The Spanish Armada

A Campaign in Context

Author:	Rupert Matthews
Published:	2026
Format:	Paperback, 366 pages
Size:	198 × 129 × 31 mm

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The 1588 Spanish Armada campaign in context

Examines the Armada's failed invasion of England, its commanders and its weaponry, drawing on textual sources and reconstructed weapons.

In July 1588, the imposing Armada sent by King Philip II of Spain set sail for England’s southern shores and into the history books. Delving into this popular campaign, Rupert Matthews looks at the ill-fated invasion of England and places it into a wider context. The Armada of 22 warships and 108 converted merchant vessels sailed under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia in 1588, but found itself harried by storms, fireships, and the redoubtable English fleet.

But was the Armada doomed to failure from the very beginning?

In The Spanish Armada, Matthews considers the characters of the commanders such as Francis Drake, Medina, and the opposing monarchs. He also carefully balances the evidence from textual sources with knowledge of the theatre and reconstructed weaponry in order to explain the events of the attempted invasion in an accessible way, perfect for anyone interested in this fascinating moment from history.

About the Author

Rupert Matthews is a professional historian with over 150 books, articles and other publications to his name. His books include England Versus Scotland in the Great British Battles series, and The Battle of Thermopylae, The Battle of Crecy and Alexander the Great at the Battle of the Granicus in Spellmount’s Campaign in Context series. He is a member of the Battlefields Trust and other military history organisations. He lives in Surrey.