The Fortune of the Armada

Thanks to the development of ship archaeology, our knowledge of a large number of ships that had entrusted their secrets to the seabed is increasing. The knowledge from written sources and images can now be tested against the realia that ship archaeology brings to light. This also applies to the ships of the 'invincible' Spanish Armada, which set sail for England on 2.8 May 1588.
The 130 ships of this fleet had 2,431 guns of various calibres, while they accommodated 19.2.95 soldiers and officers in their holds. The fleet had to sail through the English Channel to arrange a rendezvous with a Spanish army under the command of the Duke of Parma at Dunkirk and Nieuwpoort, from where it would sail with an invasion fleet to the Thames estuary.
The first half of the book closely follows the fortunes of the fleet, with historiography benefiting from the maritime archaeological finds, which are discussed in the second half. Here, the excavations and finds of two large ships, the 'Santa Maria de la Rosa' and the 'El Gran Grifon', are described and illustrated. The finds are used to show why the ships and the guns of the Armada failed. The construction and material of the ships and the guns turned out to be of insufficient quality.
An interesting book for lovers of history, shipping and archaeology, which brings many new facts to light.