Table of Contents
Maps xi
Habsburg Family Tree xv
Introduction 1
Part I Gold
Prologue 7
The Age of Chivalry: Charles V
1 Realms of Gold 13
2 Holy Roman Emperor 33
3 Isabella of Portugal 49
4 Arms and Letters: Garcilaso and Alba 71
5 Rule of Law 89
6 Death of the Emperor 111
The Age of Bureaucracy: Philip II
7 El Escorial and El Greco 129
8 St Teresa, Mystic Poets and the Inquisition 150
9 The Netherlands: 'The Great Bog of Europe' 171
10 Portugal and the Duke of Alba 190
11 Pirates, Criminals and Tax Collecting 214
12 The Great Armada, 1588 233
Part II Glitter
Prologue 253
The Age of Peace: Philip III and the Duke of Lerma
13 The First Modern Novel, Don Quixote 275
14 Moriscos and Catalans 304
15 Holy Week: Art and Illusion 327
16 Velázquez and Zurbarán 344
17 Politics and Poetry: Góngora and Quevedo 367
The Age of Decline: Philip IV and the Count-Duke Of Olivares
18 Drama: Olivares and Don Juan 391
19 The Prince of Wales in Madrid 417
20 Triumph and Disaster 433
21 Death and Defeat 458
Epilogue 480
Notes 491
A Note about Currency and Monetary Values 537
Bibliography 539
Acknowledgements 566
Index 569