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A Brief History of Portugal: Indispensable for Travellers
This is a comprehensive history of Portugal that covers the whole span, from the Stone Age to today. An introduction provides an understanding of geographical and climatic issues, before an examination of Portugal's prehistory and classical Portugal, from the Stone Age to the end of the Roman era.
Portugal's history from 420 A.D. to the 13th century takes in the Suevi, Visigoths and Moors. Then, a look at medieval Portugal, covers the development of Christian Portugal culminating with the expulsion of the Moors, with a focus on key sites.
A subsequent section on Spanish rule, between 1580 and 1640 explains why Spain took over and why Spanish rule collapsed.
There is a significant focus on Portugal's global role, particularly during the age of exploration, or expansion, in the 15th century to 1580: Manueline Portugal, Henry the Navigator, Vasco de Gama and Belém. Portugal was the first of the Atlantic empires, with territory in the Azores, Madeira, West Africa and Brazil, and it remained a major empire until the 1820s, retaining an African empire until the 1970s. It's empire in Asia - in Malacca, Macao, Goa and Timor - continued even longer, until the 1990s. Black shows how Portugal had global impact, but the world, too, had an impact on Portugal.
Baroque Portugal, between 1640 and 1800, is explored through palaces in Mafra, Pombal and elsewhere and the wealth of Brazil.
The 19th century brought turmoil in the form of a French invasion, the Peninsular War, Brazilian independence, successive revolutions, economic issues and the end of the monarchy.
Republican Portugal brought further chaos in the early years of the 20th century, then the dictatorship of Salazar and its end in the Carnation Revolution of 1974. Portugal's role in both world wars is examined, also its wars in Africa.
From the overthrow of autocracy to a new constitution and the leadership of Soares, contemporary, democratic Portugal is explored, including the fiscal crisis of recent years.
Throughout Black introduces the history and character of the country's principal regions, including the Azores, Madeira and the Cape Verde Islands. He looks at key national sites, at Portuguese food and wine and the arts, with special sections devoted to port, Portugal's famous tiles and the university established at Coimbra in 1290.
©2020 Jeremy Black (P)2020 Hachette Audio UK
Portugal's history from 420 A.D. to the 13th century takes in the Suevi, Visigoths and Moors. Then, a look at medieval Portugal, covers the development of Christian Portugal culminating with the expulsion of the Moors, with a focus on key sites.
A subsequent section on Spanish rule, between 1580 and 1640 explains why Spain took over and why Spanish rule collapsed.
There is a significant focus on Portugal's global role, particularly during the age of exploration, or expansion, in the 15th century to 1580: Manueline Portugal, Henry the Navigator, Vasco de Gama and Belém. Portugal was the first of the Atlantic empires, with territory in the Azores, Madeira, West Africa and Brazil, and it remained a major empire until the 1820s, retaining an African empire until the 1970s. It's empire in Asia - in Malacca, Macao, Goa and Timor - continued even longer, until the 1990s. Black shows how Portugal had global impact, but the world, too, had an impact on Portugal.
Baroque Portugal, between 1640 and 1800, is explored through palaces in Mafra, Pombal and elsewhere and the wealth of Brazil.
The 19th century brought turmoil in the form of a French invasion, the Peninsular War, Brazilian independence, successive revolutions, economic issues and the end of the monarchy.
Republican Portugal brought further chaos in the early years of the 20th century, then the dictatorship of Salazar and its end in the Carnation Revolution of 1974. Portugal's role in both world wars is examined, also its wars in Africa.
From the overthrow of autocracy to a new constitution and the leadership of Soares, contemporary, democratic Portugal is explored, including the fiscal crisis of recent years.
Throughout Black introduces the history and character of the country's principal regions, including the Azores, Madeira and the Cape Verde Islands. He looks at key national sites, at Portuguese food and wine and the arts, with special sections devoted to port, Portugal's famous tiles and the university established at Coimbra in 1290.
©2020 Jeremy Black (P)2020 Hachette Audio UK
242 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 2, 2020
96 people are currently reading
200 people want to read
About the author
Jeremy Black
433 books198 followersJeremy Black is an English historian, who was formerly a professor of history at the University of Exeter. He is a senior fellow at the Center for the Study of America and the West at the Foreign Policy Research Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US.
