The Golden Age of the Spanish Empire would establish five centuries of Western supremacy across the globe and usher in an era of transatlantic exploration that eventually gave rise to the modern world. It was a time of discovery and adventure, of great political and social change--it was a time when Spain learned to rule the world. Assembling a spectacular cast of legendary characters like the Duke of Alba, El Greco, Miguel de Cervantes, and Diego Velázquez, Robert Goodwin brings the Spanish Golden Age to life with the vivid clarity and gripping narrative of an epic novel. From scholars and playwrights, to poets and soldiers, Goodwin is in complete command of the history of this tumultuous and exciting period. But the superstars alone will not tell the whole tale--Goodwin delves deep to find previously unrecorded sources and accounts of how Spain's Golden Age would unfold, and ultimately, unravel. Spain is a sweeping and revealing portrait of Spain at the height of its power and a world at the dawn of the modern age. "What distinguishes Goodwin from other historians of the period is the sheer multiplicity of his perspectives. He is erudite and concise in covering familiar ground, while full of original insight when it comes to the motives and actions of the key players . . . [I]t is not enough to bring truth to history. One must also bring life--and this book has it in golden abundance." ― The Spectator "Full of major revelations for most readers, this richly informed little book should be considered essential for understanding crusading, then and now." ― Booklist, starred review on CROSSING THE CONTINENT "Goodwin succeeds in lifting an important historical figure out of the fog of myth." ― The Washington Post on CROSSING THE CONTINENT "An adventure story more thrilling than Defoe or Melville could have imagined." ― Philadelphia Inquirer on CROSSING THE CONTINENT Dr. Robert Goodwin is a research and teaching fellow at University College London. His first trade book, Crossing the Continent 1527–1540: The Story of the First African-American Explorer of the American South , was published in 2008 to critical acclaim. He appears on Spanish radio and TV. He lives between London and Seville, where he regularly conducts archival research.