The courtier and the King: Ruy Gómez de Silva, Philip II, and the court of Spain
Editorial UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS
Mainland Spain
- Publisher UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS
- ISBN13 9780520086227
- ISBN10 0520086228
- Type Book
- Pages 239
- Published 1995
- Language English
- Bookbinding Cloth
Sections
Modern History Of SpainThe courtier and the King: Ruy Gómez de Silva, Philip II, and the court of Spain
Editorial UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS
Mainland Spain
Book Details
Ruy Gómez de Silva, or the prince of Eboli, was one of the central figures at the court of Spain in the sixteenth century. Thanks to his oily affability, social grace, and an uncanny knack for anticipating and catering to the desires of his prince, he rose from obscurity to become the favorite and chief minister of Philip II. From the scattered surviving sources James Boyden weaves a vivid, compelling narrative: one that breathes life not only into Ruy Gómez, but into the court, the era, and the enigmatic character of Phillip II as well. Elegantly written and highly readable, this book discovers in the career of Gómez the techniques, aspirations, and mentality of an accomplished courtier in the age of Castiglione.
Author Biography: James M. Boyden is Associate Professor of History at Tulane University.