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The Portuguese: A revealing portrait of an inconspicuous and fascinating country
No livro "Os Portugueses", Hatton relembra os principais momentos históricos que marcaram a nação, desde o período áureo dos Descobrimentos aos anos governados por Oliveira Salazar, sem esquecer a pela peculiar relação com Espanha, e termina com uma análise sobre a modernidade.
«A minha intenção é lançar algumas luzes sobre este enigmático canto da Europa, descrever as idiossincrasias que tornam único este adorável e, por vezes, exasperante país e procurar explicações, fazendo o levantamento do caminho histórico que levou os portugueses até onde estão hoje.», avança o autor na nota prévia da obra.
Paralelamente, a construção da identidade de Portugal enquanto povo e os vários estereótipos que (ainda) reinam além fronteiras são abordados e apresentados através de episódios vividos pelo autor ou por pessoas que lhe são próximas. De leitura obrigatória para todos quantos desconhecem a verdadeira alma lusa, portugueses ou não, "Os Portugueses" é uma obra obrigatória, escrita de forma apaixonada por um dos correspondentes mais antigos da imprensa internacional no nosso país.
Barry Hatton vive em Portugal há quase 25 anos. Correspondente da Associated Press em Portugal, o jornalista britânico revela no livro Os Portugueses aquilo que somos enquanto país e enquanto povo. Pelo menos aos olhos dos estrangeiros.
«A minha intenção é lançar algumas luzes sobre este enigmático canto da Europa, descrever as idiossincrasias que tornam único este adorável e, por vezes, exasperante país e procurar explicações, fazendo o levantamento do caminho histórico que levou os portugueses até onde estão hoje.», avança o autor na nota prévia da obra.
Paralelamente, a construção da identidade de Portugal enquanto povo e os vários estereótipos que (ainda) reinam além fronteiras são abordados e apresentados através de episódios vividos pelo autor ou por pessoas que lhe são próximas. De leitura obrigatória para todos quantos desconhecem a verdadeira alma lusa, portugueses ou não, "Os Portugueses" é uma obra obrigatória, escrita de forma apaixonada por um dos correspondentes mais antigos da imprensa internacional no nosso país.
Barry Hatton vive em Portugal há quase 25 anos. Correspondente da Associated Press em Portugal, o jornalista britânico revela no livro Os Portugueses aquilo que somos enquanto país e enquanto povo. Pelo menos aos olhos dos estrangeiros.
289 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2015
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About the author
Barry Hatton
5 books17 followersBritish-born Associated Press correspondent Barry Hatton has made his home in Portugal for over 25 years. He continues to cover Portuguese politics for the AP while writing books on the side.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews
May 11, 2021
It is written in the first pages: “This book is for my family, Portuguese and British”.
Born in 1963, Hatton is a British journalist who worked in Portugal for several years. The book is about the Portuguese modern history and a reflection on the Portuguese character. But it approaches the foundation of the kingdom and the long kings’ dynasties. Namely, when the Portuguese was made official language, by King D. Dinis.
Obviously, the topic “England our oldest ally” in Europe is included. England's adventurers, who joined king D. Afonso Henriques expelling North African Arabs from Lisbon, are mentioned.
It is referred our ambivalent relation with the Spaniards ("nuestros hermanos").
The golden age, of course: the Discoveries. There’s a joke in the book that the Portuguese have been unemployed ever since. [!!!]
The dictatorship years deserve some attention, as well as the religious aspect of the Portuguese people. Salazar reasoned: Portuguese, than catholic.
And there are yet two landmarks in Portugal´s History: the 1986 EU entry and the 25th of April of 1974.
As for the first one, many may wonder now: what for?...now that there's Euro currency shambles [my own skepticism].
In regards to the second: I got amazed to know about the documentary made by German Thomas Harlan* and presented in the Cannes festival of 1977. It was a "miniature" of what was going on in Portugal in revolution years. Harlan shot in a property called Torre Bela, in Ribatejo, northeast of Lisbon. Five hundred people took over the property, led by a radical left-wing man who belonged to LUAR**. The owner of the property, Mister Duke of Lafões, in an interview, said he was leaving the nation, because it had been handed over to the animals ("bichos" in Portuguese).
Hatton speaks of an “exasperating nation"…and an "enigmatic corner of Europe”.
By the end of the book he says, despite all recent troubles, the Portuguese will prevail.
- Or will be diluted?? I wonder…thinking about the recent, all too-frequent recommendations: “[you should] emigrate!”, from our governors.
