Chronicling one of the most spectacular events of the sixteenth century, The Armada is the definitive story of the English fleet's dramatic defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. The esteemed and critically acclaimed historian Garrett Mattingly explores all dimensions of the naval campaign that captured the attention of the European world and played a deciding role in the settlement of the New World. "So skillfully constructed it reads like a novel" (New York Times), The Armada is sure to appeal to the scholar and amateur historian alike.-- Book jacket.