The Portuguese
A Modern History
NEW EDITION
An intimate portrait of this fascinating country, capturing its contradictions and charms.
Description
Though a founding member of NATO and the euro, Portugal remains an often-overlooked country on Europe’s southwestern edge. In The Portuguese, veteran journalist Barry Hatton blends historical insight with personal anecdotes to explore this enigmatic nation.
During the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, Portuguese explorers led Europe into the Atlantic and helped connect Asia with Europe, creating a vast four-continent empire. The legacy of that era still resonates today, particularly through the Portuguese language, spoken by over 220 million people worldwide. Hatton examines Portugal’s vibrant yet turbulent past—from the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, which shook European thinking and marked the start of a long decline, through António Salazar’s twentieth-century dictatorship, to the 1974 Carnation Revolution which ended that regime, briefly thrusting Portugal into Cold War geopolitics. Hatton also explores the country’s complex ties with neighbouring Spain, and with its oldest ally, England.
Boasting diverse landscapes, rich cultural heritage, a love of food, an easy-going lifestyle and a rebellious streak, the Portuguese are uniquely compelling. Hatton’s portrait is intimate and revealing, capturing the charms and contradictions of a fascinating country.
Table of contents
Preface
Introduction: Wrestling with Bulls
Chapter One: 561 x 218, Small Space, Big Contrasts
Chapter Two: Leading Mediaeval Europe out of the Mediterranean
Chapter Three: Echoes of Empire
Chapter Four: In Whom Do We Trust? Spain, England and Portugal’s Destiny
Chapter Five: A Broken Homeland” Portugal’s Long Decline and Fall
Chapter Six: A Dictator’s Walled Gardens: The Salazar Years
Chapter Seven: A Very Portuguese Coup: The Carnation Revolution
Chapter Eight: The Good Times Roll: Europe and the Boom
Chapter Nine: Gentle Anarchists: Portugal’s Peaceful Disorder
Chapter Ten: Sweet Sorrow: Fado Music and the Soul of Portugal Sentimental Nature 203; Tunes from the Docks
Chapter Eleven: Slow-Food Nation: The Importance of Eating Well
Chapter Twelve: That Sinking Feeling
Chapter Thirteen New Horizons: Confronting the Twenty-First Century
Epilogue
Further Reading
Index
Reviews
‘Hatton clearly loves Portugal … engaging, often delightful.’ — Publishers Weekly
‘A must-read for first-timers … [and] a constant delight for those already well-versed in a fascinating nation.’ — Iberosphere
Author(s)
Barry Hatton has been a British foreign correspondent in Lisbon for over three decades. He is the author of Queen of the Sea: A History of Lisbon and The Portuguese: A Modern History (both published by Hurst).
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