider this to be one of the best books I've read in the past year.
In fact, I like it so much that I've read this book twice.
Read
September 28, 2015Focuses more on readability and provides better coverage of Spain's global empire. While Kamen has been criticized for his tendency toward historic determinism, this particular book avoids most of it and has been widely praised.
January 5, 2022
Overview:
The identity of Spain did not begin before the 18th century, as before they were a collection of territories with hereditary claims. The Spanish empire was not built by only Spanish peoples. This book shows who contributed what to the empire. Development of their capabilities came about through experience with other peoples, and learning from them. Spain’s territory is the amalgamation of political units of Castile and Aragon, coming about through the marriage of Princess Isabella of Castile and Prince Ferdinand of Aragon. Neither had effective political power over their realms as they were in civil war. The way they unified and pacified the realms was by collaboration and directed violence. They built a web of relationships that became characteristic of Spanish power. Tolerance of alternative religions and peoples, turned into intolerance after Spain had become Champion of Christendom. As Spain did not have much resources, it used a vast trade network to obtain what it needed, paid for silver coming from the New World.
After Isabella and Ferdinand took the throne of their respective territory, they were able to effectively pacify the realms, stopping the civil wars. As their territory was in the hands of the nobles which controlled the economy and had the allegiance of vassals, what Isabella and Ferdinand did was develop institutions and mechanisms that enabled collaborations between the nobles, cities, Church, and commercial sectors. As for the violence, they did not end it, but organize and direct it elsewhere such as religious enemies.
Isabell and Ferdinand, unlike their successors, traveled their territories constantly. They were known by their communities. When they traveled, they took along them judges, so that many disputes could be resolved personally. A monarchy based on collaboration rather than fear. Building alliances and preventing constant reprisals from warring nobles. Stability was achieved using traditional structures of power.
Spain later had support from popes, who provided Spain with funds. Fueling a religious motive to the empire. Muslims and Jews were either baptized or forced to emigrate. Cultures and identity which were tolerated before, became victims of imperial power. As Spain became Champion of Christendom, alternative religions were not tolerated. The intolerance was law and ideal, but the rigid attitudes could not be enforced in practice.
Expansion of Spanish territories required international support by those who had the means of colonial enterprise. Spain itself did not have the economic ability to expand. Early in the 16th century, Spain had political leaders which tried to create a stable economic system, make communication easier, and build a military might. Foreigners tended to control the money, which received property rights in payment for the debt.
Military force was needed to maintain Spanish power, had had little part in its creation. It was the collaboration of powerful political elites and enterprising traders across multiple nations that brought the Spanish empire into existence. Precious metal was key to development, rather than conquest. Spain was depended on imports for some products such as arquebuses and cannonballs, while also needing army supplies that came from foreign sources. When Spain was threatened politically by specific nations, foreign interests came to Spain’s defense because they did not want to lose their income.
Conquest did not automatically mean that the conquered accepted what the conquerors decreed. To put their laws and culture on others, they needed to be understood. That required communication and time, the former was difficult and the latter long.
Spain is intimately tied to the New World, the Americas. There was not that much conquest to the subjugation. More complicated than just subjugation. Nor were the conquistadors often soldiers, as they came from different occupations. When Spain tried to expand, they used adventurers to establish control, but then needed to bring the adventurers under control. Spain issued rules and regulations, but they were ignored in practice.
There was great animosity between the various American groups, which the different groups wanted to use the conquistadors to enable them to overcome their opposition, and the conquistadores tapped into this animosity to fulfil their goals of greed. Using native supernatural symbols against the enemies. It was less the few conquistadors that overcame improbable odds, and more their very high number of allies that enabled them to overcome obstacles. Not military superiority, but an ability to adapt to unfavorable conditions.
Many regions of the Americas were difficult to subjugate. Other regions remained free because Spaniards had no reason to intrude. The Spanish did not desire to destroy the natives as that would hurt their own interests in subjugated labor, but there was no hesitation of using extreme violence for security and land.
Caveats?
An easy book to read but can be hard to keep track of who is who politically. The political spheres of influence are complex.
