The Spanish Bourbons: The history of a tenacious dynasty

by John D. Bergamini

NON FICTION

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1974

Reviews

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an interesting study of the Bourbon dynasty of Spain that was launched in 1700 when Louis XIV fought a bloody War of Spanish Succession to place his grandson, Philip V on the throne of "Spain and the Indies". Some of the Spanish Bourbons were effective rulers --- particularly Ferdinand VI (1746-1759), Charles III (1759-1788), Alphonso XII (1875-1885) and current King Juan Carlos (1975-2014). Others like Charles IIII (1788-1808), Ferdinand VII (1808-1833) and Isabella II (1833-1868) were incompetent or worse. But the dynasty still lives and is scheduled to change hands this month (June 2014) when Juan Carolos abdicates in favor of his son Philip VI. --- This history book is especially valuable and useful for casual readers and those who plan to travel to Spain and want some background on the royal palaces (that still operate as do Buckingham Palace and Windsor) and royal personages.

[Gordon Kwok · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book on a very specific and focused topic and one that is hard to find in English...about how the Bourbon dynasty from France was able to establish roots and rule over Spain since 1700. If you ever wondered why the Spanish ruling family has the French name "Bourbon" and have a passing interest in royal history, this is the book for you.

Since 1700, most of Spain's monarchs have been average-to-below-average in between a few really excellent ones such as Carlos III. However, they have been able to survive a number of civil wars, overthrow of the monarchy, dictatorship and eventually the re-establishment of the monarchy.

One take-away from this book is that marrying your cousins is self-defeating in the long run because it tends to produce heirs with genetic defects or other health complications. In fact, the Spanish Bourbons were established precisely because the last Hapsburg king (Carlos II or Charles II) was sterile and mentally retarded because his mother was also his father's niece (imagine marrying your dad's brother). Carlos II was unable to produce any heirs which is why the Spanish Hapsburg dynasty was extinguished and the Spanish Bourbons established. All in all, I really enjoyed this book.

[Michael Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Spanish Bourbons are back on the throne now in the person of King Juan Carlos, who seems to be doing a much better job than some of his idiosyncratic ancestors. The first was Philip V, who reluctantly left the magnificent court of his grandfather, Louis XIV of France; he built his new palace far from Madrid so he could effectively avoid involvement in the affairs of state. His grandson, Charles IV, spent six hours every day hunting; the country was administered in his absence by his wife and her lover — much to his relief. And after Napoleon, the restored monarchy in Spain was really incompetent. A thoroughly documented volume that nevertheless avoids overacademization.