Fernando Pessoa wrote that “Never a Portuguese was Portuguese: he/she’s been always everyone”.
I liked the joke (there are many in the book) about Nobel Prize Saramago. The writer said: “People used to say about me ‘He’s good but he’s a communist.’ Now [after the Prize] they say ‘He’s a communist but he’s good.’
*http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR3CUe...
**Liga de Unidade e Acção Revolucionária
Born in 1963, Hatton is a British journalist who worked in Portugal for several years. The book is about the Portuguese modern history and a reflection on the Portuguese character. But it approaches the foundation of the kingdom and the long kings’ dynasties. Namely, when the Portuguese was made official language, by King D. Dinis.
Obviously, the topic “England our oldest ally” in Europe is included. England's adventurers, who joined king D. Afonso Henriques expelling North African Arabs from Lisbon, are mentioned.
It is referred our ambivalent relation with the Spaniards ("nuestros hermanos").
The golden age, of course: the Discoveries. There’s a joke in the book that the Portuguese have been unemployed ever since. [!!!]
The dictatorship years deserve some attention, as well as the religious aspect of the Portuguese people. Salazar reasoned: Portuguese, than catholic.
And there are yet two landmarks in Portugal´s History: the 1986 EU entry and the 25th of April of 1974.
As for the first one, many may wonder now: what for?...now that there's Euro currency shambles [my own skepticism].
In regards to the second: I got amazed to know about the documentary made by German Thomas Harlan* and presented in the Cannes festival of 1977. It was a "miniature" of what was going on in Portugal in revolution years. Harlan shot in a property called Torre Bela, in Ribatejo, northeast of Lisbon. Five hundred people took over the property, led by a radical left-wing man who belonged to LUAR**. The owner of the property, Mister Duke of Lafões, in an interview, said he was leaving the nation, because it had been handed over to the animals ("bichos" in Portuguese).
Hatton speaks of an “exasperating nation"…and an "enigmatic corner of Europe”.
By the end of the book he says, despite all recent troubles, the Portuguese will prevail.
- Or will be diluted?? I wonder…thinking about the recent, all too-frequent recommendations: “[you should] emigrate!”, from our governors.
Fernando Pessoa wrote that “Never a Portuguese was Portuguese: he/she’s been always everyone”.
I liked the joke (there are many in the book) about Nobel Prize Saramago. The writer said: “People used to say about me ‘He’s good but he’s a communist.’ Now [after the Prize] they say ‘He’s a communist but he’s good.’
*http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR3CUe...
**Liga de Unidade e Acção Revolucionária
February 7, 2017
I read Barry Hatton's book, The Portuguese: A Modern History, after a trip to Portugal this summer. I found his insights about the country, its people, and its place in the world's socio-economic pecking order (both historically and more recently) to be very similar to what I had noted during my time spent in the country.
The book is less of a full-on historical textbook about the development of the nation, as it is a description of the evolution of a national psyche. It is the tracing of how the Portuguese are viewed by others, and how they have viewed themselves, that makes Hatton's book so eminently readable. There is plenty of history. But there is also a good amount of discussion of less concrete topics; like that of saudade - a word that almost defies description, but is somewhat of a pleasantly painful melancholy (think of the feeling you get when listening to excellent blues music in the US - so sad, but so good).
To really delve into Portuguese history, a book would likely have to be many times (or volumes) longer. But Hatton has not called his book Portugal: A Modern History. The title, using instead the word, 'Portuguese', is both clever and accurate in that it speaks of the people, and their collective psyche and temperament, and not the country itself. Some of the more compelling writing addresses how it is the Portuguese themselves who have stood in the way of their own development. And even as there has been realization of this problem, there existed an historical resignation to it.
Hatton's offering is well worth a read for anyone interested in the country. It will both enlighten the reader and cultivate an enthusiasm to visit the gem known as Portugal.
The book is less of a full-on historical textbook about the development of the nation, as it is a description of the evolution of a national psyche. It is the tracing of how the Portuguese are viewed by others, and how they have viewed themselves, that makes Hatton's book so eminently readable. There is plenty of history. But there is also a good amount of discussion of less concrete topics; like that of saudade - a word that almost defies description, but is somewhat of a pleasantly painful melancholy (think of the feeling you get when listening to excellent blues music in the US - so sad, but so good).
To really delve into Portuguese history, a book would likely have to be many times (or volumes) longer. But Hatton has not called his book Portugal: A Modern History. The title, using instead the word, 'Portuguese', is both clever and accurate in that it speaks of the people, and their collective psyche and temperament, and not the country itself. Some of the more compelling writing addresses how it is the Portuguese themselves who have stood in the way of their own development. And even as there has been realization of this problem, there existed an historical resignation to it.