Black is the author of over 180 books, principally but not exclusively on 18th-century British politics and international relations, and has been described by one commentator as "the most prolific historical scholar of our age". He has published on military and political history, including Warfare in the Western World, 1882–1975 (2001) and The World in the Twentieth Century (2002).
Black is the author of over 180 books, principally but not exclusively on 18th-century British politics and international relations, and has been described by one commentator as "the most prolific historical scholar of our age". He has published on military and political history, including Warfare in the Western World, 1882–1975 (2001) and The World in the Twentieth Century (2002).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
June 14, 2021
Had I been aware of Jeremy Black’s curiosuly ample oeuvre and improbably broad field of expertise (130+ books) I might have thought twice before reading his Brief History of Portugal. In 2019 alone he had 9 books published, spanning topics as diverse as the history of Spain, global military history, Shakespeare and the British Empire. By the end of the book I had the impression that Black is not much of an authority on Portugal, nor is he particularly fond of the place.
He provides numerous unflattering accounts of the country given by 18th and 19th century British travellers, for example we’re told of one visitor in 1824 who complained of being “suffocated by the steams of fried fish, rancid oil, garlic etc at every turn, mingled with the foetid effluvia of decayed vegetables, stale provisions, and other horrors”. A traveller to Porto in 1760 notes that “the worst dog kennel in England is a palace in comparison to the best inn I saw on this road”. These derisive remarks seem to appear every few pages, and don’t contribute much to one’s understanding of Portuguese history.
The book mostly consists of an information dump of dates and monarchs, and by the end Black basically just lists election results. There’s little attempt to synthesise the information or draw any conclusions, and the prose style is dreary. The Carnation Revolution is recounted in barely two paragraphs and Black has little to say about Portuguese culture, literature, art or music. Fado isn’t mentioned once. Anyone looking to learn about Portugal would probably be better off saving their money and reading a few Wikipedia articles instead.
He provides numerous unflattering accounts of the country given by 18th and 19th century British travellers, for example we’re told of one visitor in 1824 who complained of being “suffocated by the steams of fried fish, rancid oil, garlic etc at every turn, mingled with the foetid effluvia of decayed vegetables, stale provisions, and other horrors”. A traveller to Porto in 1760 notes that “the worst dog kennel in England is a palace in comparison to the best inn I saw on this road”. These derisive remarks seem to appear every few pages, and don’t contribute much to one’s understanding of Portuguese history.
The book mostly consists of an information dump of dates and monarchs, and by the end Black basically just lists election results. There’s little attempt to synthesise the information or draw any conclusions, and the prose style is dreary. The Carnation Revolution is recounted in barely two paragraphs and Black has little to say about Portuguese culture, literature, art or music. Fado isn’t mentioned once. Anyone looking to learn about Portugal would probably be better off saving their money and reading a few Wikipedia articles instead.
September 2, 2024
Do not waste any time or money on this insulting rot. I would also urge caution against anything this historian has written. I only discovered after the fact that he is a military historian with nearly 200 published books. Such a freakishly prolific output from a single author would normally raise one’s eyebrow over the quality of their work generally. I can confirm that this book is indeed as trite as you would expect from someone churning out stuff at such ungodly frequency.
The book is devoted almost exclusively to the tedium of detailed military history spanning millennia. Scarcely any cultural, artistic, social, or linguistic history is touched on. The author merely recites endless lists of wars, battles, kings, bishops, and military statistics, all offered with scarcely any broader context. I found myself catatonic at times, my eyes peeling over torturous compilations of irrelevant details. The distinct Britishness of the author’s voice and style (austere, distant, and haughty) created an additional obstacle to anything approaching enjoyment. (There were one or two decent paragraphs on Salazar and the progress of modern Portugal.)
Considering this book is explicitly marketed for tourists (“indispensable for travellers” is branded on the book’s cover), it does gave me the distinct whiff of a mere marketing ploy or tourist trap. Regardless, I would advise against reading anything this author has put his dubious hand to.
The book is devoted almost exclusively to the tedium of detailed military history spanning millennia. Scarcely any cultural, artistic, social, or linguistic history is touched on. The author merely recites endless lists of wars, battles, kings, bishops, and military statistics, all offered with scarcely any broader context. I found myself catatonic at times, my eyes peeling over torturous compilations of irrelevant details. The distinct Britishness of the author’s voice and style (austere, distant, and haughty) created an additional obstacle to anything approaching enjoyment. (There were one or two decent paragraphs on Salazar and the progress of modern Portugal.)
