1588, The Spanish Armada And The 24 Ships Lost On Ireland’S Shores By Barry, Michael B

By 1588, relations between the superpower of the time, Catholic Spain and the relatively small Protestant England had deteriorated to a new low. Philip II had decided that the best way to deal with English piracy and its support for the Dutch rebels was to invade England and replace Elizabeth I with a friendly Catholic ruler. At the end of May 1588 an enormous fleet set out from Lisbon. Skirmishes along the English Channel culminated in the great battle of Gravelines. Wind blew the Armada up the North Sea, around the north of Scotland and Ireland to begin a tortuous storm-bound journey back to Spain. In this well-researched book, Michael B. Barry tells the complete story of the Armada, from its beginnings to its return to northern Spain. He shows that while the Armada did not achieve its objective of invading England, contrary to widespread belief, it was not totally destroyed. The English fleet sank only one ship during the engagement