The influence of sea power upon history, 1660-1783

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Angus Konstam

"With the launch of the Spanish Armada in 1588, England suffered its greatest threat since the Norman invasion some 500 years before. The Spanish King, Philip II had devised a complex plan whereby the armada would sail up the English Channel, pick up the Spanish Army of Flanders on the French coast and ferry them across to England. In response, Elizabeth I launched her fleet of Sea Dogs to counter the threat. Led by colorful characters like Sir Francis Drake, the English surprised the Spanish Armada at its anchorage at Gravelines, preventing their rendezvous and forcing a full retreat. Naval expert Angus Konstam details the background to the campaign, the opposing fleets, and the whole campaign, including the Armada's disastrous return voyage around Scotland and Ireland that became one of the most tragic episodes in maritime history. Fully illustrated with photographs, maps and artwork, this book is a action-packed account of one of the best known naval campaigns in world history."--Publisher's description.

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Julian Stockwin

"As the captain of a useful frigate, Kydd is claimed by the Leeward Islands station, exchanging the harsh situation in South America for the warmth and delights of the Caribbean. It's a sea change for Kydd, who revisits places and people that figured in his time as a young seaman. Some are nostalgic and pleasing, while others bring challenges of a personal nature. In Europe, Napoleon is triumphant on land, but so far away in the Caribbean, Kydd and the others feel secure and make the most of running down prizes and sending off fat convoys of sugar to England. But, in a stroke of genius, Bonaparte finds a way to take revenge for Trafalgar and shocks Kydd out of complacency when an element from his past returns and Kydd is accused of murder. In a stroke of irony, it is that same past that may just provide Kydd the means to clear his name"--

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Carlos Alvear Acevedo

As a beginning reader in Spanish, I loved this book because it is written so clearly and yet with depth of thought. This is true even though I'm Jewish and it's marred by some mild anti-semitism. I will seek to read his other books.

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David Anderson

The Spanish Armada is one of the most exciting events in European history. Yet much of the story has been obscured by myth and propaganda. This book separates truth from myth. It tells the full story of the campaign and also provides absorbing detail on contemporary ship design, navigation and life at sea. It examines the recent findings on Armada wrecks and explains how these are changing our views of the conflict. David Anderson, Education Officer at the National Maritime Museum, has prepared a book which includes the latest research and is one of the fullest accounts yet of this spectacular enterprise.