April 27, 2012

IMPERIAL SPAIN by J.H.Elliott

BOOKS. According to J.H.Elliott, Regius Professor Emeritus in the University of Oxford and eminent Hispanist, Spanish Empire lasted only 2 centuries, a quick rise of a barren, impoverished and isolated country to become the greatest power on-earth, which just as quickly fell into decline. Then, for the last 3 centuries, Spain has lived in its post-Imperial era, always a difficult thing to be.
It was debt which brought the Empire to a quick end, and debt had been a sin in Spain since them. But the last 20 "sweet" years seem to have been enough to forget all.
The book is worth reading and it's a good introduction into the depths of the country too, both for natives and foreigners.


Según J.H.Elliott, Regius Professor Emeritus en la Universidad de Oxford y eminente hispanista, El Imperio Español duró solo 2 siglos. El rápido ascenso de un país sin recursos, empobrecido y aislado, hasta llegar a ser la mayor potencia de la tierra, para caer en su declive igual de rápidamente. Luego, durante los últimos 3 siglos, España ha vivido su era post-Imperial, siempre una cosa difícil de ser.
Fueron las deudas las que llevaron al Imperio a su rápido final, y tener deudas había sido un pecado en España desde entonces. Pero los últimos "dulces" 20 años parecen haber sido suficientes para olvidarlo todo.
El libro merece la pena leerlo y es también una buena introducción en las profundidades del país, tanto para nativos como para extranjeros.

10 comments:

  1. I like that photo. Is it from the book? Is personal or national debt the sin? Or both?

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    1. The painting by Velazquez is of a Spanish royal prince of that era.
      Personal debt was the "sin". Institutional debt is idiosyncratic to institutions :-)

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  2. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars ...

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  3. Hello:
    It is to our shame that we know very little of Spain's history. This book seems a marvellous introduction and we are grateful for the recommendation.

    Loss of Empire is something we are only too well acquainted with!! And, as you say, Empires may fall and go but their trappings linger on and on and on and on.......

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  4. Interesting, Spain seems to have a lot of dept these days too.


    /Avy

    http://mymotherfuckedmickjagger.blogspot.com

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  5. i don't know if i'm here for a long time, but i take the opportunity to hug you.
    unfortunately, i didn't read this book, is it as interesting as fernand braudel's "El Mediterráneo y el mundo mediterráneo en la época de Felipe II" ?

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  6. El imperio español no duró dos siglos, duró tres siglos, que es desde que lleguemos por primera vez a pisar tierra americana, hasta la independencia de nuestras colonias. Luego quedaron algunas hasta finales del siglo XIX, con la guerra de Cuba, Puerto Rico y Filipinas, ei incluso hasta hace bien poco hemos tenido colonias, como el Rif, el Sahara Occidental y Guinea Ecuatorial. Por tanto, decir que el imperio como tal duró solo dos siglos, no me parece del todo correcto

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  7. I was brushing up on my Spanish history in Cadiz, Seville and Malaga! I learnt a lot!

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  8. Yo esto lo veo negro negro!! Ich sehe schwarz....

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