Hatton's offering is well worth a read for anyone interested in the country. It will both enlighten the reader and cultivate an enthusiasm to visit the gem known as Portugal.
September 7, 2022
This is a very readable, often critical, but ultimately loving exploration of Portuguese culture and history.
May 1, 2018
This book can’t quite decide whether it wants to be a history book, a journalistic style book, or an editorial about the people of Portugal, and it suffers from what feels like a lack of focus. It’s not bad, it’s just not great; it does, however, give a pretty good overview of the modern history of Portugal. I wasn’t crazy about all the broad stereotypes, however, and that did bring the book down a bit in my estimation.
August 20, 2016
Mandatory for someone who wants to know about Portugal, and especially its people. Liked it a lot because it's always very interesting to know what others think about us.
It's obvious the author really likes the Portuguese, despite all their faults :)
"I do not doubt for a moment that the Portuguese will persevere despite the hard times. There is as much chance of Portugal "disappearing", as some have warned, as there is of a snowflake settling on an Algarve beach. The Portuguese remind me of those ancient olive trees you come across around the country - bent out of shape by bigger forces, flawed and suffering, but robustly surviving with an unusual beauty."
It's obvious the author really likes the Portuguese, despite all their faults :)
"I do not doubt for a moment that the Portuguese will persevere despite the hard times. There is as much chance of Portugal "disappearing", as some have warned, as there is of a snowflake settling on an Algarve beach. The Portuguese remind me of those ancient olive trees you come across around the country - bent out of shape by bigger forces, flawed and suffering, but robustly surviving with an unusual beauty."
November 27, 2017
Pessoa's people
Fernando Pessoa, one of the 20th century's greatest poets, should be much better known than he is. He published little in his lifetime, but left a huge mass of work on his death at the age of forty-seven. He was never financially very stable, wrote in Portuguese, and under an amazing variety of pseudonyms. Pessoa the person remained unknown beneath a mass of other identities. In this, we may liken him to his small, but once-famous country: everybody has heard the name "Portugal", but few know much about it. Hatton's book tries to put a face on this elusive nation which fronts onto the Atlantic at the edge of Europe, a nation once a leader, become a follower in the centuries after the Age of Discovery.
Although the subtitle of the book is "A Modern History", I would say that it is more a history of modern Portugal. Most of Portuguese history is quickly described and this is probably a good thing. Hatton is a journalist, not an academic historian. Since there are many good academic histories of Portugal, just adding to the list would be beside the point. Using national stereotypes more than I found welcome, the author weaves modern Portugal together with its past. I especially liked the discussion of race and colonial misdeeds, which have often been glossed over in favor of the "glorious history" stuff which avoids the inevitable observation that for the peoples around Africa, the Indian Ocean, and the coasts of the Far East, the Portuguese were more pirates than heroes. I could quibble about the information on former Portuguese India (p.59 "Portuguese built churches in the jungle" !! are you kidding ?), about the fluctuating number of Portuguese speakers in the world, and about some repetition of information which should have been edited, but these are minor matters. Portugal's history from Salazar on, say the last 85 years, is interestingly written up as are the prospects for the future, given the on-going European crisis. For people who would like to become familiar with the country before visiting it, for the armchair traveler, or for those looking for "Portugal Lite", this popular history is a must read. Though histories often remain rather dusty and dry, Hatton manages to get the feel of the place into his work, a place which he obviously likes a lot. So do I.
Boa sorte, Portugal !
Fernando Pessoa, one of the 20th century's greatest poets, should be much better known than he is. He published little in his lifetime, but left a huge mass of work on his death at the age of forty-seven. He was never financially very stable, wrote in Portuguese, and under an amazing variety of pseudonyms. Pessoa the person remained unknown beneath a mass of other identities. In this, we may liken him to his small, but once-famous country: everybody has heard the name "Portugal", but few know much about it. Hatton's book tries to put a face on this elusive nation which fronts onto the Atlantic at the edge of Europe, a nation once a leader, become a follower in the centuries after the Age of Discovery.
