"The second edition of this classic introduction to Portugal's history updates the 1993 original, bringing the story up-to-date with the accession of Portugal into full membership of the European Union."@en
"This concise, illustrated history of Portugal offers an introduction to the people and culture of the country, to its three empires in Asia, America and Africa, and to its search in Europe for economic modernisation, political stability and international partnership. After a short introduction to Portugal's two-thousand-year history before the restoration of 1640, the book studies the effects of the vast wealth mined from Brazil, of the growth of the wine trade and of the evolution of close ties with England, Portugal's 'oldest ally'. The Portuguese Revolution of 1820 to 1851 created a liberal monarchy, but in 1910 the king was overthrown and in 1926 he was replaced by a dictatorship which tried to overcome Portugal's poverty by building a new empire in Africa. By 1974 the southern empire looked less attractive than the industrial north, and Portugal did a volte-face to become a democratic member of the European Community in 1986. This is the first single-volume account of Portugal's history to be written since the days of dictatorship and colonisation. As such it will become standard reading for anyone interested in the development of Portuguese economy and society."