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Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2024
Very in depth book on the Spanish Armada, covers all the angles: ships, armies, armaments, the political situation in Europe, the religious component between Catholics & Protestants, biographical histories of the major players, etc. A very good read. My only problem with the book & it's not really a big deal is that at 768 pages the book is big & heavy & sometimes a little unwieldy especially if you like to read in bed, a paperback version would have been better.
Joseph steele
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 9, 2024
Very happy with the bookUu
TD
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 25, 2024
Thorough analysis within a gripping narrative along with very useful photos, maps and charts that all combine to vividly tell the story of the Armada. This is very far from “dry and dusty” history, it’s been brilliantly put together by the authors and publisher. My thanks to them for their hard work.
Joseph M. Plummer
Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2024
This engrossing history of the naval crusade of Phillip II of Spain against Elizabeth and the Tudor Protestants of England reviews the geopolitics of 16th century North Atlantic Europe in comprehensive detail, explaining the precursors, the conduct of Spain’s impossible strategy, and the centuries of archeological and documentary reconstruction of the historic sea battle and its consequences.
Andrew Sacks
Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2023
That was an amazing read. The truth of the Armada finally! The detail. The unbelievable quotes from important people. Philip II so much detail of him and the Armada. Readers pay attention to the beauty of the first chapter because the rest of the book supports the results. The obsession of historians and denials of Spain 500 years later was incredible. I am a hardcore historian and always respect a well-written book by an author who dedicated his or her life to write the book of his career. This is a book every historian who jumps into any era of history must read. It ends with Charles which is a 100 years of English never ending chaos. England may have been better to be taken over by Spain than kill a king and deal with Cromwell.
G. Collins
Reviewed in Canada on August 31, 2023
This is the book, on the Spanish armada, if you want to know just about every aspect of the campaign. This book is right up-to-date with the latest information on the Armada and the celebrations of it over the years.
Wenn Schon
Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2023
A hefty book with a trove of new, expertly researched, material. Well written. Not light reading but great for the serious amateur or more advanced historian. Not dry, you get a feel for what it was like to be there. Wish it were on Kindle. The book is hefty and too much to carry very far.
RobRoy
Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2023
Highly recommended, detailed account of the Armada and archaeological finds. 1) Exceptional insight into King Philip II, micromanager, unwilling to meet face to face with his own generals and admirals, unable to delegate, workaholic who read volumes of reports and imagined himself smarter than subordinates due to his extensive reading of countless reports (often outdated by the time he received them & responded). 2) Amazing illumination on the twisted religion of Philip and the pope, both believed God desired them to kill and pillage heretics, force religious conversion by threat of death & confiscation, never recognizing they were the true heretics. When military leaders disclosed weaknesses in his plan, Philip retorted that God will help us overcome that problem. 3) Excellent explanation of military superiority of English ships, artillery, and tactics 4) Profound details of the running battles and catastrophic withdrawal in the Atlantic.I could hardly put the book down for the first 3/4 of 545, but the aftermath segment dragged a bit. My only disappointment is not learning the reactions of Philip & the pope to the debacle.
Aussie Reader
Reviewed in Australia on May 27, 2023
"Armada: The Spanish Enterprise and England’s Deliverance in 1588" by Colin Martin and Geoffrey Parker is now my 'go-to' book on the Spanish Armada, the definitive text on the subject for a non-specialist. At 718 pages, of which 545 pages is narrative text, the rest being Glossary, Chronology, Abbreviations, Notes and Bibliography (Appendixes are on-line) this is a massive book.However, as large as it is, it’s a joy to hold and to read. The book is beautifully presented by Yale University Press, nicely and securely bound, good quality paper and around 155 illustrations, pictures and diagrams, the majority in colour. Also provided is six informative charts covering various subjects mentioned in the narrative by the authors.The book is divided into four parts made up of twenty-one chapters and an Epilogue. The four sections are; "The Fleets Assemble", "God's Obvious Design", "It came, it saw, it departed" and "The Aftermath". The authors provide a coherent and non-biased account of the events and people involved in this great enterprise which was both easy to read and very informative.The book covers in detail the Armada's movements along with the Spanish army of Flanders, the English countermoves, the manoeuvres and fighting in the English Channel, the subsequent destruction of many of the Armada's ships during the long voyage back home past the rugged shores of Scotland and Ireland and the fate of the Spanish sailors and soldiers.The final few chapters cover the fall-out from the failure of the Armada, the search for scapegoats and the events of the Counter-Armada. The authors then delve into the Spanish Armada in myth and legend - both in England and Spain, followed by the various wrecks that have been located and identified as ships from the Armada and what has happened to these wrecks since.Before reading this book, my two favourite titles cover the Armada had been "Defeat Of The Spanish Armada" by Garrett Mattingly and "The Confident Hope of a Miracle: The True History of the Spanish Armada" by Neil Hanson. I can be reasonably confident in saying that this new book by Colin Martin and Geoffrey Parker has edged past those two as 'the' book on the subject.I have no hesitation in recommending this book to anyone who enjoys reading great history, it is how a history book should be written and presented.
george s mihalik
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2023
Very readable account of Armada campaign. Writers should avoid use of antique maps which are illegible The listing of maps should be separate from that of illustrations for ease of reference. Maps and illustrations should be listed by page number for reason listed above. Due to the reader's probable unfamiliarity with large cast of Spanish actors, a glossary of their names and role in the Armada would be very useful.
Miguel de Avendaño
Reviewed in Spain on October 5, 2023
A wonderful updated version of the best book on the defeat and subsequent disaster of the Spanish Armada.
Carolyn K.
Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2023
An excellent book that tells the story of the armada, starting with a description of the European politics that led Spain to launch the effort, the attack and aftermath, the reasons thing happened as they did, the impact on all involved and , briefly, the current efforts to locate and explore the wrecks. The authors have a strong ability to present a tremendous amount of information all relevant, all well organised. (The book itself was extremely well designed and produced, printed on heavy coated paper to enhance the many color illustrations throughout.)
Justin M. Nicholson
Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2023
Everything (and more) that anyone could want to learn about King Philip II's attempted invasion of England is in this book. It weighs about as much as a brick, but it reads like a novel.
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