1873. Prescott, is a renowned American historian who chronicled the rise and fall of the Spanish empire. Engrossed by the history of Spain, he committed himself to tracing its development into a world power. Employing secretaries to read him manuscripts sent from Spanish archives, Prescott set about writing a work of sound scholarship that would also interest a general audience. The History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic, enjoyed tremendous critical and popular success on both sides of the Atlantic. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.