The War of Succession in Spain, 1700-1715

by Henry Kamen

The most profound and original of Mr. Kamen's books, The War of Succession in Spain 1700-1715 reinforces his reputation as a first-rate historian. It is written almost entirely from primary sources dawn largely from French and Spanish archives. Rather than simply provide a detailed narrative of the war, Mr. Kamen demonstrates its impact on Spanish society. He confines the military history of the war to an early chapter and devotes the bulk of the book to illustrating the war's influence on the formulation of royal policies, the organization of government and the military, the finances of the Crown, industrial and mercantile activity, the nobility, and the relationship between the Castilian Crown and the peripheral states of Aragon, Catalonia, and Valencia. Mr. Kamen makes a particularly significant contribution to this last topic as he outlines the ways in which the war precipitated the emergence of Spain as a unified territorial state. He also provides new information on the early years of Spain's first Bourbon ruler, Philip V, skilfully depicting how the war initiated royal policies in administration, finance, and defense as well as social and constitutional changes that were to influence the later history of Spain. Finally Mr. Kamen sets this period of fifteen years within the broader scope of sixteenth- to eighteenth-century Spanish history, providing the reader with a wide perspective while demonstrating his eminent position among the leading historians of Spain.

436 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

Henry Kamen is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society in London and an emeritus professor of the Higher Council for Scientific Research in Barcelona.

Reviews

[Nick Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this can at times be difficult to read for your average layman (me), it remains the only and truly comprehensive authority on the War of the Spanish Succession.

Packed full of data on military matters, economics, population and other social statistics, it really is a gem to anyone researching this period.

a 45yr old book, but an invaluable resource for my fiction set in that era.