Buy used:
$12.66
FREE delivery November 22 - 27. Details
Or fastest delivery November 21 - 25. Details
Used: Like New | Details
Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta
Condition: Used: Like New
Comment: Pages are clean and are not marred by notes or folds of any kind. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Henry Kamen
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Philip V of Spain: The King Who Reigned Twice Hardcover – May 1, 2001

by Henry Kamen (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 23 ratings
See all formats and editions
Philip V, who reluctantly assumed the Spanish throne in 1700, was the first of the Bourbon dynasty which continues to rule Spain today. His 46-year reign, briefly curtailed in 1724 when he abdicated in favour of his short-lived son, Louis I, was one of the most important in the country's history. This account is the first biography of Philip V in English.
Drawing on contemporary opinion and fresh archival sources, Kamen discusses Philip's character, decisions and policies. He offers a new assessment of the king's illness (which led earlier historians to view Philip as mad) and re-evaluates the role of his two wives. Kamen's account of Philip as king also provides an essential introduction to the study of early eighteenth-century Spain and the Bourbon monarchy.
Previous slide of product details
  1. Print length
    336 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Yale University Press
  4. Publication date
    May 1, 2001
  5. Dimensions
    6.25 x 1.25 x 9.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0300087187
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0300087185
  8. See all details
Next slide of product details
The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sometimes imagining himself a frog, and repeatedly believing himself to be dead, Philip V, the first Bourbon on the throne of Spain, has been a risible figure for many historians. For others, Philip, who ruled from 1700 to 1746, was a despicable absolutist who too briefly abdicated the throne in 1724, or a weak man easily dominated by his Italian-born second wife, Elizabeth Farnese. But Kamen, a historian of the early modern era with the Higher Council for Scientific Research in Barcelona, has made his career destroying established scholarship. In The Spanish Inquisition (1998), he undercut the "Black Legend" of Spanish brutality and intolerance, placing the holy tribunal in a more realistic historical context. Here, he argues that Philip in fact helped ensure the economic, political and cultural revival of his adopted country, that he was entirely uninterested in absolutist power and that the salacious accusations regarding his sexual appetite are without foundation. Although he postures this scholarly work as a personal biography of Philip V and not a historical review of the king's reign, Kamen's rehabilitation is sometimes excessive: for instance, his claim that, under Philip, "Spain awoke to adequate food supplies" is undermined by his own admission that royal policies aggravated the problem of poverty. Moreover, the author admits that the cultural advancements (with a Parisian influence) that the king encouraged had little effect beyond the court and that Philip's manic depression quite clearly had a crippling effect on his capacity to govern. Still, this remains a humane work, as well as a provocative one, notably in its treatment of Elizabeth, whose apparently authoritarian behavior was, Kamen suggests, simply the result of a loyal decision to act decisively on behalf of her beloved but incapacitated husband.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

The eighteenth-century reign of Philip V of Spain, the first Spanish king of the French Bourbon dynasty, which still rules in Spain today, was marked by the long conflict called the War of Spanish Succession. But Professor Kamen looks beyond those years of bloodshed and sees that Philip's long reign--of 46 years, in fact--spelled governmental, social, and cultural changes that, in effect, inaugurated Spain as a modern nation. Philip, the grandson of France's great king Louis XIV, came to Spain young and untried, but, as Kamen pictures here, in a scholarly, exacting, but certainly accessible account, he developed the acumen and agility to end his reign as a leader who made a difference. Brad Hooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Yale University Press; First Edition (May 1, 2001)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0300087187
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0300087185
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.5 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1.25 x 9.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 23 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Henry Kamen