Although the subtitle of the book is "A Modern History", I would say that it is more a history of modern Portugal. Most of Portuguese history is quickly described and this is probably a good thing. Hatton is a journalist, not an academic historian. Since there are many good academic histories of Portugal, just adding to the list would be beside the point. Using national stereotypes more than I found welcome, the author weaves modern Portugal together with its past. I especially liked the discussion of race and colonial misdeeds, which have often been glossed over in favor of the "glorious history" stuff which avoids the inevitable observation that for the peoples around Africa, the Indian Ocean, and the coasts of the Far East, the Portuguese were more pirates than heroes. I could quibble about the information on former Portuguese India (p.59 "Portuguese built churches in the jungle" !! are you kidding ?), about the fluctuating number of Portuguese speakers in the world, and about some repetition of information which should have been edited, but these are minor matters. Portugal's history from Salazar on, say the last 85 years, is interestingly written up as are the prospects for the future, given the on-going European crisis. For people who would like to become familiar with the country before visiting it, for the armchair traveler, or for those looking for "Portugal Lite", this popular history is a must read. Though histories often remain rather dusty and dry, Hatton manages to get the feel of the place into his work, a place which he obviously likes a lot. So do I.
Boa sorte, Portugal !
July 28, 2015
This is more of a social history of Portugal than a chronological history. It doesn't follow a true linear path as to what happened when. I did learn more about Portugal than I knew before, but I was confused sometimes from the author's meandering ramblings. I did like the chapter on food. Made me hungry. I would have liked a chapter on port. The chapter on fado was also good. I may have to seek out another history of Portugal to get clear dates on what happened when and who was ruling at the time. It does seem like it would be an interesting country to visit.
October 27, 2023
An Expat's Glimpse, Not a Historical Guide
The Portuguese: A Modern History by Barry Hatton promised an insightful journey into Portugal's modern history, but it delivered a disorganized narrative more focused on a British expatriate's experience than on providing a scholarly examination of Portugal's historical and cultural landscape. The title is quite misleading; this is not a history book as one would expect, but a series of personal observations, analogies to the UK, and general discussions on Portugal's history.
The narrative is easy to follow with simple language. However, its lack of professionalism and academic rigor makes it an unsuitable read for anyone seeking a serious historical analysis or an introduction to Portugal from a neutral perspective. The author's personal bias is glaringly apparent, which detracts from the objectivity expected of a history book.
One of the disappointments was the book's disorganization. Although it touches on Portugal's history, the lack of a structured historical narrative makes it feel scattered and unprofessional. The author also ventures into speculative territory, hinting at a union between Portugal and Spain due to Portugal's supposed inability to sustain itself independently.
Furthermore, the book seemingly targets a British audience, with numerous references and comparisons to the UK, making it a less than ideal introduction to Portugal for readers from other parts of the world, especially the East. It's a text that seems to cater to a British traveler rather than a student of history.
I could not bring myself to finish the book, stopping almost halfway through, as it failed to meet my expectations of learning about Portugal's modern history in a scholarly manner. This book is more of a light read for a British traveler than a serious examination of Portugal's contemporary situation. I would not recommend this book to anyone seeking a thorough or neutral historical analysis of Portugal.
The Portuguese: A Modern History by Barry Hatton promised an insightful journey into Portugal's modern history, but it delivered a disorganized narrative more focused on a British expatriate's experience than on providing a scholarly examination of Portugal's historical and cultural landscape. The title is quite misleading; this is not a history book as one would expect, but a series of personal observations, analogies to the UK, and general discussions on Portugal's history.
The narrative is easy to follow with simple language. However, its lack of professionalism and academic rigor makes it an unsuitable read for anyone seeking a serious historical analysis or an introduction to Portugal from a neutral perspective. The author's personal bias is glaringly apparent, which detracts from the objectivity expected of a history book.
One of the disappointments was the book's disorganization. Although it touches on Portugal's history, the lack of a structured historical narrative makes it feel scattered and unprofessional. The author also ventures into speculative territory, hinting at a union between Portugal and Spain due to Portugal's supposed inability to sustain itself independently.
Furthermore, the book seemingly targets a British audience, with numerous references and comparisons to the UK, making it a less than ideal introduction to Portugal for readers from other parts of the world, especially the East. It's a text that seems to cater to a British traveler rather than a student of history.
I could not bring myself to finish the book, stopping almost halfway through, as it failed to meet my expectations of learning about Portugal's modern history in a scholarly manner. This book is more of a light read for a British traveler than a serious examination of Portugal's contemporary situation. I would not recommend this book to anyone seeking a thorough or neutral historical analysis of Portugal.
