Six Galleons for the King of Spain: Imperial Defense in the Early Seventeenth Century

by Carla Rahn Phillips

In 1625, Martin de Arana built six Atlantic warships for the Spanish crown. The author traces the ships from their construction through a decade of service, incorporating a history of Spain's Golden Age. This book was awarded the Spain and America in Quincentennial Year of Discovery prize.

Genres: History

332 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1986

Reviews

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

October 14, 2015: I just re-read it as part of my Graduate Historiography course's unit on empire. It's a marvelous example of thorough archival research in economic and social history that's deeply concerned with material realities and the practicalities of exercising state authority. It was polarizing in class, with some students being awed by it and others unable to comprehend why I had inflicted it on them. Marks of an excellent book for a historiography course!

I first read this as an undergraduate in a class on Spain. Thank you, Prof. Norton!

[Pete H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every now and then, every history nerd needs to read about an incredibly obscure topic to reassure him or herself that all is right with the world. If you enjoy books about old wooden ships or the minutiae of Spanish imperial defense, then this is the book for you. This is not a military history in the traditional sense, in that the descriptions of battles are pretty brief, and more of a cultural and economic history. It was oddly entrancing, but probably not everyone's cup of tea.

[Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extraordinaria descripción de todos los aspectos de la flota española en el s. XVII, desde su organización, construcción, dotación, armamento, fletes, incluso datos sobre el racionamiento.