Portuguese Sea Battles

VOLUME I

THE FIRST WORLD SEA POWER – 1139 – 1521

This is the story of how Portugal, a small and poor Country situated in the west extremity of Europe, became in a few years the first world great Power and started the globalization process.

[Content: The Conquest of the Territory (1139 – 1249), Alliances and Wars with Castile (1250 – 1414), Overseas Expansion (1415 – 1521)]

VOLUME II

CHRISTIANITY, COMMERCE AND CORSO – 1522 - 1538

This is the story of how a mixture of greed, daring and faith were enough to cement an immense empire practically made up of fortresses, fleets and factories at the beginning of the 16th century..

[Content: Overseas Expansion (1522 - 1538)]

VOLUME III

FROM BRAZIL TO JAPAN - 1539-1579

This is the story how the Portuguese began the colonization of Brazil and extended their maritime trade till the far away islands of Japan, fighting unremittingly French, Turks, Malabars, Malayan and Chinese pirates.

[ Content: Overseas Expansion (1539-1579)]

VOLUME IV 

LACK OF INNOVATION (1580-1603) 

This book reveals the way the English, thanks to their advanced ships and skilled sailors, were able to defeat the huge Iberian fleets and the Portuguese, who, though under the yoke of Spain, managed to keep practically intact their overseas Empire.

VOLUME V 

LOSS OF SEA MASTERY (1604-1626) 

This book unveils the story of how the Portuguese, by not being able to have fleets as good as those of the English and the Dutch, ended in losing the sea mastery and turned into a second rate Naval Power.

VOLUME VI 

THE MIRACLE OF RESTORATION (1627-1668) 

This is the incredible story how the Portuguese, practically without an army and a navy, managed not only to recover their independence but also to defeat the Spaniards in Europe and the Dutch in Brazil, Angola and São Tomé.

VOLUME VII 

IN THE SHADE OF ENGLAND (1669-1807) 

This book describes the story how the Portuguese fought the Arabs of Oman and the Marathas in the Indian Ocean and, through a skilful diplomatic action, managed to use the umbrella of the British Sea Power to enjoy in peace the immense riches of Brazil.

VOLUME VIII

DOWNFALL OF THE EMPIRE (1808-1975) 

This is the story of how the Portuguese diplomats, soldiers and sailors, after the loss of Brazil, and with the country plunged into poverty and political strife, went on fighting till the last to keep linked to the motherland the remains of the old Portuguese seaborne empire.