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'Ideal before-you-go reading' - The Daily Telegraph, this is a superb series to collect in the Armchair Traveller series from Haus Publishing. This definitive concise history of Portugal from its earliest beginnings right up to the politics and life of the present day is invaluable whether you are travelling or not. It was not until the 12th century that Portugal became a country in its own right, having been a Roman colony and then having suffered both Barbarian and Islamic invasions. The Golden Age of Discoveries, the reign and foresight of Henry the Navigator, and the great seamen such as Vasco da Gama led to the founding of Portugal's empire and wealth. Troubled times followed - in 1755 Lisbon was virtually levelled by the Great Earthquake, and the country had hardly recovered its former prosperity when it was overrun by Napoleon's troops at the start of the Peninsular War, to be followed not long after by the Miguelite Civil War. The middle decades of the 19th century saw the port wine trade flourish, and further colonial expansion into Africa. Ever since the bloodless revolution of 1974 over through the right-wing dictatorship of Salazar, the country has regained its stability and now takes its rightful place in the European Community. The book covers the history of early Burgundians and Braganzas and a chronology of major events and rulers of Portugal plus a historical gazetteer. 12 maps, pen and ink artworks. 228pp, paperback.