They Went To Portugal

by Rose Macaulay

From the author of the beloved novel The Towers of Trebizond, a book about Portugal that is part travelogue, part history and wholly personal.

Henry Fielding sailed to Portugal with his household in search of a cure for dropsy, jaundice and asthma. The rather more alluring promise of orange-scented and wine-soaked afternoons was what drew fellow novelist William Beckford to its shores. Byron, having enjoyed the landscape was sent into a black rage, his companions making several guesses to the cause, and wrote vehemently of the country in his poetry.

Rose Macaulay, meanwhile, first travelled to Lisbon in March 1943 to escape the misery of London and loss of her bombed flat. Turning to letters, diaries and travelogues, she brought together the reactions of some of the many British travellers in whose footsteps she now trod. They Went to Portugal rambles down the centuries, bringing us the voices and experiences of a fascinating cast of characters: from pirate crusaders to ambassadors, from clergymen of all denominations to the port-wine trading pioneers, from aesthetes to the Romantics. Rich in detail, ambitious in scope, the people who fill these pages are animated by Macaulay’s humour and astute eye.

Genres: Travel, Portugal, Nonfiction, History, 18th Century

Paperback

First published January 1, 1946

About the author

Emilie Rose Macaulay, whom Elizabeth Bowen called "one of the few writers of whom it may be said, she adorns our century," was born at Rugby, where her father was an assistant master. Descended on both sides from a long line of clerical ancestors, she felt Anglicanism was in her blood. Much of her childhood was spent in Varazze, near Genoa, and memories of Italy fill the early novels. The family returned to England in 1894 and settled in Oxford. She read history at Somerville, and on coming down lived with her family first in Wales, then near Cambridge, where her father had been appointed a lecturer in English. There she began a writing career which was to span fifty years with the publication of her first novel, Abbots Verney, in 1906. When her sixth novel, The Lee Shore (1912), won a literary prize, a gift from her uncle allowed her to rent a tiny flat in London, and she plunged happily into London literary life.

From BookRags: http://www.bookrags.com/biography/ros...

Reviews

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure what to say about this book. Why the author chose this topic—British travelers to Portugal—I can’t explain and wish I knew. It was enjoyable and interesting and educational because of her writing style and who she chose to write about. The long, convoluted sentence structure made it challenging but in a good way. Her opinions weren’t a distraction and gave insight into the time period or background of the person. It’s really a history of the political and commercial relationship between England and Portugal from the 1500s to the late 1800s. There’s also an interesting take on the Inquisition from the perspective of the British protestants living or visiting Portugal. She does an excellent job with the history of the development of the Port wine industry in Oporto. There are multiple accounts of the war between the brothers Dom Pedro and Dom Miguel and their associated British supporters. Lastly, it made me want to visit Sintra since just about everyone who went there loved it.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this with a bundle of second hand books just over two months ago, and have been struggling through it since.

A collection of historical writings concerning English people who traveled to Portugal for various reasons. I didn't know much about the lives of most of them, but presumably they would have all been well known to her readers in 1946.

Some fascinating insights into historical events in Portuguese history, from the time of The Crusades when English fighters helped force Moorish invaders out, to the great Lisbon earthquake which naturally involved many visiting from England, and other political and religious intrigues that went over my head.

It's more of a reference book than one to read cover to cover. I enjoyed Rose Macaulay's writing style and will read more by her. Interestingly, she observes that most of the English at the time of her writing were Freemasons, and that caused animosity with the more religious Portuguese. I wonder if that's still the case, as modern Britain has an odd feeling that there is a secret club and those in it are immune from prosecution, with all doors and opportunities open to them, while everyone else is left to fight amongst themselves.

[Marta Araújo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started reading this book thinking it was a sort of travel account, but it's really what the title says: the stories of a bunch of Britons who have been to Portugal throughout History. It has some fun anecdotes, but at almost 600 pages it's bound to get repetitive.

[orl3gh · Rating 1 out of 5]

pretty uninspiring for the most part, but there were some sections that i found enjoyable. difficult read especially during exam season

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

They found paradise there, and a stimulus for endless complaints. Such have been the poles of experience among British travelers in Portugal, some smitten with the views from Sintra, others aghast at all the Roman Catholics. Macaulay, a master travel writer in her own right, is our witty guide to eight centuries of Anglo-Portuguese exchange, puncturing the pretensions of Brits abroad, but never without a touch of sympathy.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t know why I stuck this one out. A lot of assumptions made of one’s general knowledge of 19th century Portuguese history. Also not what I was anticipating as a touted ‘travel’ book. Hard graft.

[Filjan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Using letters, diaries and their books the author gives us the stories and reactions of English people who have lived in Portugal from late medieval times to the nineteenth century.
Unfortunately she chose to do this by grouping the subjects by profession (clergy, writers, soldiers etc) or by topic (the 1756 earthquake, Port wine) so there is no continuous sequence of events. This leads to much repetition and overlap.
Having said that I do at the end know more about Portuguese history than when I started.
Not one of her best books.

[Tariq Mahmood · Rating 2 out of 5]

The English fascination and love for Portugal seems to run deep. But the book for me is written for the English traveller to Portugal. There is little reference of Portuguese history on offer which made reading this book a very tedious project.