August 21, 2014
Uma das maiores qualidades deste livro é associar traços culturais e comportamentais dos portugueses a 800 anos de História, perfeitamente resumida em 300 páginas. Uma vez que Barry Hatton, o autor, vive em Portugal há cerca de 28 anos, é-nos fornecida uma visão exterior, mas não suficientemente alheada da realidade do país. Por isso, acaba por ser um bom ponto de partida para olharmos para nós mesmos e, 100% "tugamente", rirmo-nos e troçarmos do nosso "fado".
Também considero este livro um excelente guia para turistas mais curiosos, assim como para estudantes de história e cultura (como eu). Aliás, qualquer português que o leia há-de se rir um bocadinho e talvez os estrangeiros também o consigam fazer.
É um livro que deve ser lido do início ao fim, sem saltar capítulos ou alterar a ordem de leitura. No princípio, pode parecer desinteressante e "maçudo", mas depois vai-se tornando cada vez mais agradável.
Passei quase todas as 300 páginas a pensar "oh, é verdade, nós somos mesmo assim!".
4,5 estrelas em 5!
Também considero este livro um excelente guia para turistas mais curiosos, assim como para estudantes de história e cultura (como eu). Aliás, qualquer português que o leia há-de se rir um bocadinho e talvez os estrangeiros também o consigam fazer.
É um livro que deve ser lido do início ao fim, sem saltar capítulos ou alterar a ordem de leitura. No princípio, pode parecer desinteressante e "maçudo", mas depois vai-se tornando cada vez mais agradável.
Passei quase todas as 300 páginas a pensar "oh, é verdade, nós somos mesmo assim!".
4,5 estrelas em 5!
August 7, 2016
Insightful and lucid analysis, but inevitably too Lisbon-centric for my stomach. Worth the read.
August 15, 2024
There is much in here to discover and enjoy...but it's held back by (1) an uncertainty if this is memoir, journalism, or history, and (2) a strange and naive attempt to apologize for Portugal taking part in the slave trade & the mass genocide of the Americas...as if they were somehow exceptional (news flash: they were not). All in all a very eccentric read.
July 19, 2022
Quando peguei no livro, estava entre o cepticismo de ver um inglês a escrever sobre os portugueses e a curiosidade de ver o que é que ele afinal tinha percebido sobre nós. Agora que cheguei ao fim, tenho a ideia de que ele nos topou mesmo bem, que conseguiu um retrato muito fiel da nossa identidade cultural.
Gostei do facto de ele se socorrer de bons argumentos de autoridade, a maior parte das suas afirmações estão sustentadas por grandes pensadores portugueses, autorizados para falar sobre a nossa cultura. O autor revela também não só um grande conhecimento da nossa história, mas também o impacto e influência que os factos tiveram na nossa maneira de ser. E gostei desta abordagem tão interessante: os factos não importam tanto, o que importa é como impactaram, como foram interpretados e assimilados pelos portugueses.
É enternecedor perceber o quanto ele gosta de nós, ainda que isso não o cegue e seja capaz de nos apontar todas as falhas e fraquezas. Achei que o livro é muito corajoso e muito interessante. Recomendo também aos portugueses, porque nos ajuda a conhecermo-nos melhor. Nele, encontramos muitas pistas para como seguir em frente e fazer mais e melhor.
Gostei do facto de ele se socorrer de bons argumentos de autoridade, a maior parte das suas afirmações estão sustentadas por grandes pensadores portugueses, autorizados para falar sobre a nossa cultura. O autor revela também não só um grande conhecimento da nossa história, mas também o impacto e influência que os factos tiveram na nossa maneira de ser. E gostei desta abordagem tão interessante: os factos não importam tanto, o que importa é como impactaram, como foram interpretados e assimilados pelos portugueses.
É enternecedor perceber o quanto ele gosta de nós, ainda que isso não o cegue e seja capaz de nos apontar todas as falhas e fraquezas. Achei que o livro é muito corajoso e muito interessante. Recomendo também aos portugueses, porque nos ajuda a conhecermo-nos melhor. Nele, encontramos muitas pistas para como seguir em frente e fazer mais e melhor.
January 12, 2016
It was surprising to see in this book how two countries such as Turkey and Portugal resemble each other so much while being distant and having different religious/cultural backgrounds. I just wonder what made them to evolve in this way for both countries. This book tries to provide this reasoning of evolution for Portugal, what makes it unique among other European countries, why it fell behind on modernization...etc. But when I compare it with Turkey, although they have a different past they share the apathy, self-mocking behavior, waiting for a rescuer, conservatism ...etc. characteristics and even the "sick man" title, I really want to know how this convergent evolution occured. Is this the Mediterranean, weather, contact with early Muslims, tyranny or something else?