Considering this book is explicitly marketed for tourists (“indispensable for travellers” is branded on the book’s cover), it does gave me the distinct whiff of a mere marketing ploy or tourist trap. Regardless, I would advise against reading anything this author has put his dubious hand to.
September 10, 2022
So dull I didn’t finish it
October 21, 2021
As will inevitably happen when you condense the history of a country into a mere 200 pages, this book reads like a list of dates with too many Alfonsos and Johns for you to really keep track of what is going on. There is little in the way of historical analysis and I am not entirely sure what I am getting here which I wouldn’t on the Wikipedia page. On the cover it tells me that the book is “indispensable for travellers”, but I’m not sure why. Do you really need to a recitation of every election result from 1983 to understand a place and enjoy going there? I’m not sure I got much of a feel for Portugal from this book or understood the country or it’s people any better.
Also there are annoying boxes throughout which add noting.
Also there are annoying boxes throughout which add noting.
June 11, 2024
I generally like this series of history books, but this one was particularly slow. A good read before or during a Portuguese trip.
May 6, 2024
Bought this at the Maritime Museum gift store in Lisbon Portugal. Knowing next to nothing about Portugal or its history, I was incredibly impressed with the maritime history of discovery and colonization (though not a particularly good thing!) and the pride the Portuguese take in this history. This book covers a lot, mostly about the governing structures and politics, alliances and disputes. From the Visigoths to the Romans to the Moors who were then ushered out by the Christians. There are a lot of castles, palaces, monasteries, and remains of history strewn around Portugal. In the museum in Lamego, I saw a gravestone from the 1st century! This book was not particularly well edited and the writing was clunky in many places but it was a good place to start.
July 30, 2025
3.5 stars
June 7, 2024
Some interesting vignettes and a lot of ground covered, would have been more enjoyable as a deliberately partial history rather than an attempt to cover everything!
October 15, 2023
Listened to this on Audible. Informative, but it's two strokes and an English accent away from a Wikipedia readout. As far as historical books go, it holds no candle to the way the likes of Tony Judt weave in historical facts with societal context and just pure good storytelling.
January 2, 2024
( 2.5 stars )
i certainly learned from this book, but as someone whose family is portuguese, i was largely disappointed. i think the problem with books like these is that they truly cannot make a nation’s entire history BRIEF and yet feel complete. i can tell the author knows a lot but it reads in part as too touristy and that’s not what i wanted out of this. i want to read some good history books about the country my grandparents grew up in! that’s it!
there’s some grammatical errors that really grated on my nerves, but my biggest issue is how inconsistent the length of time the chapters cover tended to be. i understand it’s grouped by period (roman, medieval, baroque, etc) but i think the length of the period/amount of material should have corresponded to the length of the chapter—it did not. the chapter on the spanish interlude (60 years) was about as long as the chapter on the antique period (much longer than 60 years). there was just no symmetry! the spanish interlude chapter i found actually interesting and informative because it could afford to go into more detail, given that there was less ground to cover, but even then it felt a bit rushed. most of the book felt like names. dates, and locations were just thrown at me with little other context. it certainly did not make for a pleasant reading experience.
i also took issue with the writing itself. i just felt that it wasn’t good and i would get stuck in the syntax and ask myself why the author would structure the sentence like that. it’s written with a very heavy skew towards a british audience with constant interjections of writings about portugal from old cranky british dudes in the 1700s who didn’t always have something nice to say. it’s fine i guess, but then this should be titled A Brief History of Portugal (for British People).
there were some highlights however. i enjoyed the little boxes that added in bits of cultural history within all the political and military history. the sections about literature and football were particularly welcome.
i certainly learned from this book, but as someone whose family is portuguese, i was largely disappointed. i think the problem with books like these is that they truly cannot make a nation’s entire history BRIEF and yet feel complete. i can tell the author knows a lot but it reads in part as too touristy and that’s not what i wanted out of this. i want to read some good history books about the country my grandparents grew up in! that’s it!
