The first comprehensive analysis of Spain's naval forces after the defeat of the Great Armada in 1588.

The Spanish Aramda is a radical interpretation of why Philip II's Armada of 1588 failed so disastrously. This new edition is based on a fresh examination of archival sources across Europe, combined with the archaeological investigation of some of its wrecked ships off the coasts of Scotland and Ireland. The new edition has been extensively revised to incorporate ten further years of research by the authors and others, and is likely to remain the standard account for years to come.

During Christian IV’s highly influential reign, the Danish navy grew to be one of the most significant – if flawed – navies in Europe.This book provides a detailed survey of its politics, administration and operation.

I.A.A.Thompson, Emeritus Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, is the author of War and Government in Habsburg Spain, a seminal study of the impact of war on the development of the state in Spain in the 16th and 17th centuries. In this volume he reprints for an English readership ten essays examining the implications for government, the financial system and Spain’s position in Europe of the fundamental changes in the art and practice of war, both on land and at sea, that took place during this period. This “Military Revolution” has been one of the most contentious debates among historians for the last fifty years, but little attention has so far been paid to Spain itself, despite her predominance in Europe for much of the period. These essays are designed to correct that omission, and to assist in a fuller understanding both of the Military Revolution and of the strengths and weaknesses of the Spanish state.

The 16th and 17th centuries saw many ambitious European rulers develop permanent armies and navies. Jan Glete examines this military change as a central part of the political, social and economic transformation of early modern Europe.

Specifically structured around research questions and avenues for further study, and providing the historical context to enable this further research, Modern Naval History is a key historiographical guide for students wishing to gain a deeper understanding of naval history and its contemporary relevance. Navies play an important role in the modern world, and the globalisation of economies, cultures and societies has placed a premium on maritime communications. Modern Naval History demonstrates the importance of naval history today, showing its relevance to a number of disciplines and its role in understanding how navies relate to their host societies. Richard Harding explains why naval history is still important, despite slipping from the attention of policy makers and the public since 1945, and how it can illuminate answers to questions relating to economic, diplomatic, political, social and cultural history. The book explores how naval history has informed these fields and how it can produce a richer and more informed historical understanding of navies and sea power.

How did a barren, thinly populated country, somewhat isolated from the rest of Europe become the world's first superpower? Henry Kamen's tremendous new book takes full advantage of its great theme to recreate the dazzling world of militant Castile from the fall of Moorish Granada and Columbus' first voyage to the imperial collapse over three centuries later. There is no better account in English of this immense, brutal adventure - a ceaseless quest for land, gold and slaves that made Spain, both for its conquered peoples and much of the rest of Europe, into a rapacious nightmare.

This book offers a substantial reconsideration of early modern warfare and its relationship to the power of the state.

The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries saw many ambitious European rulers develop permanent armies and navies. Jan Glete examines this military change as a central part of the political, social and economic transformation of early modern Europe

Roots of Empire is the first monograph to connect forest management and state-building in the early modern Spanish global monarchy. The Spanish crown's control over valuable sources of shipbuilding timber in Spain, Latin America, and the Philippines was critical for developing and sustaining its maritime empire. This book examines Spain's forest management policies from the sixteenth century through the middle of the eighteenth century, connecting the global imperial level with local lived experiences in forest communities impacted by this manifestation of expanded state power. As home to the early modern world's most extensive forestry bureaucracy, Spain met serious political, technological, and financial limitations while still managing to address most of its timber needs without upending the social balance.