The vast Spanish empire of the 16th century changed the face of the globe forever, but the dramatic human story behind it has never been fully told. In this third volume of his epic history, Hugh Thomas chronicles the lives, loves and conflicts of the men and women who carved up the Americas: King Philip II, the ennobled descendants of the conquistadors, the wealthy landowners, the squabbling priests… and the terrible price paid for their ambition by the indigenous peoples. American-cut pages and felt-tip mark on lower trimmed edge.