Publisher's Synopsis
In 1588, a fleet of 130 ships was dispatched by Philip II of Spain, with the intention of invading England. Aboard were 19,295 soldiers and their officers, as well as some 8,050 sailors. The fleet was armed with 2,431 pieces of artillery, of both bronze and iron, as well as enormous quantities of shot, powder and other weapons. The journey was one of disaster followed by disaster, principally due to atrocious weather conditions, which finally forced them to turn back without having even set foot of English soil. While many Armada ships did successfully return to Spain, about twenty perished on or near the Irish coast, with a loss of some 11,000 lives. Laurence Flanagan discusses the discovery and excavation of Armada wrecks along the Irish coast, detailing the many arefacts that have been recovered from the wreck-sites, including jewellery, coins, tools and weapons, navigation equipment, eating utensils, textiles and numerous other items, all of which constitute a well-rounded picture of life on sixteenth-century Spanish warships. The text is accompanied by beautiful colour and black and white photographs, as well as a glossary and index.
