World Without End

June 29, 2015
The final installment of Thomas’s trilogy (after Rivers of Gold and The Golden Empire) completes his overview of Spain’s Golden Age–era conquests in the Americas and Asia. While he provides contextual information about Philip II’s European and colonial concerns, the emphasis remains on the vigorous conquering and colonizing of resource-laden lands to benefit Spain’s reputation and coffers. Thomas clearly excels in the Spanish history of religion, politics, and culture, but he mistakenly claims—without citation—that Philip’s desperately needy English wife, Mary I, was uninterested in him, as well as that the most recently canonized pope was Pius V (five popes have been canonized since). The inclusion of historical maps and relevant appendices helps greatly in tracing individual figures and explorations, especially when the narrative’s expansive approach and numerous tangential stories make it difficult for readers to keep track. Thomas successfully shows that Spain’s global ambition knew no bounds; the history of western Spanish colonies may be well-trod, but the discussion of initially optimistic attempts to conquer China and the Philippines will pique interest. Illus. Agency: Wylie Agency.