Anyway it was a stimulating book with the questions it raised and all the historical/cultural knowledge it provided on Portugal.
Anyway it was a stimulating book with the questions it raised and all the historical/cultural knowledge it provided on Portugal.
August 12, 2018
I have to confess, being Portuguese, my initial concern before start reading this book was whether it would be a never-ending listing of clichés, or if we the Portuguese were to be described as an anecdote. Barry Hatton did however a brilliant job! This is an easy-reading book, where the whole of our History is very well summarised and told through the lenses of the Portuguese cultural traits and idiosyncrasies. The author, a long-time foreign correspondent in Portugal married into a Portuguese family, clearly knows, understands and loves us! This is a most wonderful book for those who wish to really grasp what being Portuguese is all about.
July 29, 2011
Super divertido :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2024
Easy, enjoyable read if you want a quick intro to Portuguese people and their history. I recommend reading it just before you visit the country or during your travels for a better impact
October 10, 2025
Histories of Portugal are hard to come by, but as I try to read about a place before visiting, I settled on this 2011 work by Barry Hatton. It took me a minute to realise when I first picked up this book that I was not reading a history of Portugal. I was, in fact, reading a Modern History of the Portuguese people.
This is a problem for two reasons. Firstly, the change of emphasis from a country to a people seems to have legitimised the author in indulging in all manner of generalisation about Portugal’s 10+ million inhabitants. This suffuses the entire book. One can go barely a few pages without some lazy stereotyping. To pick a particularly egregious example:
Elsewhere the Portuguese are labelled argumentative or incapable of solving their problems.
At times, the attempt to paint a more human-oriented, living picture than the average history might, could have been welcome were it done more delicately (perhaps by an anthropologist). I may also have been able to look past all this were the author Portuguese and not a British expatriate who has merely lived in Portugal for many years. Which is not to say a foreigner cannot offer a valuable perspective on another country (I’ve read brilliant histories of China, for example, by Western writers); but an informal approach that leans into stereotypes is surely best left to native writers.
This probably wouldn’t have led to a one-star review. What did is my second quibble with the name of the book, specifically with the subtitular word “Modern”. And, no, my issue is not that the book does what all modern histories irritatingly insist on doing and discussing decidedly unmodern history for the first few chapters (we do not enter the 20th century until around page 100).
This is a peccadillo. What is truly unmodern about this book is its racism, particularly in its attitude towards colonisation. I was genuinely shocked when I noticed this book was published in 2011 and not at least thirty years earlier. In one chapter on Portuguese settlers, for example, we are told how: “black blood courses in the veins of some one million Portuguese, the legacy of generations of unabashed ethnic intermingling”. Black blood? Courses? Unabashed? Is any word here beyond the conjunctions not problematic?
Or how about this for wince-inducing statements: “the at times enigmatic likenesses between the metropole and its former colonies are evidence of an enriching cultural overlap during half a millennium of colonial rule”. This outrageous sentiment is somehow one-bettered in the very next sentence: “Yet there is also a darker side to the account of Portugal’s overseas adventures, and the question of to what extent the Portuguese were saints or sinners has gone largely unaddressed”.
Apparently, this ambivalent verdict is held by the colonised too: “the former colonies’ view of their one time ruler is not always flattering”. I know things have changed a bit in the appraisal of colonisation in the last 14 years, but surely not to the degree that it is anachronistic to excoriate a 2011 book for these sorts of comments.
The problematic ideas just keeps coming. At one point, Hatton tries to square off different states against one another in some sort of league table of wrong. In a discussion of the Indonesian atrocities in Timor-Leste (then East Timor) after Portugal left, we hear how “the Portuguese felt terribly guilty about the Timorese suffering. Leaving Africans to fight each other over the post-colonial spoils was one thing; throwing a helpless former colony to the wolves was another.”
I could go on. Between regular stereotyping, frequently tedious writing, occasional sexism and inexcusable racism, this book is beyond the pale. I haven’t yet read a history of Portugal, but for a history of the Portuguese look anywhere but here.
This is a problem for two reasons. Firstly, the change of emphasis from a country to a people seems to have legitimised the author in indulging in all manner of generalisation about Portugal’s 10+ million inhabitants. This suffuses the entire book. One can go barely a few pages without some lazy stereotyping. To pick a particularly egregious example:
A British friend told me he and some other expatriates … were challenged to a jumpers-for-goal-posts football game against some local Portuguese workmates … . The British ended up winning because they passed to each other and played as a team whereas the much more gifted Portuguese spent most of the game hogging the ball and blaming each other because things were going wrong. The Portuguese laughingly admit to this kind of thing. It is part of their endearing nature.
