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Spanish Armada, The

Format
EBook
Pages
156
ID
B0179A0JHW

In the summer of 1588, a great body of ships sailed from Spain on a Crusade: to restore England to Catholicism. The ensuing events
brought a Spanish word, armada, into the English language and created a host of legends. Intrepid English sea dogs in tiny ships, it was
said, had bravely faced down towering Spanish galleons. Finally, a storm sent by a vengeful God wrecked most of that proud fleet on its
way home.
Award-winning author Jay Williams sheds new light on the traditional picture. Although the English were superior sailors, the two fleets
were evenly matched. Moreover, the battle emerges as the high point of a four-year cold war between England and Spain. Only when set
in the context of a Europe bitterly divided between Catholics and Protestants can the contest be fully understood. The personalities of
Queen Elizabeth I of England and King Philip II of Spain and their commanders - especially Francis Drake - are also key to this dramatic
story.

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