The identity of Spain did not begin before the 18th century, as before they were a collection of territories with hereditary claims. The Spanish empire was not built by only Spanish peoples. This book shows who contributed what to the empire. Development of their capabilities came about through experience with other peoples, and learning from them. Spain’s territory is the amalgamation of political units of Castile and Aragon, coming about through the marriage of Princess Isabella of Castile and Prince Ferdinand of Aragon. Neither had effective political power over their realms as they were in civil war. The way they unified and pacified the realms was by collaboration and directed violence. They built a web of relationships that became characteristic of Spanish power. Tolerance of alternative religions and peoples, turned into intolerance after Spain had become Champion of Christendom. As Spain did not have much resources, it used a vast trade network to obtain what it needed, paid for silver coming from the New World.
After Isabella and Ferdinand took the throne of their respective territory, they were able to effectively pacify the realms, stopping the civil wars. As their territory was in the hands of the nobles which controlled the economy and had the allegiance of vassals, what Isabella and Ferdinand did was develop institutions and mechanisms that enabled collaborations between the nobles, cities, Church, and commercial sectors. As for the violence, they did not end it, but organize and direct it elsewhere such as religious enemies.
Isabell and Ferdinand, unlike their successors, traveled their territories constantly. They were known by their communities. When they traveled, they took along them judges, so that many disputes could be resolved personally. A monarchy based on collaboration rather than fear. Building alliances and preventing constant reprisals from warring nobles. Stability was achieved using traditional structures of power.
Spain later had support from popes, who provided Spain with funds. Fueling a religious motive to the empire. Muslims and Jews were either baptized or forced to emigrate. Cultures and identity which were tolerated before, became victims of imperial power. As Spain became Champion of Christendom, alternative religions were not tolerated. The intolerance was law and ideal, but the rigid attitudes could not be enforced in practice.
Expansion of Spanish territories required international support by those who had the means of colonial enterprise. Spain itself did not have the economic ability to expand. Early in the 16th century, Spain had political leaders which tried to create a stable economic system, make communication easier, and build a military might. Foreigners tended to control the money, which received property rights in payment for the debt.
Military force was needed to maintain Spanish power, had had little part in its creation. It was the collaboration of powerful political elites and enterprising traders across multiple nations that brought the Spanish empire into existence. Precious metal was key to development, rather than conquest. Spain was depended on imports for some products such as arquebuses and cannonballs, while also needing army supplies that came from foreign sources. When Spain was threatened politically by specific nations, foreign interests came to Spain’s defense because they did not want to lose their income.
Conquest did not automatically mean that the conquered accepted what the conquerors decreed. To put their laws and culture on others, they needed to be understood. That required communication and time, the former was difficult and the latter long.
Spain is intimately tied to the New World, the Americas. There was not that much conquest to the subjugation. More complicated than just subjugation. Nor were the conquistadors often soldiers, as they came from different occupations. When Spain tried to expand, they used adventurers to establish control, but then needed to bring the adventurers under control. Spain issued rules and regulations, but they were ignored in practice.
There was great animosity between the various American groups, which the different groups wanted to use the conquistadors to enable them to overcome their opposition, and the conquistadores tapped into this animosity to fulfil their goals of greed. Using native supernatural symbols against the enemies. It was less the few conquistadors that overcame improbable odds, and more their very high number of allies that enabled them to overcome obstacles. Not military superiority, but an ability to adapt to unfavorable conditions.
Many regions of the Americas were difficult to subjugate. Other regions remained free because Spaniards had no reason to intrude. The Spanish did not desire to destroy the natives as that would hurt their own interests in subjugated labor, but there was no hesitation of using extreme violence for security and land.
Caveats?
An easy book to read but can be hard to keep track of who is who politically. The political spheres of influence are complex.
January 25, 2016
This was a very well-researched and thorough book which suffered from one defect--the author couldn't stop riding his hobby horse. As I've said in other reviews, when the author keeps hammering you vehemently over the head with his or her argument, even when you agree with them, it can cause doubts or at least extreme readerly discomfort. In this case, Kamen's hobby horse is his thesis--that Spain couldn't and didn't develop its "empire" on its own but depended on other groups and countries to help. The one thing Spain had was money--silver from their colonies. But then the question is--if Spain was really weak, why didn't one of those groups just take the colonies and keep the silver without using Spain as a middleman? From other histories, I can guess that no one wanted the money in more powerful hands. Since they were getting it anyway through trade, armies, etc., why mess with what we now call the "balance of power"? But Kamen never addresses the question because he's busy riding his horse into the ground.
