J. H. Elliott is Regius Professor Emeritus of Modern History, University of Oxford. His previous books include "The Count-Duke of Olivares, A Palace for a King" (with Jonathan Brown), and "Spain and Its World, 1500--1700," all published by Yale University Press. Among the many honors he has received are the Wolfson Prize for History, the Prince of Asturias Prize for the Social Sciences, and the Balzan Prize for History.