 | By: David Howarth Binding: Hardcover Publisher: Viking Adult ISBN: 0670748285 ISBN-13: 9780670748280 Released: 05 Dec 1981 Average Rating:  |
By alll accounts this story of the enterprise is told as it was seen through the eyes & experiences of the Spanish soldiers & sailors & is very well done in that regard. Using first hand accounts found in numerous Spanish letters & reports, many previously not utilised before, the story comes alive & gives you a real feeling & understanding of the participants, many who did not survive to tell their tale.
One aspect of the book that I found pleasing was that the author took the story past the battle with the English fleet. David Howarth provides the reader with an account of what happened to the ships & men who actuallly survived the "dash" up the Channel. Those who were shipwrecked along the Irish coast were subjected to even more terror than they had experienced so far & very few survived.
The real hero of this story is Medina Sidonia, the commander of the Spanish ships, & I found myself wondering could anyone have done any better under similar circumstances? This is a great story with an exciting narrative & although it only runs to 250 pages (hardback edition) I found I came away with a better understanding of what happened & why. This book would be a great companion volume to 'The Armada' by Garrett Mattingly but can stand alone as a decent & well presented account of the "Armada".
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