January 9, 2015
This piece is a very good look at the development of Spain as a world power. Filled with facts and evidence it can be very dense and overwhelming if you are expecting a simple fun read. That being said it is very enjoyable. Kamen presents the entrance of Spain into the Imperial world in a fashion that helps a person to realize that Spain needed help and that Spain was not the conquerors that we are often made to think they were. As a history teacher this book was very enlightening.
May 7, 2018
Interesting take-- his contention that the seeds for the Spanish empire were first planted in Spain's relation to its own Muslim and Jewish populations, as well as early colonial ventures in N. Africa is quite good. That said the subsequent history of the Spanish empire, to quote Gibbon "is indeed little more than the register of crimes, follies, and misfortunes of mankind."
June 27, 2014
As others universal empires the Spanish monarchy success was put the cooperation of many countries and people under its interests. Like British empire, who many Indians fought in the World War One, the Spanish Monarchy built the first worldwide empire
January 27, 2025
Interesting but flawed. The key point that the book hammers down on is that Spain was never truly rich and powerful, but rather completely dependent on foreign actors and territories to maintain its empire. Italian financers provided a majority of the funds of the Empire; Central European and Italian troops often outnumbered Castlieans in key battles; in its colonies foreigners, natives, and creolos played played very important roles. In general, Kamen argues that the Spanish Empire was everything but Spanish. As such, its universalist project was doomed from the start. Hence, the notion of a Spanish decline, Kamen argues, is false because Spain never rose. This view is simply at odds with the facts. Modern economic history has established that 'Spain' was a leading economic power even before the conquest (see, for instance, Allen's figures on urbanization, agricultural productivity, or real wages, or Prados de la Escosura). It is because of this fact that the kingdom managed to secure Central European and Italian subordination, and an overseas empire in the first place. Kamen claims that "Spain was a poor country that made the leap into empire because it was aided at every turn by the capital and expertise and manpower of other associated people," (p. 573) but he has no account for why those associated peoples were willing to do that (or how they were forced). The answer is obvious: economic and political hegemony. He is simply wrong that Spain was poor.
That being said, the book has some good points. I liked his account of Spanish nationalism as being the result rather than the precursor of the Spanish empire, and the emergence of other European nationalisms as a result of Spanish imperialism; his description of the lack of central control of much of the Empire and the reliance on local, native, or precolonial power structures; and his emphasis on the economic dependency of peninsular Spain on its territories, particularly as time went on. I consider this latter fact extremely important to understand the decline of the Spanish Empire. Its vast reserves of bullion allowed it to import everything, destroying its own industry, leading to the dependency Kamen identifies. As a negative, his portrayal of the Spanish as ignorant and arrogant, uninterested in the knowledge coming from rest of the world is borderline xenophobic.
Overall, the book is worth it because of its material rather than its framing. It is very evidence-heavy, with lots of quotes that make it an engaging read. The evidence is so broad that you learn a lot if you are wary of issues of generalizability.
That being said, the book has some good points. I liked his account of Spanish nationalism as being the result rather than the precursor of the Spanish empire, and the emergence of other European nationalisms as a result of Spanish imperialism; his description of the lack of central control of much of the Empire and the reliance on local, native, or precolonial power structures; and his emphasis on the economic dependency of peninsular Spain on its territories, particularly as time went on. I consider this latter fact extremely important to understand the decline of the Spanish Empire. Its vast reserves of bullion allowed it to import everything, destroying its own industry, leading to the dependency Kamen identifies. As a negative, his portrayal of the Spanish as ignorant and arrogant, uninterested in the knowledge coming from rest of the world is borderline xenophobic.
Overall, the book is worth it because of its material rather than its framing. It is very evidence-heavy, with lots of quotes that make it an engaging read. The evidence is so broad that you learn a lot if you are wary of issues of generalizability.