Henry Kamen

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read book recommendations and more.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
23 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Dr. Kevin M. Derby
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Introduction of an Important Monarch
Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2024
Verified Purchase
Now more than two decades old, Henry Kamen’s look at Philip V continues to serve as an excellent introduction to that important but overlooked Spanish king. The first Bourbon king of Spain proved effective on the throne despite some cultural and personal difficulties. Kamen showcased Philip’s physical and mental problems, offering a convincing case that he suffered from bipolar disorder and depression. Despite those burdens, Philip proved a solid monarch, especially during his active periods. Kamen also shed considerable life on Philip’s two queens, who helped guide him. Kamen is also a fine writer, so this book can appeal to experts and general readers alike. A fine introduction and reevaluation of an important, long-reigning king. Highly recommended.
Helpful
 Report
Patrick Judd
5.0 out of 5 stars The first Bourbon king of Spain
Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2015
Verified Purchase
Fantastic book. Philip became King at age 17 and would spend the next 10 years in war on the side of his Grandfather Louis XIV against the rest of Europe which had formed an alliance to keep the two Bourbon thrones from uniting. He also was bi-polar and weak result of a lot of inbreeding within the Hapsburg dynasty. Lot of insights on Spain during the early 18th century and also on his two marriages to very strong women.
Helpful
 Report
William P.
4.0 out of 5 stars Philip V of Spain
Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2014
Verified Purchase
I have always found the Bourbon Family of Spain fascinating...Most of them were a little touched in the head or worse.This is a good book,,,but I found it to be more a generalized look of not so much the man but of the era,which was about 50 years of Spain's History.I would rather have read a biography of the man and learned more about the personal side of King Philip, than all of the complex and wide spread political intricate happenings of his reign...More illustrations would have helped.There are so many in the Prado museum in Madrid, but overall a good read.....
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
RICHARD CLARKE
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2015
Verified Purchase
Very well written and interesting biography.
Helpful
 Report
Annie
1.0 out of 5 stars Don't know how this book got all those good reviews. I threw it away.
Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2015
Verified Purchase
Don't know how this book got all those good reviews. I threw it away.
Helpful
 Report
Brian Van Hove
4.0 out of 5 stars Philip V of Spain: The King who Reigned Twice
Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2011
Philip V of Spain: The King who Reigned Twice
Henry A.F. Kamen
New Haven and London: The Yale University Press, 2001
ISBN-10: 0300087187
ISBN-13: 978-0300087185

Review by Reverend Brian Van Hove, S.J.
Alma, Michigan
Published in the Josephinum Quarterly, vol. 10, no. 1 (Winter/Spring 2003): 158-160

