Defeat of the Spanish Armada (Battles of the Middle Ages) [Library Binding]

William W. Lace (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1996 | Series: Battles of the Middle Ages

Examines the pivotal naval battle in which the upstart British defeated the supposedly invincible Spanish fleet, changing the balance of power in sixteenth century Europe.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up. This noteworthy series entry delineates the chronology and consequences of one of the major events in the history of Western civilization: the defeat of the Spanish fleet by the English navy (with further help from "the Breath of God") in 1588. Following its defeat, Spain commenced its slow but steady decline in power and influence while England began its ascendency to a world power. The battle was a military turning point in that for the first time opposing forces met on the seas, employed never-before-seen naval tactics, and exchanged broadsides of cannon fire. Lace points out that the tactics and the knowledge acquired were used until the appearance of aircraft carriers during the Second World War. The author presents all of the events within the context of excellent background information concerning the politics of the English royal succession from Henry VIII to Elizabeth I, the importance of religious factors, and historical trends. The outstanding captioned illustrations and reproductions, useful maps, and boxed sidebars further explain and clarify the narrative. Defeat is a good accompaniment to David Macaulay's Ship (Houghton, 1993).?David A. Lindsey, Lakewood High and Middle School Libraries, WA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Library Binding: 96 pages
• Publisher: Lucent Books (June 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560064587
• ISBN-13: 978-1560064589
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,349,366 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

William W. Lace is a native of Fort Worth, Texas, where he is a vice chancellor at Tarrant County College. He holds a bachelor's degree from Texas Christian University, a master's degree from East Texas State University, and a doctorate from the University of North Texas.

Prior to joining Tarrant County College, he was director of the News Service at the University of Texas at Arlington and a sportswriter and columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He has written more than 50 non-fiction books for young readers on subjects ranging from the atomic bomb to the Dallas Cowboys. He and his wife Laura, a retired school librarian, live in Arlington, Texas, and have two children and four grandchildren.

His career as an author began in 1991 when, at the urging of his wife, he wrote a biography of baseball pitcher Nolan Ryan. Ryan was then a member of the Texas Rangers Baseball Team, but no biography of him for young readers had been done since 1973. His interest in English history stems from his discovery of an old book once belonging to his father on King Arthur and the viewing on live television of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Defeat of the Spanish Armada makes history fun again!, December 8, 1998

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[e-mail] (Wichita, Ks) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Defeat of the Spanish Armada (Battles of the Middle Ages) (Library Binding)

William Lace did an extraordinary job of making a difficult subject easy to understand. So many authors try to "razzle-dazzel" you with their literary abilities that 90% of what they write is insignificant. It was a pleasure to sit down and read a few chapters, come back later, and feel like you never left!