Articles liés à Rivers of Gold: The Rise of the Spanish Empire

Rivers of Gold: The Rise of the Spanish Empire - Couverture rigide

Thomas, Hugh

 
9780297645634: Rivers of Gold: The Rise of the Spanish Empire
Couverture rigide
ISBN 10 : 0297645633 ISBN 13 : 9780297645634
Editeur : Weidenfeld & Nicolson History, 2003

Synopsis

"To carry out the conquest of so many countries, to cross so many seas and rivers, valleys, forests and mountains, and to take on the Aztecs and the Mayans in their own territory, some great idea was needed as well as human will." (Americo Castro) When, in 1492, Christopher Columbus finally stood ready to set sail across the 'Ocean Sea' for what he thought was India (christening the Indies and the Indians), he crossed himself and devoted his expedition to the Holy Trinity and to the King and Queen of Spain. With the gold and spices (and slaves) he would find, Columbus planned to fund a new Crusade to win back Jerusalem. As he set out, the Muslims were being besieged at Granada. The Catholic monarchs would soon inhabit the Alhambra, and the Inquisition would persuade them to command all Jews to convert or be expelled from Spain penniless. At the time Columbus's voyage was insignificant, but it became one of the most important events in history. The colonisation he started was followed by the Dutch, French and British. Pioneers like Columbus, Amerigo Vespucci (who gave his name to America) and the hundreds of Spaniards they inspired looked for riches, glory and to serve God in the New World. While they didn't believe the earth was flat, they thought an Earthly Paradise existed on the far side of the Indies, and that the rivers flowed with gold. Later the Conquistadores brought slavery, their irresistable weapons and European diseases to the ancient civilisations, and made Spain the richest nation in the world.

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À propos de l'auteur

Hugh Thomas has won the Somerset Maugham Prize and the National Book Award for History. He was chairman of the Centre for Policy Studies 1979-89 and received a peerage in 1981. He lives in London.

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Éditeur
Weidenfeld & Nicolson History
Date d'édition
2003
Langue
anglais
ISBN 10 
0297645633
ISBN 13 
9780297645634
Reliure
Relié
Numéro d'édition
1
Nombre de pages
624
Coordonnées du fabricant
non disponible
Personne responsable
non disponible