Some years ago it was fashionable to write psycho-history, but that era has passed. Nonetheless Henry Kamen has given us today a well documented history which depends upon a specific psychological interpretation of Philip V, the French-born Bourbon King of Spain, who ruled there for forty-six years. The life of the king and the country was dominated by the bipolar disorder or manic depression from which the Philip suffered all his life. With the aging process, the monarch's behavior became only more bizarre and uncontrollable in the eighteenth century before our knowledge of contemporary medication. On page 190 we read, "For the better part of 1732, the king had not been governing Spain." Again on page 214, "In August that year (1738) Keene reported that when the king `retires to dinner, he sets up frightful howlings'." The illness was crippling for him and consequently for the affairs of state when Spain, still with the largest empire on earth, was entering into a period of gradual decline.
Were it not for his attentive wives--he was married twice--perhaps he might not have achieved anything at all. "Perhaps the most impressive achievement of Philip V's regime had been its efficiency in finding revenue to meet its needs. Government income had risen dramatically after the War of Succession [1704-1715], and the expeditions to Sardinia and Sicily had taken place without generating any financial crisis." (page 208) Some courtiers accused him of giving to much time to conjugal relations, though marital bliss seemed to help his spirits. For much of his reign only the care of his wife and the preparations for war seemed to lift the depression and bring him up into his hyperactive phase, but even then not consistently. During his first reign the War of the Spanish Succession occupied his youthful energies. He and his grandfather collaborated on strategy. The king loved both the war and his wife, Marie Louise, upon whom he depended for everything. But when the war was finally over not even his wife could keep him from sinking into deep depression.
After 1737 the king did finally find an effective therapy in the beautiful singing voice of the Italian castrato Carlo Broschi, known as Farinelli, who was even incorporated into the royal household. Unfortunately this took place toward the end of Philip's life which came suddenly at two in the afternoon on July 9, 1746, when he was just sixty-two years old.
Kamen wrote this biography to correct the record. Previous authors had portrayed the king in a negative way, making of him a kind of fool and failure at the beginning of the Age of Reason. Instead, we now learn from the best sources which have survived that Philip V was both lucid and intellectually coherent, though a very sick man who spent weeks and even months in bed. The charge that he was under the control of his wives is demonstrated to be false when we understand that they were doing their duty to "cover" for him when he was too dysfunctional to speak for himself. "When he was seriously indisposed, she forbade any access to him, which inevitably irritated both diplomats and members of the government." (page 206) Though after 1727 Elizabeth Farnese had the powers of governor and even directed foreign policy, she never made major decisions independently of her royal husband (page 162). Generally, Philip's wives promoted only his policies, not their own, as did also his faithful ministers whom Kamen goes to some length to introduce to us. Sadly, the fire in the Alcázar of Madrid on December 24, 1734, destroyed a great deal of what might have been quite useful for the present study.
As a very young man Philip, then the duke of Anjou, was required to renounce his claim to the throne of France if he were to rule Spain. He had a Spanish grandmother and a French grandfather, though he always felt French by culture. For political reasons this grandfather, the Sun King Louis XIV who had married the daughter of Philip IV of Spain in 1660, fully concurred in this decision for the felicity and peace of Europe (page 5). The last Habsburg king of Spain had died on November 1, 1700, and so after some negotiations Philip accepted the throne of Spain. Yet the dream of returning to rule France never completely left Philip. At times he also supported the claim of his son to succeed to the throne of France.
To complicate the story, Philip abdicated the Spanish monarchy to pursue with his wife the eternal salvation of their souls. Probably this religious zeal was in response to his illness or a pious front to hide the real reason. But even before and after that decision he had tried several times in the midst of serious depression to abdicate secretly though in an irrational and disorderly way. Government must be rational, and a variety of factors must be recognized for a peaceful transition to take place. Therefore his illness was not to be allowed to control the succession in Spain. Once he was barely stopped by the intervention of his second wife Elizabeth who in 1728 managed to have a nobleman seize a document of abdication and destroy it. While in major depression he kept trying to abdicate in such a frantic manner over a period of years.
Kamen's subtitle, "The King who Reigned Twice", refers to the formal and legal abdication which was at last approved through the proper organs of government and international diplomacy. Philip's son Ferdinand, the prince of Asturias, became King Luis I of Spain on February 9, 1724. This was a relief for some who had always desired a Spanish-born ruler. However, the young successor to Philip unexpectedly died on August 31, 1724, having named his father his universal heir. Philip therefore reascended the Spanish throne, again with the understanding he would not try to take two crowns by claiming his rightful dynastic succession in France. This explains how it happened that Philip "reigned twice". Despite his illness Philip V was a patron of the arts and a pious man who sincerely sought the best interests of his adoptive empire.
This book is a delight for readers of Henry Kamen's earlier studies, such as his biography of Philip II, Philip of Spain. Any student of Spanish history, or the history of the early eighteenth century in Europe, would greatly profit from reading the clear and bright English of Kamen's work on Philip V.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Chris Coburg
4.0 out of 5 stars Ou est le duc d'Anjou?
Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2014
Considering, by the author's own admission, that this king of all the Spains, grandson of Louis XIV, never learned, or at least never spoke Spanish, I find his omission of even a chapter about the "duc d'Anjou" - title of the current legitimist, and great-grandson of Francisco Franco (!) - to be a weakening of this biographical work. Greater attention should have been made of his mother, the "Grand Dauphine", Marie-Anne Victoire, from Bavaria, who brought the melancholic blood of the Wittelsbachs into the French Royal Family, quite apparent in Philippe, much more so than in his elder and younger brothers, the ill-fated ducs de Bourgogne and de Berry. It is no secret that, despite his formal renunciation to his rights to the French throne - and we have seen how the throne of Spain was ceded to him in spite of the renunciation of her rights: his grandmother the infanta Maria Teresa, who was senior to her sister, Margarita, mother of the Austrian claimant - and probably because of this, his consistent attempts to secure the throne of France for himself. Enough! En fin, I agree with Kennedy that this is more of an historical than a biographical work, and not one of Kamen's best. Could have been better illustrated, and please, a more-detailed family tree!
Helpful
 Report
K. Kennedy
3.0 out of 5 stars not a great effort, but good for history buffs
Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2014
"Philip V of Spain" by Henry Kamen is a biography of a king with mental illness, who spent his life going in and out of periods of depression and mania, and who was surrounded by family and courtiers who filled in the gaps during his periods of illness--usually following their own agendas. This is not a fascinating book, and many of the characters are not fully fleshed out for the reader, but is does tell the tale of an interesting period in Spanish and European history. This is not Mr. Kamen's best effort, but is still worth reading if you are interested in the period.
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
M . López
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesante
Reviewed in Spain on July 5, 2020
Verified Purchase
Interesante
Report
Moises Enrique Rodriguez
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 26, 2016
Verified Purchase
This is, as far as I am aware, the only biography of Philip V of Spain in the English language. I was expecting a very dry academic book, but was agreeably surprised. It is an academic subject, but the book is so well written that it is as enjoyable as a novel. Henry Kamen does justice to his subject, and not only gives a rigorous account of this king's life and reign, but made me laugh and even almost cry at times.

Philip V was the founder of the Bourbon dynasty of Spain, which rules to this day. The Spanish Habsburgs (known in Spain as the House of Austria) became extinct in 1700, with the death without issue of Charles II. There were two candidates to the succession: Philip of Anjou, a grandson of Louis XIV of France; and Archduke Charles, the son of the (Austrian) Holy Roman Emperor. Although Charles II named Philip as his heir, the Austrians refused to accept the decision and the War of the Spanish Succession broke out on the following year, only to end in 1715. This was a true world war, with France and Spain (who had accepted Philip) facing the combined forces of Austria, Britain, the Netherlands, Portugal and Savoy. It was fought not only in the Iberian Peninsula, but also in the Spanish Netherlands, Central Europe, Italy and the High Seas.

