This book lays the foundation for a re-examination of the politics and personalities of Philip IV's reign and in doing so provides an inestimable service to students of court and government. At last, the third great favourite of the Spanish seventeenth century and the court in which he operated become properly visible to us. * Patrick Williams, The Court Historian: The International Journal of Court Studies * This remarkable study is the product of years of research ... Malcolm never permits himself to get bogged down in details but pieces them together in eminently sensible readings of a larger picture ... this is a superb book. * Lynn Williams, Bulletin of Spanish Studies * Haro's elusive nature means he has not come to the fore in later historiography, and Malcolm's study rectifies this situation. ... What Malcolm does to fill in the gaps is to combine an impressive grasp of mid-seventeenth-century Spanish aristocracy, its intermarriages, feuds, and pretentions of royal ancestry with an equally impressive depiction of the ideas shaping this aristocracy. ... The fact that Luis de Haro was not quite the archetypal favorite in the same
way as Lerma, Olivares, Buckingham, or Richelieu makes Malcolm's study even more valuable. A different kind of favorite, like Haro, shows the many nuances and forms early modern government could take and adds to our understanding of a fascinating and complex phenomenon. * Fabian Persson, Renaissance Quarterly * Alastair Malcolm's well-written, detailed and sophisticated examination of these twenty-five years focused through an analysis of the role played by the new royal favourite, don Luis Mendez de Haro, nephew to the previous favourite Olivares, makes for compelling reading and provides one of the best studies on the later years of the reign of Philip IV. In addition, it is backed up by impressive archival research in state and private noble libraries in Spain,
Italy, France, England that should not be underestimated. Here are listed resources that others will wish to consult for their own research. * Trevor J. Dadson, Hispanic Research Journal * Malcolm's study of court politics in the second half of Philip IV's reign represents a substantial contribution to an overlooked period in early modern Spanish history. The author draws from the established works of J. H. Elliott and others, yet he also pulls from a substantial body of new archival research and primary documents, offering details which illuminate the inner workings of Haro's circle. Malcolm's monograph will undoubtedly become an instrumental source
for anyone studying Philip IV and early modern Spanish politics. * Seventeenth-Century News * This book is a perceptive, clearly argued, and well-written contribution to a better understanding of a surprisingly obscure but key juncture in early modern Spanish history. It also provides further proof - if proof is needed - that the study of the political apparatus that underlay the Hispanic Monarchy has reached new levels of analytical depth and sophistication. * James S. Amelang, Renaissance Studies * This beautifully written book provides fresh perspectives on the Hispanic Monarchy in the mid-seventeenth century as well as a fascinating portrait of one of the most elusive royal favourites. * N. Reinhardt, The English Historical Review * Malcolm's impressive grasp of the details of the Spanish aristocracy and international politics of the 1640s and 1650s makes this an important book ... Malcolm makes the wealth of names and connections the reader needs to grasp as comprehensible as possible, particularly through tables and family trees * Jacqueline Rose, History *