The Spanish Armada: The Great Enterprise against England 1588

Osprey Campaign #86

by 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.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Naval History, Military History, British Literature, Spain, Military Fiction

224 pages, Hardcover

First published March 25, 2001

About the author

Angus Konstam is a Scottish writer of popular history. Born in Aberdeen, Scotland and raised on the Orkney Islands, he has written more than a hundred books on maritime history, naval history, historical atlases, with a special focus on the history of piracy.

Reviews

[Sandra Strange]

This account of this pivotal historical event is aimed at teens. I really enjoyed the historical detail, though the descriptions of the various kinds of ships and armaments could really bog down a reader not interested in either of these topics. The problem with skimming or skipping those chapters: the equipment did make a difference in the outcome of the expedition. The book is easy to read and contains lots of good detail.

[Christine]

This short book is a good overview of the Armada attack. It includes profiles of the major players, charts and maps showing the battles, as well as a well researched text. Not only does it inculde events leading up to the battle, but the aftermath and current research.

[Edmonddantesbooks]

Libro escrito desde la óptica británica, es decir multiplica por dos los escasos logros británicos y divide los logros de los demás.
Resalta las cureñas de los cañones británicos con cuatro ruedas como gran innovación
Y evitar el cuerpo a cuerpo como gran éxito británico y hasta aquí lo que comparto con el autor.
Lo realmente importante fue la suerte y la mala planificación
La suerte de que el marqués de Santa Cruz muriese justo cuando tocaba salir hacia Inglaterra, y aunque Recalde era muy grande, el que se quedó al cargo, Medina Sidonia, no había visto un barco , ni de casualidad.
Mala planificación por que se les ocurrió ir al canal de la mancha, en época de lluvias, y vale!!! en el S XVI, el hombre del tiempo no daba una, (les suena?) , Poco q hacer aquí, y siendo británicos estaba claro q se iban a comer una tormenta XXXL.
Otra buena es que si pasas por un puerto y tienes dentro a toda la flota enemiga amarrada, pues chico cañonealos x q ganas fijo.
Pero al de Medina Sidonia no le acomodó.
Al año siguiente les pasó lo mismo a ellos con una Armada mayor y sin tormentas. Había q decirlo x q siempre se omite el detalle... Ah !! Y con las mismas cureñas....

[Kristi Thielen]

Good, if unevenly edited work about the Armada, with many color photos and much detail about weaponry, tactics, ships and the men who fought for the Spanish or the English.

School textbooks will tell you that the English defeated the Spanish because they were superior in tactics, ships, leadership.

Konstam makes clear that the English victory was not so much due to their success as Spain's bad luck (terrible weather)and the Spanish King's instance that two battle strategies - one excellent, one weak - be blended together. This compromise may have been politically expedient but it was a military mess.

Had Spain been triumphant, history would have been vastly different: Elizabeth I would have been weakened, Catholicism would have returned to England, Spain would have remained a world power for the next century, instead of fading into lesser status.

A good read especially for those interested in ships of that era.

[Bruinrefugee]

I thought this did a good job of putting the geopolitical context in place for the Spanish effort to invade England, including the interesting back story between King Philip and Queen Elizabeth. It also tells the interesting tale how sea-power and ships were changing over time, and the impacts on the participants. A solid read.