Author: Geoffrey Parker

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From 1556 until his death in 1598, Philip II ruled the first global empire in history, yet no one so far has analyzed how precisely he accomplished this feat. The author investigates the strengths and weaknesses of Philip's strategic vision, the priorities that underlay his policies, the practices and prejudices that influenced his decision making, and the external factors that affected the achievement of his goals. A fascinating commentary on the nature of empires and the decision-making process practiced by great powers. New Haven, CT, 1998, 1st Ed. 320 Pgs, HB.

Author: Benton Rain Patterson

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Highly readable account of the great sixteenth-century struggle for domination bewteen the two countries. Describes the rivalry, both political and personal, between the two monarchs following Philip's short-lived marriage to Mary Tudor. Explores his desire to return England to Catholicism, and his courting of Eliabeth I, that set in motion the battle between the Spanish Armada and the British Navy. Illustrated. New York, St. Martin's Press 2007 1st Ed., 6 x 9, 340 Pgs., HB. Published at $ 27.95.

Author: Peter Pierson

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A biography of the commander who led to defeat the Armada and the "Enterprise of England." Includes a reinterpretation of the Armada campaign with aid of ten superb maps and diagrams. Goes beyond the campaign to Medina Sidonia's other military role as unsuccessful defender of Cádiz against 1596 Anglo-Dutch attack. New Haven, 1989, 1st Ed., HB, 304 Pgs.

Author: Ruth Pike

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Covers the penal system in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, centered around the galley system, the mines of Almadén, Bourbon reformism, forced labor, the peninsular naval arsenals, public works, and overseas presidios in North Africa and the Caribbean. Madison WI, 1983 1st Ed., 204 Pgs., HB