Elsewhere the Portuguese are labelled argumentative or incapable of solving their problems.
At times, the attempt to paint a more human-oriented, living picture than the average history might, could have been welcome were it done more delicately (perhaps by an anthropologist). I may also have been able to look past all this were the author Portuguese and not a British expatriate who has merely lived in Portugal for many years. Which is not to say a foreigner cannot offer a valuable perspective on another country (I’ve read brilliant histories of China, for example, by Western writers); but an informal approach that leans into stereotypes is surely best left to native writers.
This probably wouldn’t have led to a one-star review. What did is my second quibble with the name of the book, specifically with the subtitular word “Modern”. And, no, my issue is not that the book does what all modern histories irritatingly insist on doing and discussing decidedly unmodern history for the first few chapters (we do not enter the 20th century until around page 100).
This is a peccadillo. What is truly unmodern about this book is its racism, particularly in its attitude towards colonisation. I was genuinely shocked when I noticed this book was published in 2011 and not at least thirty years earlier. In one chapter on Portuguese settlers, for example, we are told how: “black blood courses in the veins of some one million Portuguese, the legacy of generations of unabashed ethnic intermingling”. Black blood? Courses? Unabashed? Is any word here beyond the conjunctions not problematic?
Or how about this for wince-inducing statements: “the at times enigmatic likenesses between the metropole and its former colonies are evidence of an enriching cultural overlap during half a millennium of colonial rule”. This outrageous sentiment is somehow one-bettered in the very next sentence: “Yet there is also a darker side to the account of Portugal’s overseas adventures, and the question of to what extent the Portuguese were saints or sinners has gone largely unaddressed”.
Apparently, this ambivalent verdict is held by the colonised too: “the former colonies’ view of their one time ruler is not always flattering”. I know things have changed a bit in the appraisal of colonisation in the last 14 years, but surely not to the degree that it is anachronistic to excoriate a 2011 book for these sorts of comments.
The problematic ideas just keeps coming. At one point, Hatton tries to square off different states against one another in some sort of league table of wrong. In a discussion of the Indonesian atrocities in Timor-Leste (then East Timor) after Portugal left, we hear how “the Portuguese felt terribly guilty about the Timorese suffering. Leaving Africans to fight each other over the post-colonial spoils was one thing; throwing a helpless former colony to the wolves was another.”
I could go on. Between regular stereotyping, frequently tedious writing, occasional sexism and inexcusable racism, this book is beyond the pale. I haven’t yet read a history of Portugal, but for a history of the Portuguese look anywhere but here.
October 15, 2018
“If you're going to read only one book on a subject, don't bother.”
-Aaron Haspel
Over the last few years I got into a habit of reading up on a little history & culture of every new country I visit. And while I subscribe to Aaron’s maxim in general, I tend to relax it for travel.
Of all the one-hit wonders I tried (e.g. Singapore, Burma, Scotland) this particular modern history is as good as it gets. It is short, nicely written, informative when it comes to history, and insightful when it comes to culture. And somehow it squeezes in lyrical advice on which areas to visit, foods to try, and tips on finding best fado spots.
And so, if you are going to Portugal and care to bother, this is your one book on the subject.
-Aaron Haspel
Over the last few years I got into a habit of reading up on a little history & culture of every new country I visit. And while I subscribe to Aaron’s maxim in general, I tend to relax it for travel.
Of all the one-hit wonders I tried (e.g. Singapore, Burma, Scotland) this particular modern history is as good as it gets. It is short, nicely written, informative when it comes to history, and insightful when it comes to culture. And somehow it squeezes in lyrical advice on which areas to visit, foods to try, and tips on finding best fado spots.
And so, if you are going to Portugal and care to bother, this is your one book on the subject.
August 17, 2020
I was really happy to stumble upon this book at a local book store on Cape Cod, MA. I have been looking for a book that covers Portuguese History, as I feel they are very hard to come by. While I felt that it was a bit "all over the place at times" with regard to what events were mentioned and when they were mentioned, I thought it was very informative and also helped me explain a lot about the tendencies and reasoning for the behavior behind our Portuguese Culture. I will certainly use this book as a jumping off point for reading more about Portuguese History. I definitely recommend picking up this book if you are interested in a very good overview of Modern Portuguese history without going into intricate detail on any specific event.
