A Brief History of Portugal: Indispensable for Travellers

This is a lively, multi-faceted history of Portugal which is particularly good on Portugal’s contribution to global events in the early modern era and on military and diplomatic matters. The author is a much-published British historian who clearly knows Portugal well and has studied its architecture and the use of economic resources. An emphasis is placed on the challenging terrain which stimulated the drive for overseas exploration by an impoverished people. Unreliable rains in the south and the hilly topography of the north meant the land that became Portugal by the 12th century was not seen as an inviting prize by conquerors. The Lusitanian region was peripheral in the Roman empire and after the 8th century Islamic it did not produce monuments comparable in splendour to those found in southern Spain. Neither Roman nor Moorish rule had a major impact on national identity according to Black. He describes the creation and consolidation of the independent Christian state from 1140 onwards. There is close attention to detail but the role of personalities is usually not underscored then or later. Nevertheless, the story of the 15th century Discoveries is well-told. The author’s familiarity with international relations and the development of military technology enable him to delve deeper than some other historians in describing the expansion and contraction of the Portuguese Empire. The sheer range of Portuguese overseas activity is shown by the fortified naval bases established from the Red Sea to the Straits of Malacca as well along both main African coasts.Portugal was thrown onto the defensive due to indifferent leadership in the 16th century which led to the loss of independence and a sixty-year period of Spanish hegemony which lasted from 1580 to 1640. The story of how Portugal recovered self-rule but struggled to prevent the loss of many of its most lucrative possessions in wars against the Dutch and local Asian rivals is well-told. The role of the Catholic church in this period is rather skated over and it a shame there is almost no mention of one of the country’s greatest intellectuals Padre António Vieira. He worked to mitigate the harsh effects of colonial rule in Brazil on the local population. Portugal faced much local resistance when it expanded into the interior during the 18th century. On the international stage, the country’s rulers usually displayed prudence and agility as a minor ally of major states which did not wish to end up a pawn in the various European wars that raged before 1789. Britain had already become Portugal’s chief ally and would acquire important economic sway. But Portugal was not a tame vassal. Wary of Spain it remained grateful to Britain for providing a degree of military protection. But lacking territorial ambitions at least in Europe, it was loathe to follow Britain into the various wars it fought with France and Spain. The Marquis of Pombal, Sebastião José Carvalho de Melo, was ready to assert Portugal’s independence to some extent against Britain but certainly against the church and overmighty nobles as chief minister from 1751 to 1777. There is less emphasis on his ruthlessness and more on his modernising role which included developing manufactures and rebuilding Lisbon after its destruction in the earthquake of 1755. Before moving on to discuss the destructive impact of the Napoleonic Wars, there is a fascinating section on the conditions in which the Portuguese lived with little alteration until the 20th century. Black describes the grim struggle for life in the face of food shortages, insanitary conditions (he discourses on subjects like contaminated water in some detail) and recurring epidemics. The concentration of power and wealth at the apex of society is underscored But there was an absence of vicious infighting that spilled over into violent power struggles between various elite factions. Compared with Britain or France few Portuguese monarchs met violent ends. In a throw-away remark, the author mentions that rich households were loathe to part with their servants even when they reached old age. (Traces of this kind of sentimental attitude is recognisable in social relations down to this day.) But he also points out that pre-earthquake Lisbon was ‘a cut-throat place, that few strangers...dare trust themselves on land, but retire on the vessels on the river at night.’ There is a vivid account of the quarter-century of upheaval following Napoleon’s invasion in 1807. The Portuguese often fought well under British command but large areas of the country suffered devastation and there was a sharp fall in population. Although it is not spelled out this period marked the end of the old order. For a century, liberalism replaced the ancien regime of church, king and nobility. But it was a brittle ascendancy which left Portugal rudderless for almost a century. The last phase, the liberal republic which lasted until 1926, is well-described. But Black seems more at ease in discussing Portugal’s colonial role. Rule over Angola and Mozambique was consolidated but it was only under the long autocracy of the politically agile university economist Dr Antonio Salazar that the ultramar (overseas territories) loomed large in Portuguese consciousness. Erroneously I think, the 1932-74 ‘New State’ is considered pro-clerical by Black when its defining feature was a tenacious nationalism which fell short of fascism. He overlooks the pull of French culture for both the liberal regime and its authoritarian successor. The sometimes dramatic diplomatic story of neutral Portugal in World War II is fascinating and it is a pity that some pages are not devoted to it. The United States was Salazar’s main headache then and it became a far worse one during the era of decolonisation which Portugal resisted until a coup by junior officers in 1974. The Kennedy administration tried to topple Salazar in the way it had disposed of the Iranian leader Mossadegh and President Diem in Vietnam but Salazar was too wily for them even as his physical powers waned. Portugal retreated into relative obscurity after the colourful 1974-5 revolution. The European Union played the role of benevolent external power that some contend Britain played until modern times. The last fifty years are handled competently by the author. The book ends delightfully with sharp profiles of the various regions of Portugal. An undoubted strength is its ability not to see the country as simply an extension of Lisbon. The Brazilian dimension is also kept well in view as is the sometimes volatile relationship with Spain.This is an accessible, informative, light but also scholarly overview of Portugal whose strengths easily eclipse any weaknesses. Even readers with some knowledge of Portugal will get plenty out of it and as a primer for first-time visitors I highly recommend it.Tom Gallagher

Good concise history. A basis for further investigation or as a tool for filling in the gaps between bits one might already know a little about. Writing clunky at times. Sometimes difficult to remember who is who. But a good buy for a holiday home purchaser who wants to know more about the country.

I truly believe I came to this book with all of the best intentions, and am 100% the target audience: a non-Portuguese person looking to get a better understanding of the country’s history before visiting for a holiday. I am also a history fan and a colossal nerd. And even with all of these pieces falling into place, I only made it about 45 pages in before I had to quit on this because it is truly unreadable. Disorganized, confusing, and with absolutely brutal syntax that led me to check and see if this version had been put through Google translate twice or something. I very rarely quit on a non-fiction book because I can usually convince myself to suffer through on the quest for knowledge.Not this time. Skip this one and take some walking tours instead.

A nicely written and very informative book on Portuguese history.It doesn't really capture you though, so at times, you have to bring yourself to read it.Definitely not a book you can't put down, but still worth a read if you are interested in Portugal.

Recommend reading this book to understand the historical influence of Portugal on world navigation and exploration and how these values formed modern culture.