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Rating: 
Summary: Hail Britiannia
Review: A very readable account of (one of) the moment(s) England was challenged by a continental power and Europe hung in the balance. Like Churchill more than three centuries later, Elizabeth I was helped quite mightely by the English Channel, but in her case the seemingly miraculous destruction of the Spanish fleet resulted in her near-deification. And rightfully so.
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Summary: Debunking Collective Memory and Highlighting Diplomacy
Review: Given Mattingly's insight into Mendova's political manuevers in Paris, Philip II's understanding of European powers, and the role of the Catholic Church in European politics, this was required reading for a college course on European Diplomacy (1500-1918). While a naval historian might find fault in the lack of details and maps, Mattingly does cover the moves and countermoves by the English and Spanish reasonably well, especially for novice sailors like me. However, Mattingly correctly focuses on the lasting influence of the English Enterprise by the Spanish Armada: the flawed belief of a power shift in European politics and the myth(s) it produced. Yes, in keeping with the title of the book, the moves by Spanish Armada are covered in a "daily diary" format, which actually serves to better highlight the real driving force of this work. Mattingly loves to dive into all the source material available and gain a sense of the diplomacy, delayed communication, and potential thoughts of the majors players. In doing so, Mattingly presents all the rumors and views (circa 1588), shows how historians have ran with those "facts" (now rooted in a collective memory), but he then corrects and deals those assumptions as flawed, baseless, or plausible. For example, Drake is often given credit for defeating the Spanish Armada, though he was not in command of the British fleet. Contrary to some stories, the Spanish were not damned by poor weather, but actually had the best seas imaginable. These are minor points, but were often touchstones for historical and political spinning. Mattingly does well in not only debunking these "truths" but in determining when and why they began. This is not revisionist history in the "politically correct" sense of the word. Rather, it lays out the various stories, notes the points of the bias, and seeks to synthesize a coherent story given the available primary sources. Mattingly presents history as it should be - a clear story driven by primary sources which respects the prism of bias inherent in sources. Buy this book.
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Summary: Narrative History at its best ...
Review: No one would write a book about the Armada quite like this again - during the quadcentenial (1988), the interest seemed to focus on the ships, armaments and tactics. Mattingley is weak on these, and if that is your prime interest, look to Geoffrey Parkers book published in 1988. However, for narrative force, characterization and political background, Mattingley has no equals. For me, his account of the Armada, published over 40 years ago , is still the best by far. The narrative swings from Low Counries, to Madrid, to Cadiz, to Paris, finally to the Channel and Calais, then back to France. Mattingley shows that the defeat of the Armada ensured the survival of the Reformation and (not least) the independent survival of England, France and the Netherlands. Yet he is even handed at every stage, indeed Medina-Sidonia (the Armada's commander) is one of the heroes. Other heroes are Queen Elizabeth, the Duke of Parma and Henri III of France. Well, maybe anti-hero for Henri III, Henri of Navarre (Henri IV to come) is the true French hero. Indeed, for me, the nastiest figures in the book are not Spanish at all. One is Henri of Guise, Philip's co-conspirator in France, and Sir Francis Drake, who comes across as both paranoid and greedy. Read and be transfixed by its narrative sweep - each chapter is like a dramatic news bulletin adding to the powerful impact of the unfolding story.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Amazing!
Review: This has got to be one of the absolute best historical books on the Armada. Not only on the Armada but on the politics on the continent as it pertained to England and Spain. It is very accurate in its facts and portrays them in a way that brings the characters and events alive, leaving you with a craving feeling to read more and more. Written like a novel yet with the facts of a history book. A recommend for anyone looking for a gripping historical account of the struggle between Spain and England that resulted in the Armada's attempt to invade England.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Amazing!
Review: This has got to be one of the absolute best historical books on the Armada. Not only on the Armada but on the politics on the continent as it pertained to England and Spain. It is very accurate in its facts and portrays them in a way that brings the characters and events alive, leaving you with a craving feeling to read more and more. Written like a novel yet with the facts of a history book. A recommend for anyone looking for a gripping historical account of the struggle between Spain and England that resulted in the Armada's attempt to invade England.
Rating:
Summary: Better than a novel
Review: This is an absolute page-turner on the Invincible Armada and its demise before Calais in the fateful year 1588. The book tells the story of the campaign from different angles with chapters on The Netherlands, Italy, France, Spain and England. The author's prose is sometimes difficult to read and stuffed with naval jargon but on the whole quite enjoyable. In fact, the narrative is gripping and comparable with the best historical novels. What I also find commendable about this book is its relative neutrality. Because it opens with a chapter praising Queen Elizabeth, I was afraid that it would be flagrantly and outrageously pro-Brittish but as the story unfolded the author was able to present each actor in a quite objective way and even the defeat of the Spanish fleet was not as heart-rending as I had feared (I have a lot of Spanish blood in my veins!). The Armada focuses on political and military events rather than on a colorful historical reconstruction of details. The book contains no lengthy descriptions of clothes or weapons or dietary habits or a social critique of the 16th century. What you do find is a wealth of acute psychological portraits of the main characters (but thank God without any Freudian undertones!). Elizabeth I, Philip II, Drake and Medina Sidonia, the Spanish admiral, are all described incisively along with Henri III, the Duke of Guise, Mary, the queen of Scots, and other minor actors. The only thing I regret about The Armada is the sore lack of illustrations: pictures of the different vessels used in combat and of their armament would have been most welcome. True, there are two maps at the beginning of the book and they are enough to understand the narrative, but still my imagination was hampered by my ignorance of what pinnaces and galleasses look like. All in all an excellent book. If you love 16th century history this is the book for you.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting Account of the Spanish Armada
Review: This is the first book I have bothered to read on the defeat of the Spanish Armada (I'm more a land person) and I must confess I quite enjoyed it. Intially it takes a little bit of getting into but the author offers the reader an excellent account of the events leading up to the 'Enterprise of England' including the campaigns in the Low Countries and the Political manoeuvres of the leaders involved. This is an excellent account and I found myself drawn into the narrative, not knowing what was going to happen next although the end result is well known. This is a good piece of history and story telling!
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