Just Finished Reading: Armada by John Stack (FP: 2012)

England, 1587. Everyone knows that it’s coming. It’s just a matter of when and where. Braced for an invasion few reckon can be resisted for long the only hope is the growing power of the English navy made up of a mixture of ‘race built’ galleons are armed merchantmen. But the odds are heavily against them. The Spanish Armada is rumoured to be the greatest naval force ever built and is believed to be all but unstoppable. The plan at hand is to harry the enemy enough to prevent any landing or any meeting of the fleet sent from Spain and the massed forces waiting transport across the English Channel from Holland. In the middle of events is newly promoted Captain Robert Varian, highly regarded by his crew and the senior officers for his skill and aggressive fighting stance. But Robert holds a secret close to his chest that he can never reveal to those around him. In a Protestant country fighting fir its life against Catholic Spain and her allies he is himself a secret Catholic who professes loyalty both to his country and his faith – something many see as an impossibility. But Robert’s secret goes deeper than that. Varian is not his real name and his real father is a traitor to the crown working for the Spanish against England’s interests. With Father and Son on opposite sides as the hammer of Spain begins to fall on her hated heretical enemies in England can the tiny English fleet hope to hold the enemy at bay and where will Robert’s loyalty finally rest when galleons exchange fire at point blank range?

The story of the Spanish Armada is well known to anyone who went through the English education system in the 1960’s and 70’s (I have no idea if they still teach this in these more enlightened times). Standing alone against the major powers of the day – a theme that seems rather familiar – with our backs to the wall and depending for our very survival on a comparatively small number of charismatic and often dangerously brilliant mavericks – another familiar theme – the rest of Christendom fully expected us to fail. Needless to say we didn’t – though luck, good (that is bad) weather, modern tactics and technological superiority and the over confidence of our adversary – yet another common theme!

Though not quite as entertaining as the author’s Roman trilogy I enjoyed this book a great deal. The whole Catholic thing was, I thought, a little over done and heavy handed but everything else was excellent in description and execution. From simple hand-to-hand fighting, through small (or single) ship actions, to whole battles covering miles of the English Channel each differently scaled encounter was very well told and absolutely gripping. The fight on a burning fire ship (not giving a great deal away here) had my heart in my mouth and the very close quarter contests between English and Spanish warships had be gasping and exclaiming out loud. Thrilling just doesn’t cover it. The short historical note backed up my opinion that the author followed the real story very closely and most certainly hit all of the highlights. The reason we won the numerous encounters revolved around tactics – modern versus archaic, the number and quality of cannon on each ship and the oft mentioned impressive fire rate of up to 4 shots per hour from the English guns. Firing these at ranges as low as 50 YARDS from the enemy (I kid you not) you can imagine the devastation which a great storm (Kamikaze anyone?) made worse by driving the Spanish ships around the island of Britain and, eventually back to their Spanish home bases much battered and much reduced. The defeat of the Armada heralded in the decline of Spain as a world power and the seemingly inexorable rise of England on to the world stage. Could it have gone the other way? Possibly, but the Armada was fatally flawed from the offset and its victory would have been a great uphill struggle. If you’re interested in naval warfare or Elizabethan history then this is certainly a book for you. Recommended.