June 5, 2020
This fine piece of revisionist history gets top marks for a well-presented and defended thesis: namely, that the Spanish empire was never the monolethic world-power spanning the globe that it is usually made out to be. In reality it's hard to image worse empire-builders than the Spaniards (or Castilians, to be more precise), who alone, due in large part to the economic and intellectual poverty of the Iberian peninsula, displayed a complete lack of ability to dominate and develop their immense possessions in any meaningful way. Uniquely, the Spanish empire came about in part through the fortuitous dynastic inheritance of a conglomerate of european territories together with the ruthless and truly spectacular overthrow of the indiginous empires of the Americas by the conquistadors. Maintaining this commonwealth was, however, a shared project between the financers, traders, soldiers and men of learning from many different nations and backgrounds, who all profited from its existance and contributed to its survival. And, of course, given that the number of Spaniards on the ground was always so miniscual, the labor, forced or not, of the subjugated American tribes as well as the imported African slaves simply cannot be overlooked. Without them the empire, which decimated them through disease, treated them inhumanly and culturally alianated them, would have ceased to function.
In spite of the excellent scholarship the editing is a little sub-paar as over the course of the narrative several events are first mentioned as though they had been already brought up before, only to be formally introduced and explained a few more pages down the line. Also, as someone who really isnt familiar with spanish history, I would have appreciated a more in-depth description of the nuts and bolts of the empire rather than this account, which I found to be too superficial. I guess I was hoping for a more straight-forward narrative, but that shouldnt detract from the quality of the final product, which wont disappoint anyone who already has a firm grasp of the course of events.
In spite of the excellent scholarship the editing is a little sub-paar as over the course of the narrative several events are first mentioned as though they had been already brought up before, only to be formally introduced and explained a few more pages down the line. Also, as someone who really isnt familiar with spanish history, I would have appreciated a more in-depth description of the nuts and bolts of the empire rather than this account, which I found to be too superficial. I guess I was hoping for a more straight-forward narrative, but that shouldnt detract from the quality of the final product, which wont disappoint anyone who already has a firm grasp of the course of events.
December 5, 2022
Like many people, my first introduction to the Spanish Empire is with Columbus. He sets the stage for Spain to take the wealth of the New World by force and use it in Europe. But how?
In this book, the author takes a look the Empire from a completely different perspective. In this case, it is follow the money. The Spanish themselves were not all that strong. Actually, the various states that made up what we think of modern Spain were not all that strong. To make it all work, the monarch would spend several years in one place, then move to another area. While camped out, they built out excellent communication networks that moved between the Spanish states & good portions of Europe, especially down to Italy. Being weak, they excelled at having others do the work for them.
The book goes into fine detail of how this was done. While the New World expeditions were risky, they were calculated risks. With first hand knowledge of the New World, Spain was able to control the links between the Old & New. The Spanish were not settlers, they were out for conquest & taking what they wanted. There wasn’t much of a plan after that.
I found much of the book fascinating, how a small state in Europe grew into an Empire, which then fell apart a couple hundred years later.
In this book, the author takes a look the Empire from a completely different perspective. In this case, it is follow the money. The Spanish themselves were not all that strong. Actually, the various states that made up what we think of modern Spain were not all that strong. To make it all work, the monarch would spend several years in one place, then move to another area. While camped out, they built out excellent communication networks that moved between the Spanish states & good portions of Europe, especially down to Italy. Being weak, they excelled at having others do the work for them.
The book goes into fine detail of how this was done. While the New World expeditions were risky, they were calculated risks. With first hand knowledge of the New World, Spain was able to control the links between the Old & New. The Spanish were not settlers, they were out for conquest & taking what they wanted. There wasn’t much of a plan after that.
I found much of the book fascinating, how a small state in Europe grew into an Empire, which then fell apart a couple hundred years later.
March 6, 2019
All empires have been a combination of incredible feats of enterprising courage and horrendous disruption and violence. Only a few believers in myths defend their balance as positive when the unavoidable collapse shows the cracks on the foundation. The Spanish Empire was no different. But its history is as mind-boggling today as it was unlikely then.
