The definitive history of the Spanish Armada, lavishly illustrated and fully revised
Selected by Foreign Affairs as one of the Best Books of 2023
"Will surely become the definitive account."—Stephen Brumwell, Wall Street Journal
In July 1588 the Spanish Armada sailed from Corunna to conquer England. Three weeks later an English fireship attack in the Channel—and then a fierce naval battle—foiled the planned invasion. Many myths still surround these events. The genius of Sir Francis Drake is exalted, while Spain's efforts are belittled. But what really happened during that fateful encounter?
Drawing on archives from around the world, Colin Martin and Geoffrey Parker also deploy vital new evidence from Armada shipwrecks off the coasts of Ireland and Scotland. Their gripping, beautifully illustrated account provides a fresh understanding of how the rival fleets came into being; how they looked, sounded, and smelled; and what happened when they finally clashed.
Looking beyond the events of 1588 to the complex politics which made war between England and Spain inevitable, and at the political and dynastic aftermath, Armada deconstructs the many legends to reveal why, ultimately, the bold Spanish mission failed.
About the Author
Colin Martin was reader in maritime archaeology at St Andrews University and has directed excavations on three Armada shipwrecks. Geoffrey Parker teaches history at The Ohio State University and has published forty books. Both served as historical consultants on the BBC documentary Armada.
Industry Reviews
"Will surely become the definitive account. . . . Distinguished by incisive analysis, Armada fuses the complementary skills of the historian and the underwater archaeologist, exploiting the latest discoveries from the archives and seabed alike."-Stephen Brumwell, Wall Street Journal
"Its extensive updates, drawing on international archive research and marine archaeology, mean it should remain the definitive English study of the Armada for at least another generation."-Dan Jones, Times (UK)
"Martin and Parker have been working together on the Armada since its quatercentenary in 1988. This is their most comprehensive work, the profit of decades of tricky deep-sea archaeology and archive-trawling. It is this archaeological focus that makes their writing stand out among many competent histories. The remains of musical instruments and medical tools tell a human tale, balancing out detailed analysis of the innovations that provided the English with a military edge."-Daniel Brooks, Sunday Telegraph
On Wall Street Journal's list of "10 Books to Read: The Best Reviews of January 2023"
"The most authoritative account of the Armada yet published. . . . A window onto the early modern world and a complete analysis of an event that continues to intrigue and enlighten."-Margarette Lincoln, Times Literary Supplement
"Martin and Parker have created not merely a very vivid and uniquely detailed retelling of a familiar story-which they reconstruct with consummate skill-but also a passage to the sixteenth-century maritime world. . . . This
Armada deserves to sail home in triumph."-Elliot Jordan, International Journal of Maritime History
