During its golden age, Spain was a political giant whose influence spanned the world from Germany to the Western Pacific. Rich on American gold & silver, Spain was able to send the Armada against Engl&, defeat the Turks & challenge France for the hegemony of Europe. This book will unlock the secrets of Spain's vibrant & colorful past, its people & culture for the interested traveller. It takes the reader on a journey from the earliest settlements on the Iberian Peninsula, through the influences of the Romans, the Goths & the Muslims, the traumas of expansion & the end of the Empire, right up to the present.