This book goes a long way to explain how a barren and poor kingdom came to become an enterprise of unbelievable reach. What we call today the Spanish Empire came about when the very notion of Spain -or any nation- was not a very defined concept. The medieval kingdoms of Europe were the possessions of kings and queens, not countries as we understand them today. The author presents a well researched thesis: that Castile’s dominion arose as a fully formed royal inheritance in Europe and went on to marshal, not generate, the resources in men, finance and weapons of most of the world after its initial success in exploration and alliances.
The main thesis of this book is quite straightforward and it re-frames the idea of the Spanish Empire beyond the common stories of conquistadors and the quest for gold. It does not negate the appeal of the first explorers as pioneers in a battle for resources that involved financiers, warlords and princes all across Europe. The amazing feats of conquest and exploration remain but the author places a new emphasis on the importance of interested collaborators. Neither Magellan nor Columbus were Spaniards for example. In every chapter the author stops to explain actual amount of foreign investment and manpower that held the empire aloft. In percentages.
The book follows an almost-chronological order but skips back and forth in every chapter as it attempts a thematic as well as chronological narrative. What began as simple striving for survival and expansion with the recovery of the last Islamic kingdoms to the crown under Queen Isabel and Fernando of Aragon, became a mission whose consequences were unforeseen. At all times, Spain remained a relatively poor country despite the tonnage of gold and silver that arrived in Seville and Lisbon. It also remained mired in its own bubble despite the amazing amount of contacts with all sorts of civilizations. May be only king Phillip II grasped the transcendental dimensions of his enterprise but a big part of the story is how the ambitions of the kings and the Church were barely a glitch on the actual lands they supposedly dominated. This could be said of all the empires that followed.
This book goes a long way to explain how a barren and poor kingdom came to become an enterprise of unbelievable reach. What we call today the Spanish Empire came about when the very notion of Spain -or any nation- was not a very defined concept. The medieval kingdoms of Europe were the possessions of kings and queens, not countries as we understand them today. The author presents a well researched thesis: that Castile’s dominion arose as a fully formed royal inheritance in Europe and went on to marshal, not generate, the resources in men, finance and weapons of most of the world after its initial success in exploration and alliances.
The main thesis of this book is quite straightforward and it re-frames the idea of the Spanish Empire beyond the common stories of conquistadors and the quest for gold. It does not negate the appeal of the first explorers as pioneers in a battle for resources that involved financiers, warlords and princes all across Europe. The amazing feats of conquest and exploration remain but the author places a new emphasis on the importance of interested collaborators. Neither Magellan nor Columbus were Spaniards for example. In every chapter the author stops to explain actual amount of foreign investment and manpower that held the empire aloft. In percentages.
The book follows an almost-chronological order but skips back and forth in every chapter as it attempts a thematic as well as chronological narrative. What began as simple striving for survival and expansion with the recovery of the last Islamic kingdoms to the crown under Queen Isabel and Fernando of Aragon, became a mission whose consequences were unforeseen. At all times, Spain remained a relatively poor country despite the tonnage of gold and silver that arrived in Seville and Lisbon. It also remained mired in its own bubble despite the amazing amount of contacts with all sorts of civilizations. May be only king Phillip II grasped the transcendental dimensions of his enterprise but a big part of the story is how the ambitions of the kings and the Church were barely a glitch on the actual lands they supposedly dominated. This could be said of all the empires that followed.
April 10, 2023
This is a valuable book. Persons interested in the role of Spain (and for a number of years as a joint monarchy, Portugal) in the history of the Western Hemisphere need this book. There are, frankly, few books written in English on the Spanish centuries of the Americas. Kamen does a fine job marching through those years. He also ties in the whole empire--bringing the reader into the Mediterranean power of the Spanish crown and the resultant European wars. The chapter on the importance of the Manila galleon and Asian trade across the Pacific will be eye-opening to many students.
The big thesis of Kamen's book is that much of what is attributed to Spanish efforts in creating and maintaining their empire was not Spanish at all. Kamen lays out the key role of Genoese bankers, the wider European trade system, and the Italian and German soldiers who fought for the Hapsburgs. Kamen even shows the subtlety of Spain's relationships through time with the Dutch.
I recommend this book highly.