February 25, 2016
«Eu não duvido, nem por um momento, de que os portugueses perseverarão, apesar dos tempo difíceis. Existem tantas hipóteses de Portugal "desaparecer", como alguns avisaram, como cair um floco de neve numa praia do Algarve. Os portugueses lembram aquelas velhas oliveiras por que passamos no país - vergadas por forças maiores, marcadas e sofredoras, mas sobrevivendo robustamente com uma invulgar beleza.»
Gostei mesmo de ler este livro, ajudou-me a resumir na minha cabeça porque é que já fomos donos de metade do mundo agora somos quase insignificantes.
Recomendo vivamente a todos os que se interessarem pela nossa história (e também aqueles que não querem ser insignificantes)!
Gostei mesmo de ler este livro, ajudou-me a resumir na minha cabeça porque é que já fomos donos de metade do mundo agora somos quase insignificantes.
Recomendo vivamente a todos os que se interessarem pela nossa história (e também aqueles que não querem ser insignificantes)!
October 10, 2016
A very good book about Portugal and the Portuguese — essentially a history leading to the early years of the 21st century. It is written by a British newspaper correspondent who lived most of his adult life in Portugal, married a Portuguese woman, has Portuguese children and so on. His private observations (which are not innumerable at all) are combined with the history of the nation and the country. There is a feeling of loss, of something not achieved and probably impossible to achieve, which, of course, explains fado, but which I have never encountered myself — probably because my contact was much more superficial.
February 1, 2021
A tarefa de escrever sobre um povo não é de todo fácil, já que pressupõe generalizações. No entanto, creio que o autor conseguiu com sucesso superar este desafio.
Através daquilo que foi a história de Portugal, o autor justifica várias características dos portugueses, o que é verdadeiramente interessante.
Creio que a análise do autor (que é britânico) é bastante imparcial, podendo a sua abordagem revelar-se por vezes um bocado crua, não deixando de ser, a meu ver, verdadeira. Ou seja, este livro não é um elogio aos portugueses, mas sim uma análise pragmática ao seu caráter, revelando-se, esporadicamente, desprestigiante, mas também, e muitas vezes, honrosa. Recomendo!
Através daquilo que foi a história de Portugal, o autor justifica várias características dos portugueses, o que é verdadeiramente interessante.
Creio que a análise do autor (que é britânico) é bastante imparcial, podendo a sua abordagem revelar-se por vezes um bocado crua, não deixando de ser, a meu ver, verdadeira. Ou seja, este livro não é um elogio aos portugueses, mas sim uma análise pragmática ao seu caráter, revelando-se, esporadicamente, desprestigiante, mas também, e muitas vezes, honrosa. Recomendo!
October 1, 2011
Penso que não sendo um livro com muitas pretensões é muito interessante principalmente para aqueles, que tal como eu, nasceram numa época pós 25 de Abril, pois ajuda a contextualizar muitas das coisas pelas quais estamos agora a passar.
November 8, 2024
I traveled to Portugal last month and found this book very interesting as a follow-up read. It reinforced the history and geography I experienced, and this was the best part of this book. The chapter on fado was less interesting and a little long for me. We didn't experience the myriad of food selections mentioned. The story ends after the 2008 financial crisis, so nothing more recent in terms of economic development and the political system. The author is married to a Portuguese woman, has children, and has worked and lived in country so he has a unique insider/outside viewpoint. A worthwhile read for anyone interested in Portugal and its people, and anyone traveling to the country.
June 12, 2022
Really appreciated this book as I read it before and during a trip to Portugal. The author shares insights about how history has shaped Portuguese culture, development, and attitudes today. He weaves the boldness, wealth-building, and tragic consequences of the Age of Discovery with the grit and struggles to build a nation on the western corner of Europe in the modern age. He includes research, perspectives, and comic quips from past thinkers about Portuguese quirks and contradictions. Highly recommend - especially if you are traveling to Portugal or want to learn more about its people!
June 22, 2020
I had been living in Portugal for already 10 years when I finally read this book. It was so suprising for me to find out that I knew little about this beautiful country. Especially some given historical details are good and interesting👍 some pages (topics) could be irrelevant and boring for those who don’t live in the country.
October 5, 2024
Книгата е изключително информативна от една страна и монотонна и скучна от друга. Авторът е вложил значителни усилия в излагането на факти, но липсват личните преживявания, които емоционално да ангажират читателя.
August 17, 2025
Not a real history book but better, with a lot of relevant insights and anecdotes about Portugal and the Portuguese.
August 17, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️½
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