During the 16th century Philip II and Charles V transformed the kingdom of Castile into a world power, which sought to maintain its leading position in Europe while consolidating its empire abroad and establishing a Catholic society at home. Using recent advances in Spanish historiographypreviously unavailable to English readers, Lovett examines familiar topics such as the conquests of Mexico and Peru, the revolt of the Netherlands, the Armada, and the Inquisition, while also taking a close look at new themes such as regional differences within the Iberian peninsula and conflictswith the unassimilated Jewish population. The profound economic consequences of the new transatlantic colonies are also fully discussed in this lively and lucid account of 16th-century Spain.