The first part of the book deals with Philip V and the war in Iberia theatre. The account of the military operations and the political developments is truly first-class ... and it is extremely readable! Philip, nicknamed "El Animoso" (The "Brave") insisted in taking part in military operations and gained the admiration of his new subjects. If you want a good book about the War of the Spanish Succession in the Iberian theatre, this is it!

Kamen also tells us of two formidable women, the wives of Philip V. First there is the young Maria Luisa of Savoy, who married him at age 13 and died of tuberculosis at 26. Her courage, devotion and determination brought tears to my eyes.

Then there is Isabel (Elizabeth) Farnese, princess of Parma. Most histories state that Isabel dominated her husband and involved Spain in wars that were not in its interest, with the sole purpose of placing Farnese's children on Italian thrones. Kamen gives another perspective. According to him, Philip V was the dominating influence, but in his long periods of depression (which sometimes came close to madness), Isabel Farnese stepped in ... to carry out the policies which Philip had decided upon.

Whatever the details, during the reign of Philip and Isabel, Spain regained much of the ground she had lost in Italy after the War of the Spanish Succession ... After the Wars of the Polish and Austrian Successions, their children (Charles and Philip) ruled over the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and the Duchy of Parma. It seems clear to me that Spanish princes ruling in Italy were in Spain's interest.

Kamen also tells us about the king's private life and his struggle against manic depression ... And when he was depressed, the king was not only really down ... he sometimes crossed the border into insanity. What his second wife (and his courtiers) had to endure is truly incredible.

The book is compassionate and moving, and very sympathetic to the king and his queens.

A great read indeed!
Report
M. Baerends
4.0 out of 5 stars madman or hero
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 18, 2011
Verified Purchase
The life of Philip V of Spain is another proof that history is often better than the best fiction. Enter Philippe, Duke of Anjou, an awkward 18 year old who is told by his grandfather Louis XIV to leave for Spain to take over a kingdom. I seriously doubt he wanted to go, but then grandpa Louis was not the type of person to take no for an answer. Soon poor Philippe crossed the Pyrenees, became Felipe & had to govern a country he knew nothing about - admittedly with kind assistance of his new wife from Savoy.
One can only feel sorry for this troubled young man who suffered from severe depressions - apparently the only remedy in his case was being in the thick of fighting; luckily the outbreak of war provided enough action to serve as psychotherapy. In addition he was so shy that at least initially he could only participate in 'cabinet meetings' (or whatever equivalent they had) when sitting behind a curtain. It is perhaps amazing that he came out on top at the end of the Spanish succession war. Even more amazingly, he actually launched Spain into another war just a few years after, this time against the combined might of France, England, Savoy and Austria. Perhaps Felipe was a fool to enter this War of the Quadruple Alliance (it did cost him his entire fleet) but in the end Spain got something out of it, namely a renewed foothold in Italy.
Kamen argues against the commonly held belief that Felipe's wives dominated him, not just because of his mental instability but also because he combined a voracious sexual appetite with such a deep religiosity that he (unlike pretty much all his colleague kings) would not entertain any mistresses. However interesting Kamen's argument that Felipe really was in control all the time and that he was not a mad weakling at all might be, the problem is that he does not provide a lot of proof. For example, he states that everything that St. Simon (ambassador in Madrid for a while) said about the king was not true, but then fails to prove this point.
Overall, Kamen's subject matter is certainly very interesting, the book is alternatingly hilarious and moving, in short a good read!
Report
michael Billington
5.0 out of 5 stars Story of the founder of the spanish Bourbon Dynasty
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 7, 2019
Verified Purchase
I was always interested in learning more about the young man whose accession to the throne of Spain was the cause of one of the longest wars in history. The book is well written and strikes a good balance between the personal and the political aspects of the reign of Philip V.

I found it particularly interesting to learn about the mental health problems which afflicted the king throughout his life and how it affected his ability to function as monarch. Overall I found this book to be well worth reading and gave me a better understanding of a period of European history that is often neglected.
Report
HistoryBookReviewer
5.0 out of 5 stars A gem of a book on Philip V
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 30, 2013
Verified Purchase
This title is somewhat a gem of a book! Easy to read and covers the many wider aspects of Philip's reign and the historical events in which he played a part. I stumbled across it by accident and it has helped me plug a few gaps in my knowledge of this period.
Report