The History of Portugal: (The Greenwood Histories of the Modern Nations) [Hardcover]

James M. Anderson (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Greenwood Histories of the Modern Nations | Publication Date: February 28, 2000

This informative, concise, and engagingly written work provides the most up-to-date history of Portugal, current through 1999, and gives a full picture of the political, social, cultural, and economic influences that shaped the history of Portugal. Covering the period from Portugal's early conception as a nation through its long history, with emphasis on the dramatic period of the last several decades, this volume culminates with the demise of the Salazar dictatorship and the independence of its colonies. Complete with a timeline for easy reference to events, brief biographies of important people, lists of monarchs and heads of state, and a bibliographic essay, it is the ideal companion for the student or interested reader. In nine chapters, Anderson discusses the geography of Portugal, its prehistoric antecedents, its formation as a nation, and the events that once made it a world leader in exploration, discovery, and imperial power. How and why the country was drawn into the orbit of its large neighbor, Spain, lost much of its empire, and yet managed to regain its independence are examined, along with the trials and tribulations encountered on its journey from monarchy to modern republic. The discussion presents the factors that kept Portugal one of the poorest nations in Europe for most of its existence and the reasons that it is now, leading into the 21st century, closing the economic gap with wealthier nations.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

JAMES M. ANDERSON is Professor Emeritus at the University of Calgary, in Alberta, Canada. He has spent many years in Portugal and Spain both as a Fulbright Scholar and the recipient of Canada Council and other grants. He is the author of six books and numerous articles in Iberian studies.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 248 pages
• Publisher: Greenwood Press (February 28, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0313311064
• ISBN-13: 978-0313311062
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,782,095 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Good Basic History of a Culturally and Historically Comple, September 20, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The History of Portugal: (The Greenwood Histories of the Modern Nations) (Hardcover)

Anderson ofers the reader a well thought out and researched basic history of Portugal. If you want to get a quick feel and appreciation for the country ,this is a good book to pick up. There are a few errors in the spelling of Portuguese words and some historical innacuracies. These, however, are minimal.

Anderson, despite his substantial knowledge and experience in Portugal, also seems to have a less than complete appreciation for the ethnic composition of the Portuguese people. Most of the Northern and Central parts of the country are a Celtic, Roman, Suevian and Visigothian mix. The far north is clearly more Celtic in ethnicity than other regions. The people of the southern areas are essentially a blend of Roman, Arabic, Greek, Northwest Saharan and a minor amount of Vandal and other Germanic blood. Anderson's reference to "African" slaves as being part of the Portuguese "stock" is rather stange. In fact, it is toally false in the context he seems to be using the term. Incorrect phrasing, or maybe incorrect sentence structure? Yes, Portugal did have a black slave (and some "Arab African" slaves as well) population from the mid 15th century but, these people were never absorbed into the population in any significant manner. They were used as servants and agricultural laborers ands were hardly treated as being part of Portuguese society at large. Slaves were found mainly in Lisbon, the Alentejo and the island of Madeira. The majority of black, and some Arab slaves, that entered Portugal in the 15th and 16th centuries were actually transhipped to other European nations such as Spain, the Netherlands and parts of England. Liverpool and Manchester, England, for example, are well-known for having had important black slave societies that came from Portuguese ports in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

Overall, the book is a well written and informative read.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not Suited for Kindle, November 21, 2010

By 

Dawn C. Lindley - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The History of Portugal (The Greenwood Histories of the Modern Nations) (Kindle Edition)

Somewhat outdated (says the unit of currency is escudo). But the text of this book relies heavily on descriptions of the geography, which is difficult to imagine without having a map in front of you. The time line which he uses to summarize the history uses inconsistent fonts (some entries are large and readable) but then there are others that are too tiny to read unless you make the standard font size huge. Since this is rather pricey for a Kindle book, I really recommend just getting the hardcover version so that you can see maps, photos, and more!