Imprudent king: a new life of Philip II

List of illustrations

Conventions

Preface

Part I. The Threshold of Power

1. Apprenticeship, 1527-1543

2. A Renaissance prince, 1543-1551

3. The changing face of empire, 1551-1558

Part II. The King and His World

4. The king at work

5. The king and God

6. The king at play

Part III. The First Decade of the Reign

7. Getting a grip, 1558-1561

8. I would rather lose a hundred thousand lives if I had them': keeping the faith, 1562-1567

9. Family life - and death

10. The enigma of Don Carlos

Part IV. The King Victorious

11. Years of crusade, 1568-1572

12. Years of adversity, 1573-1576

13. The crisis of the reign, 1576-1577

14. Murder most foul?

15. Years of triumph, 1578-1585

16. 'The most potent monarch in Christendom'

Part V. The King Vanquished

17. The 'Enterprise of England', 1585-1588

18. Philip at bay, 1589-1592

19. Towards the tomb - and beyond, 1593-1603

Epilogue

Abbreviations

Note on sources

Notes

Bibliography

Acknowledgements

Index