The big thesis of Kamen's book is that much of what is attributed to Spanish efforts in creating and maintaining their empire was not Spanish at all. Kamen lays out the key role of Genoese bankers, the wider European trade system, and the Italian and German soldiers who fought for the Hapsburgs. Kamen even shows the subtlety of Spain's relationships through time with the Dutch.
I recommend this book highly.
April 10, 2023
for a 600 page book covering 300 years of history, kamen presents a pretty decent overview of spain as an empire. i like how he covered the stirrings of globalization and how empire is ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS a collaborative enterprise that is built of the backs of persecuted, marginalized, and or otherwise victimized people who are not always willing participants in that enterprise.
however, too much military history for my taste that got really in the nitty gritty about generals and kings that just was too much great man history for me and really distracted from the overall idea of the processes kamen was discussing. #circlejerkmilitarybrosarebad. it's really obvious the author is exceedingly passionate about spain so i feel like i take everything he writes with a grain of salt.
that being said, it's still a decent book for anyone looking to learn more about the empire, how it came to be, and why it entered into a state of decline.
however, too much military history for my taste that got really in the nitty gritty about generals and kings that just was too much great man history for me and really distracted from the overall idea of the processes kamen was discussing. #circlejerkmilitarybrosarebad. it's really obvious the author is exceedingly passionate about spain so i feel like i take everything he writes with a grain of salt.
that being said, it's still a decent book for anyone looking to learn more about the empire, how it came to be, and why it entered into a state of decline.
February 23, 2020
Parte de una hipótesis interesante: el imperio español fue el resultado de una colaboración entre países (Flandes, Italia, Portugal, Tlaxcala, etc) y dedica mucho espacio a la colonización de América, lo cual es de agradecer. Pero es muy tramposo a la hora de omitir cuestiones clave cuando contradicen cualquiera de sus tesis. Ejemplos: inexistente poderío naval —> se calla las derrotas inglesas y francesas, que las hubo; inexplicable falta de interés por los avances técnicos y científicos —> se calla el papel de la Inquisición (pero dedica páginas y más páginas a las aventuras de franciscanos y jesuitas por América). Acaba soltando que el estado de España en 1700 no estaba peor que en 1500. En fin, he aprendido un par de cosas pero he dedicado demasiado tiempo a algo que no lo merece.
August 6, 2024
Should really be 3.5 stars imo, goodreads add half star feature or face my wrath. This book is massive and dense, but it is if nothing else incredibly well-researched and generally quite convincing. At times the attempt to decenter Spain and the Castilian Spanish from the actual machinery of empire moves into a position that I might almost argue is apologetic, but Kamen's other work on the subject makes it clear he doesn't want to let Spain off scot-free. Nonetheless, it can be a bit dry or dull, but that's probably in part because I'm not a historian of Spain primarily. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this unless you're a historian
March 12, 2025
A good and revisionist version of the "Spanish" empire: Castillians, aided by Europeans and non Europeans, created and maintained the "Spanish" empire, which they in turn came to depend on. This was possible because the outsourcing of technology, manufacturing, manpower, and culture began early. This outsourcing never fundamentally changed. A simple thesis drawn out over 500 pages of good scholarship.
December 10, 2017
Didn’t finish this book. It just never gripped me, despite the fact that the subject matter should be great.
January 28, 2021
Buen manual para empezar a sepultar las pobres enseñanzas del instituto. Contiene sus propias tesis sobre la conquista y el imperio como empresa multinacional.
December 5, 2019
There are a great many writers, some who fancy themselves historians, who complain about the sorts of biases that histories often have in emphasizing only certain players. This book does more than that, in actively seeking to provide some necessary balance to a look at Spain's empire and what that meant and who was involved in it, over the course of a lengthy book of more than 500 pages where the author goes into great detail about the polyglot composition of Spain's imperial possessions and the complexity in which they were ruled over and even the limited scope that they often involved. Now, I happen to believe that those who direct and lead deserve a great deal of credit for what gets done, but this book does a good job at showing the level of collaboration that was necessary among people from diverse backgrounds so that the Spanish imperial effort could succeed, some of whom were enemies of Spain but traders to the Spanish colonies that allowed them to receive necessary goods for survival--as was the case with Britain and the Netherlands. At the very least, this sort of book can help re-frame the debates that exist in history from being stale arguments about important people and peoples.
