During the reign of the Habsburgs, Spain turned into a prosperous and most influential state in Europe, creating an excellent system for managing vast overseas territories and giving the world a rich, distinctive culture. Professor John Elliott's study traces the imperial period of Spanish history from its rise under Ferdinand and Isabella to the reign of Philip V and answers the question of what awakened the powerful energy that gave birth to a new civilization in the New World and changed the balance of power in Europe. Saved in PDF A4 format publishing layout of the book.