there’s some grammatical errors that really grated on my nerves, but my biggest issue is how inconsistent the length of time the chapters cover tended to be. i understand it’s grouped by period (roman, medieval, baroque, etc) but i think the length of the period/amount of material should have corresponded to the length of the chapter—it did not. the chapter on the spanish interlude (60 years) was about as long as the chapter on the antique period (much longer than 60 years). there was just no symmetry! the spanish interlude chapter i found actually interesting and informative because it could afford to go into more detail, given that there was less ground to cover, but even then it felt a bit rushed. most of the book felt like names. dates, and locations were just thrown at me with little other context. it certainly did not make for a pleasant reading experience.
i also took issue with the writing itself. i just felt that it wasn’t good and i would get stuck in the syntax and ask myself why the author would structure the sentence like that. it’s written with a very heavy skew towards a british audience with constant interjections of writings about portugal from old cranky british dudes in the 1700s who didn’t always have something nice to say. it’s fine i guess, but then this should be titled A Brief History of Portugal (for British People).
there were some highlights however. i enjoyed the little boxes that added in bits of cultural history within all the political and military history. the sections about literature and football were particularly welcome.
February 23, 2025
Okay, A Brief History of Portugal by Jeremy Black is one of those books that somehow manages to pack centuries of history into a concise, accessible read without making you feel like you’re drowning in dates and dry facts. Seriously, I went in expecting something that might leave me feeling like I’d just taken a history exam, but instead, Black makes Portuguese history feel like a fascinating, living story.
What I love about this book is that Black doesn’t just give you the headlines of Portugal’s past. He digs into the nuances—how Portugal’s tiny size has shaped its big ambitions, its complex relationship with its colonies, and the cultural identity that’s so unique to the country. From the Age of Exploration to the carnation revolution, Black doesn’t shy away from the tough stuff, but he keeps it all in a framework that’s digestible, even if you’re not a history buff.
It’s a little like sitting down with a friend who just happens to have an incredibly deep knowledge of history and wants to tell you all about it—but in a way that doesn’t make you feel like you’re in a lecture. The chapters are short, snappy, and full of insight that gives you a solid understanding of what shaped Portugal as a country, without overloading you with too much detail.
If you're curious about Portugal but don’t want to commit to a thousand-page epic (because, let’s face it, who has the time?), this is your perfect intro. Black’s style is approachable and engaging, making what could be a daunting subject feel totally accessible. By the end, you'll have a great overview of Portugal’s history, and you might even find yourself planning a trip there—because who wouldn't want to explore a place with such a rich, complicated, and fascinating past?
What I love about this book is that Black doesn’t just give you the headlines of Portugal’s past. He digs into the nuances—how Portugal’s tiny size has shaped its big ambitions, its complex relationship with its colonies, and the cultural identity that’s so unique to the country. From the Age of Exploration to the carnation revolution, Black doesn’t shy away from the tough stuff, but he keeps it all in a framework that’s digestible, even if you’re not a history buff.
It’s a little like sitting down with a friend who just happens to have an incredibly deep knowledge of history and wants to tell you all about it—but in a way that doesn’t make you feel like you’re in a lecture. The chapters are short, snappy, and full of insight that gives you a solid understanding of what shaped Portugal as a country, without overloading you with too much detail.
If you're curious about Portugal but don’t want to commit to a thousand-page epic (because, let’s face it, who has the time?), this is your perfect intro. Black’s style is approachable and engaging, making what could be a daunting subject feel totally accessible. By the end, you'll have a great overview of Portugal’s history, and you might even find yourself planning a trip there—because who wouldn't want to explore a place with such a rich, complicated, and fascinating past?
October 28, 2022
3 stars. I read this Brief History of Portugal when I was on my brief trip to Portugal. It was comprehensive and easy to read-- I typically read about each instance the day before the guided tour told the story to the group---because of this, I feel I really learned the history. I was frustrated, however, by the focus being political, rather than cultural or personal. I know a lot about various leaders and border disputes now, and I know the problems Portugal has faced and faces today, but there was no information that told how people really lived or believed or how they were impacted by the political stuff--- I really wish there had been more social history written into the book.
May 26, 2025
The reviews on here weren't great, and at the start I was sort of understanding why...
If you want to know lots about the history of Portugal, this ain't gonna be it for you. And a lot of the early stuff is a bit blah, with the occasional chunk on suddenly specific detail about a battle, where you remember the reviews saying the author is a military historian.