This book is a bit more than 500 pages and seeks to explain how it is that Spain got to be and stayed as a world power for a period of nearly 300 years. This work is divided into eleven generally chronological chapters, beginning with a list of illustrations and maps and a preface that makes it clear that the author has a social history in mind rather than one that focuses on the leaders of Spain's political or military order. After that the author discusses the foundations of Spanish empire in the marriage alliances that brought Castile and Aragon together and the negotiations that led to the takeover of Grenada in 1492 (1). After that the author discusses the early Western Empire that came about through the Burgundian inheritance (2) as well as the freelance operations that led to the New World and its settlement (3), even if it can't really be called a conquest. The author discusses the way that many peoples were involved in making Spain a world power in the 16th century (4) and spends a chapter paying close attention to Manila (5) and the complex way that Spain managed to hold on to this entrepot in the face of its isolation. There are chapters on the role of the frontier and the way that few Spaniards were present on Spain's porous borders (6) as well as the way that Spain struggled with the business of world power but long found willing assistance from friends and foes in underwriting and supplying its imperial needs (7). After that the author discusses questions of identity and missionary work (8) as well as the shoring up of the empire in 1630-1700 in the face of Dutch independence (9). The author explores the Spanish colony under the management of the Bourbons (10) and then closes with a look at what it took for Spain's empire to be established and maintained in the broader perspective (11), after which the book ends with the usual glossary, list of abbreviations, notes, select bibliography, and index.
It is important to recognize that no nation can make it to a world power without help. Some of that help comes from one's own people, but a great deal of that help comes from immigrants, other nations willing to trade with you or your imperial territories, peoples who provide mercenaries or linguistic help, the people of those imperial territories, and many others. A proper understanding of historical context and a concern for the just giving of credit where it is due requires us to be honest about these sorts of matters, and it is worthwhile to ponder the complexities of how empire is made. Whether we are looking at who serves as soldiers in one's armies, or who translates in diplomatic matters, or who trades what, or who provides necessarily logistical work, a lot of people must act in a beneficial matter, including one's enemies, for an empire to endure as long as Spain's did. That Spain itself was deeply divided among different polities that were not until at least the 18th centuries patched into one state, and that still to this day have not become unified together, is something that needs to be recognized and this book is a worthwhile piece of Atlantic (and Pacific and Mediterranean) history in doing that.
This book is a bit more than 500 pages and seeks to explain how it is that Spain got to be and stayed as a world power for a period of nearly 300 years. This work is divided into eleven generally chronological chapters, beginning with a list of illustrations and maps and a preface that makes it clear that the author has a social history in mind rather than one that focuses on the leaders of Spain's political or military order. After that the author discusses the foundations of Spanish empire in the marriage alliances that brought Castile and Aragon together and the negotiations that led to the takeover of Grenada in 1492 (1). After that the author discusses the early Western Empire that came about through the Burgundian inheritance (2) as well as the freelance operations that led to the New World and its settlement (3), even if it can't really be called a conquest. The author discusses the way that many peoples were involved in making Spain a world power in the 16th century (4) and spends a chapter paying close attention to Manila (5) and the complex way that Spain managed to hold on to this entrepot in the face of its isolation. There are chapters on the role of the frontier and the way that few Spaniards were present on Spain's porous borders (6) as well as the way that Spain struggled with the business of world power but long found willing assistance from friends and foes in underwriting and supplying its imperial needs (7). After that the author discusses questions of identity and missionary work (8) as well as the shoring up of the empire in 1630-1700 in the face of Dutch independence (9). The author explores the Spanish colony under the management of the Bourbons (10) and then closes with a look at what it took for Spain's empire to be established and maintained in the broader perspective (11), after which the book ends with the usual glossary, list of abbreviations, notes, select bibliography, and index.
