In 1588 King Phillip II of Spain constructed the largest fleet ever seen on the Atlantic in attempt to invade England. This attempt famously flopped. At the time this was celebrated as an English triumph in the face of impossible odds, and over the centuries English historians echoed this Elizabethan propaganda. This led to some in the Victorian era declaring that the defeat of the Armada had been one of the most pivotal moments in the history of the world. However, more recently the scholarly view of this event has changed. Has the reputation of the Spanish Armada been grossly inflated by patriotic myths? Tune-in and find out how fake milkmen, English pirates, and good old fashioned pluck all play a role in the story.

 Works Cited

Fernández-Armesto, Felipe. The Spanish Armada : The Experience of War in 1588. Oxford University Press, 1989.

Gallagher, Patrick., and Don William. Cruickshank. God’s Obvious Design : Papers for the Spanish Armada Symposium, Sligo, 1988 : With an Edition and Translation of the Account of Francisco de Cuéllar. Tamesis Books, 1990.

McDermott, James. England and the Spanish Armada : The Necessary Quarrel. Yale University Press, 2005.

Hutchinson, Robert. The Spanish Armada. Phoenix, 2013.

Konstam, Angus. The Spanish Armada : The Great Enterprise against England, 1588. Osprey Pub., 2009.

Lewis, Michael Arthur. The Spanish Armada. T. Y. Crowell Co., 1968.

Rodríguez-Salgado, M. J. (Mía J. )., and Simon Adams. England, Spain, and the Gran Armada 1585-1604 : Essays from the Anglo-Spanish Conferences, London and Madrid, 1988. John Donald Pub., 1991.