Imprudent King

A New Life of Philip II

By: Geoffrey Parker

Narrated by: Nigel Patterson

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

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])

Good read

Good read and interesting I recommend this book to everyone blah blah blah blah blah blah

TOO JUMBLED UP TO FOLLOW

Overall this could be a great book. Good characters and an interesting story. But the author jumps back and forth in time, making it difficult for the listener to remain engages. If you stop to do something as simple as check your text messages and miss 60 seconds of the book, when you return you may find yourself in another decade in a different city, not even recognizing the current character. The main events that make this guy relevant to most readers was his brief and crazy marriage to Queen Mary I of England. I was very interested in learning Phil’s reactions to Bloody Mary’s cessation of her monthly period at age 38 shortly after he entered into a political loveless marriage. Any person who lived past 35 years old was considered an elderly senior citizen back then. Old girl somehow confused perimenopause with being pregnant shortly after the wedding but no kid 11 months later. Even today woman of that age are labeled as "mature" for pregnancy. For Mary, it could only have been menopause with gas when she experienced a SECOND phantom pregnancy at 42. I wanted to know what her hubby was thinking as he tried for an heir for 4 years with a cougar he neither loved nor desired. But, either I missed his reaction in the chronological mish-mash or the author left it out. I finally had to give up and try Wikipedia! Still nothing there either. So I never finished the book.

Great, but I jumbled

This is a great book, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The only complaint I have is one that I saw in another review, which is that the book does jump around a bit. It takes the different areas in his life and goes through each one in chronological order separate from the other parts. For example, you hear about all of his wives before you hear about most of his political life.

It would have been better if it was all knit together in order. That way you could see while one marriage may have been awful, what he was dealing with in his kingdom. How these separate parts may have affected each other is lost by separation.

In all, it is very good, if awkwardly ordered. The narration was superb. I definitely recommend this book.

A revealing portrait of King Philip the Second

For those of us who revel in minute detail, this is the king for us. Geoffrey Parker and his very able narrator Nigel Patterson have blessed us with an articulate version of this Imprudent King.

Enjoyable and Educational

Didn't expect this to be so interesting - I wanted to understand the history of the Americas better by learning more about Spain during the colonial period, but it turns out this is a story about the Reformation, Elizabethan England, and so much more.

Narrator was very capable and I thought fits quite well with the attitude that characterizes the book.

I started with this one for some reason, now I am looking forward to picking up the author's biography of Philip's father Charles.