It is important to recognize that no nation can make it to a world power without help. Some of that help comes from one's own people, but a great deal of that help comes from immigrants, other nations willing to trade with you or your imperial territories, peoples who provide mercenaries or linguistic help, the people of those imperial territories, and many others. A proper understanding of historical context and a concern for the just giving of credit where it is due requires us to be honest about these sorts of matters, and it is worthwhile to ponder the complexities of how empire is made. Whether we are looking at who serves as soldiers in one's armies, or who translates in diplomatic matters, or who trades what, or who provides necessarily logistical work, a lot of people must act in a beneficial matter, including one's enemies, for an empire to endure as long as Spain's did. That Spain itself was deeply divided among different polities that were not until at least the 18th centuries patched into one state, and that still to this day have not become unified together, is something that needs to be recognized and this book is a worthwhile piece of Atlantic (and Pacific and Mediterranean) history in doing that.
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July 7, 2023It is interesting to know what it was called the Spanish Empire. The birth of all modern business concepts, economic integration, and interdependence; economic interests overriding everything else, the so-called globalization and capitalism. Play of religion. And how it made, altered, and shaped the geographical and political world of today for bad and good. The colonisation, slavery and forced movement of wealth into Europe. The book is an exhaustive academic research and study, a reference and store of information for researchers, academicians, and students working on Spanish Empire and European history of the said period. There are hundreds of names, quotes, and references to people, tribes, headmen, rulers, and places. However, an ordinary reader with an interest in a broader history may tend to get lost in this oceanic information and feel dry.
May 7, 2009
In my quest for my Hispanic identity, I discovered that Spain might be considered the first global economy, and that this occurred through the cooperation of inherited non-Hispanic kingdoms (Genoa, Naples, Netherlands, briefly Portugal) who helped the Castillians in the sudden absence of talented Jews and Muslims. I learned how the idea of an actual Spanish Empire is a fallacy, as only Cuba, New Spain (Mexico) and Peru were actual viable governments, the latter two due to the effort put into their conquests and their endless supply of silver. I learned that the northern and southern frontiers were basically defined by where the cooperative indigenous tribes ended and the warring ones began. As for the Phillipines, most of the trading was done with the Japanese (until they closed themselves off) and the Chinese. Spain did not set up a real infrastructure there, nor did they show any interest in doing anything other than trading goods for silver from the New World. At home, the Castillians showed scant interest in their own peninsular neighbors, the Aragonese, Andalusians, Catalans, Basques, etc. For a world power with so many holdings, they showed no interest in learning foreign languages even for the purpose of governing, and the country in general was woefully ignorant of other cultures. Basically, the Spanish look like a bunch of dumb assholes in this book. The author has taught at a university in Barcelona for years. His recent books seem to take the stance that the Spanish are a bunch of fools. There is another book about how Spain has a habit of expelling the peoples that make it interesting (Jews, Muslims, socialists, artists). The author is British born, with Spanish heritage. I imagine that when he was young he felt an intense interest and pride in Spanish history, and research has disabused him of his fantasies, causing an extra bitterness to his tones.
February 18, 2017
Loved the economic history parts and when he truly focused on his thesis.
February 4, 2014
I'd been looking for a book on this particular subject for quite some time, but found some of them a little off putting - i.e. - dry. I took the plunged with this title and almost passed out, because of the density of the material. It took me a while to finish this book and now that I've finally done it, I'd say that it was a commendable attempt by Mr Kamen on such a convoluted subject.
Many things I didn't know now about; how this nation(Castile) took on the role of imperial power with the help of the: Genoese, Germans, Scots, Neapolitans, Portuguese, South American Indians and African slaves who contributed greatly to this plodding empire for two centuries and the dynastic alliances which gave Spain (Castile) a degree of control over swaths of territory.
Buy this book, because the writer has a deft way of bringing a complicated subject to life. Every page assails you with facts of this Empire, which contemporary historians seem to have put in the dustbin of history; odd since this nation was probably the first true global superpower.
This book gets a whooping 5 stars.
Many things I didn't know now about; how this nation(Castile) took on the role of imperial power with the help of the: Genoese, Germans, Scots, Neapolitans, Portuguese, South American Indians and African slaves who contributed greatly to this plodding empire for two centuries and the dynastic alliances which gave Spain (Castile) a degree of control over swaths of territory.
Buy this book, because the writer has a deft way of bringing a complicated subject to life. Every page assails you with facts of this Empire, which contemporary historians seem to have put in the dustbin of history; odd since this nation was probably the first true global superpower.
This book gets a whooping 5 stars.
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