David C. Goodman

Not so much a battle history as a consideration of the structural foundations of Habsburg Spain's naval effort, Goodman's question is why did this effort fail; in as much as the competition was also afflicted with financial difficulties, shortages of men and material, cranky administrative machinery, and the need to deal with multi-front emergencies themselves. Goodman's provisional answer is that during the period in question disdain for sailors and a failure to adapt to naval warfare as a gunnery contest appears to be the vital flaw. That Goodman deals with the often dry topics of administration and finance in a very readable package is another plus.… (meer)