But from the longest chapter on Baroque Portugal on, where it's not so much names of Kings and Queens and their weird intermarriages, it's fine. And it made a little sense in terms of what the purpose is really - a few places in the country that are worth going to see.
If you want to know lots about the history of Portugal, this ain't gonna be it for you. And a lot of the early stuff is a bit blah, with the occasional chunk on suddenly specific detail about a battle, where you remember the reviews saying the author is a military historian.
But from the longest chapter on Baroque Portugal on, where it's not so much names of Kings and Queens and their weird intermarriages, it's fine. And it made a little sense in terms of what the purpose is really - a few places in the country that are worth going to see.
July 31, 2024
It’s hard to disagree with many other commentators here: this book won’t give you any insights into Portugal. Sudddenly they’re rich and then the rest of history seems like set back after set back. Salazar comes and goes with cursory mentions and the final chapters telling you about election percentages and a recommendation for a very touristy place to eat in Lisbon is odd.
Interesting fact though: JK Rowling named one of the Hogwarts founders after Portugal’s favourite autocrat “Salazar Slytherin”
Interesting fact though: JK Rowling named one of the Hogwarts founders after Portugal’s favourite autocrat “Salazar Slytherin”
June 13, 2025
Having recently returned from a trip to Portugal I enjoyed this whistle stop tour of its history, and it has inspired me to plan a return visit to fill in some gaps. The book is full of accessible detail and generally an informative read. Its weakness, I feel, is in its complete lack of illustrations, barring one iStock map which bears little relation to many of the areas and towns mentioned in the text, making it next to useless as a reference. A good addition to the fantastic A Brief History Of… series.
February 2, 2026
This is a comprehensive look at what went on in Portugal from before the Middle Ages up to 2020.
It's quite readable although I did get a bit bogged down with some descriptions of power struggles and wars simply because those times were so tumultuous and conditions changed so repeatedly. All in all it was a very good book to get me prepared for travel there as it gave me an excellent sense of the history, culture, as well as the religious and economic forces that influenced Portugal up through modern times.
It's quite readable although I did get a bit bogged down with some descriptions of power struggles and wars simply because those times were so tumultuous and conditions changed so repeatedly. All in all it was a very good book to get me prepared for travel there as it gave me an excellent sense of the history, culture, as well as the religious and economic forces that influenced Portugal up through modern times.
October 24, 2025
Listening to this as an audio book while working. It was ok. The narrator did a good job, making it feel like I had a documentary on in the background. I wasn’t expecting to learn much new information as I spent quite a few years in school learning this but it was still an interesting refreshing of Portugal’s history. I would recommend for someone wanted a quick introduction to Portuguese history, but remember it won’t be an in depth one.
July 27, 2023
It delivers what it promises in a relatively dull way, not offering much analysis of historical events. For a book focusing on Portugal, it is also strangely Anglo-centric - with readers given English impressions of Portugal again and again and again. I definitely know more about Portuguese history than before, but feel I could have received the same information from Wikipedia.
October 11, 2021
This is short, broad, and reads like a collection of facts rather than a narrative. Its still useful if you really are looking for a brief summary of historical events, but i think there has to be something a little bit better out there.
January 29, 2022
This was definitely just a highlight tour of the history and written in a more biblical than narrative format, but it was still a good initial primer before visiting the country. I did have to follow up with other books, though, for more depth.
February 13, 2025
really good primer on the history of Portugal. At times a little dry and repetitive. There are many names to follow so I don't remember all of them. But I felt like this book gave me a great primer on the history of Portugal in its totality.
April 28, 2021
An interesting compendium of the history of Portugal.
July 10, 2021
Decent book to complement traveling throughout Portugal
November 7, 2021
Well researched but not super interesting.
June 5, 2022
Comprehensive but a little dry and hard to follow!
October 7, 2022
He bounces around and it causes confusion about which Alphonse or Isabella or Henrique he is writing about.
December 2, 2022
Read this due to my upcoming trip to Portugal, while it definitely was brief I hope it'll give me some information when I visit.
January 7, 2024
I mean, it does what it says on the tin, but my word it’s dry. Felt lost in all the Alfonsos and Marias. And why have they jammed random text boxes in the middle of sentences?
January 13, 2024
An interesting compendium of the history of Portugal.
January 13, 2024
I learned a lot about Portugal, nut I sometimes found the writing repetitive.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews