Do not be intimidated by this weighty tome. Goodwin (history, Univ. Coll. London; Crossing the Continent) adopts a page-turning style to convey the sheer magnitude of Spain in this period. His focus is the "Golden Age" of Spain, which encompasses both the time when gold poured into the country from the New World and the artistic and literary age that followed. Readers will meet familiar characters such as explorer Hernán Cortés and painters Diego Velásquez and El Greco, as well as lesser-known figures including the playwright Lope de Vega, painter Francisco de Zurbarán, and sculptor Juan Martínez Montañés who were as famous in their time as Miguel de Cervantes is today. Don Quixote and his author also appear prominently in both halves of this work. There is plenty of traditional history here, particularly in the first half that follows the careers of Charles V and Phillip IV, but the overarching theme is about the visual artists and authors who created Spain's Baroque period. VERDICT Anyone wanting a better idea of the feel of this phase of Spanish history will be well served by this title. Accompanying maps and a genealogical chart are helpful. [See Prepub Alert, 1/5/15.]—Cate Hirschbiel, Iwasaki Lib., Emerson Coll., Boston