Imprudent King cover art

Imprudent King

A New Life of Philip II

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Imprudent King

By: Geoffrey Parker
Narrated by: Nigel Patterson
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About this listen

Philip II is not only the most famous king in Spanish history, but one of the most famous monarchs in English history: the man who married Mary Tudor and later launched the Spanish Armada against her sister Elizabeth I. This compelling biography of the most powerful European monarch of his day begins with his conception (1526) and ends with his ascent to Paradise (1603), two occurrences surprisingly well documented by contemporaries. Eminent historian Geoffrey Parker draws on four decades of research on Philip as well as a recent, extraordinary archival discovery - a trove of 3,000 documents in the vaults of the Hispanic Society of America in New York City, unread since crossing Philip's own desk more than four centuries ago. Many of them change significantly what we know about the king.

The book examines Philip's long apprenticeship; his three principal interests (work, play, and religion); and the major political, military, and personal challenges he faced during his long reign. Parker offers fresh insights into the causes of Philip's leadership failures: was his empire simply too big to manage, or would a monarch with different talents and temperament have fared better?

©2014 Geoffrey Parker (P)2018 Tantor 16th Century Europe Modern Politicians Politics & Activism Royalty Spain King Military France Tudor War Portugal Imperialism

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Critic reviews

"He is at pains to know Philip through the testimony of his friends, foes, courtiers and his own words and this authoritative, intelligently revisionist biography must stand now as the primary reference." (Iain Finlayson, Times [UK])
Most relevant  
excellent biography, balanced and nuanced, also superb narrator who even pronounces Spanish and Dutch names very well

excellent

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"Imprudent King" is a sweeping and enthralling biography of Philip II which will make you feel like you are actually there, in 16th century Spain by the King's side, present at all the fascinating events of the time. The author spends a lot of time creating a rich and comprehensive portrait of Philip II's personality, upbringing and private life, which helps the reader understand the monarch's public persona and professional choices and decisions.
Overall, a brilliant and fascinating biography and a treat of a book. Most recommended!

Wow!

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I wasn’t sure about downloading this book but was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it. Weaving the life of Philip with European history made for an interesting listen.

Surprisingly good

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This is a wonderful work of scholarship which gave me a new perspective on the most famous of Spanish monarchs. Showed the good and the bad of Philip ii both as a ruler and as an individual. This is a scholarly work and deals with the life of the king in academic way but also does a good job remaining listenable. I would recommend this audiobook to anyone interested in learning about this hugely important historical figure and his life and times

So much more than the catholic king carticature

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Parker’s biography of Philip II is one of the best available, managing to bring to life Philip’s complex, rivetingly interesting personality, and to assess with equanimity his accomplishment as a ruler in troubled times. Nigel Patterson’s performance, and particularly his obvious effort to get all the Spanish names and phrases correctly pronounced, is extraordinary.

Exceptional biography, grippingly retold.

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Geoffrey Parker combines the ability to narrate a fascinating biography of this important ruler along with detailed supporting evidence for his analysis. Well worth sticking with the whole book which is very well narrated and enhances the pleasure of listening.

A big story

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I found this to be a comprehensive study of Phillip II of Spain, which managed depth and breadth admirably. The decision to take a more thematic approach to events means that they are not presented in chronological order, with the author skipping sometimes decades ahead or referring back to previous chapters on many occasions. I feel this would be frustrating to any listener who is not already familiar with the life of Phillip II and may struggle to follow the narrative as a result.

Excellent, but not for everyone

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Excellent and informative. Have a real sense of the person and the complex history of the time. Also a great assessment of the type of personality of an obsessive individual and it’s impact on governance.

Superb and revealing

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Due to lots of records we get under the skin of Philip. The narrator tries hard to pronounce the Spanish properly and nearly gets there with a few mistakes.

Detailed account of a detallista

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