Review

“This trenchant second volume sets a new standard for reflecting on the Portuguese world empire during the early modern period. Covering the Lusitanian presence on five continents, it pays attention simultaneously to political decisions of opposing court factions in Portugal, to the leading role of noble captains and agents working inside and outside formal colonial institutions, and to their involvement in a variety of local cultures. As a result, Anthony Disney is able toaccentuate the centrality of Portuguese colonial situations as cultural hybrids.” -Diogo Ramada Curto, European University Institute, Florence and Universidade Nova de Lisboa”Anthony Disney has provided in this impressive two-volume survey of the history of Portugal and its overseas empire to the beginning of the nineteenth century a work of synthesis that has long been needed. Up-to-date in its scholarship, lucid and coherent in its exposition, his account, skillfully blending narrative and a (more…)

The most eagerly awaited event in the editorial cycle at TIME Magazine is always the selection of the cover. The ideal covers capture the zeitgeist of the week while surviving the judgment of history. As browsing this collection of TIME cover art prints shows, TIME is as good a record as any of who and what mattered over the past 80-plus years. And so when TIME captures a person, an event or a trend within its iconic red borders, the magazine is adding that extra dose of significance that no other publication can quite match. That is one reason why the original artwork for more than 800 TIME covers now resides in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington. Thanks to an breathtaking roster of artists, photographers and graphic designers, from TIME’s earliest charcoal drawings of cover subjects to its later black-and-white photography to the more recent paintings and stunning color photography, TIME covers have always been, sometimes quite literally, works of great art. And, (more…)

Review

“In response to the global turn in scholarship on colonial and early modern history, this book provides a fresh and much-needed perspective integrating metropolitan and colonial Portuguese histories. In fact, this analytical combination of national and imperial dimensions iscompletelyoriginal in the panorama of Portuguese histories where nearly all the works available in English tend to concentrate exclusively on overseas expansion.” -Diogo Ramada Curto, European University Institute, Florence and Universidade Nova de Lisboa”Anthony Disney has provided in this impressive two-volume survey of the history of Portugal and its overseas empire to the beginning of the nineteenth century a work of synthesis that has long been needed. Up-to-date in its scholarship, lucid and coherent in its exposition, his account, skillfully blending narrative and analysis, will immediately take its place as the essential starting-point for all those interested in the origins and chara (more…)

This informative, concise, and engagingly written work provides the most up-to-date history of Portugal, current through 1999, and gives a full picture of the political, social, cultural, and economic influences that shaped the history of Portugal. Covering the period from Portugal’s early conception as a nation through its long history, with emphasis on the dramatic period of the last several decades, this volume culminates with the demise of the Salazar dictatorship and the independence of its colonies. Complete with a timeline for simple reference to events, brief biographies of important people, lists of monarchs and heads of state, and a bibliographic essay, it is the best companion for the student or interested reader.

About the Author

JAMES M. ANDERSON is Professor Emeritus at the University of Calgary, in Alberta, Canada. He has spent many years in Portugal and Spain both as a Fulbright Scholar and the recipient of Canada Council and other grant (more…)

Professor Saraiva’s multi-volume History of Portugal is a celebratedscholarly standard work. Yet, when he published a one-volume HistoriaConcisa, it proved a run-away ideal seller in Portugal, and the televisionseries that went with it became a chart-topper. His latest book, producedespecially for Carcanet’s Aspects of Portugal series, is a history of hiscountry, brief, acute and illuminating, written with scholarly insight andwith non-specialist foreign readers specifically in mind.    To this main text Ian Robertson, author of the well-known BlueGuide to Portugal, has added a historical gazeteer, brief biographies,chronological tables, maps and other elements which make this an essentialCompanion, the sort of book that a reader in need of accurate, brief andlucid reference will find useful, and every visitor to Portugal will findrewarding.The book is generously illustrated.

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Amazon.com Review

From Antarctica to Zimbabwe, if you are going there, chances are Lonely Planet has been there first. With a pithy and matter-of-fact writing style, these guides are guaranteed to calm the nerves of first-time world travelers, while still listing off-the-beaten-path finds sure to thrill even the most jaded globetrotters. Lonely Planet has been perfecting its guidebooks for almost 30 years and as a result, has the experience and know-how similar to an older sibling’s “been there” advice. The original backpacker’s bible, the LP series has recently widened its reach. While still giving insights for the low-budget traveler, the books now list a wide range of accommodations and itineraries for those with less time than money. You won’t miss anything Portugal has to offer with this lively guide at your side. You’ll learn where and when to eat, where to stay–from cheap pensões to renovated manor houses, important historical and cultural (more…)

Review

“Culture Smart! has come to the rescue of hapless travellers, Sunday Times Travel -…the perfect introduction to the weird, wonderful and downright odd quirks and customs of various countries, Global Travel -…full of fascinating, as well as common sense, tips to help you avoidHumiliating faux pas, Observer -…as useful as they are entertaining, Easy Jet Magazine -…offer glimpses into the psyche of a faraway world, New York Times.”

Culture Smart! provides essential information on attitudes, beliefs and behavior in different countries, ensuring that you arrive at your destination aware of basic manners, common courtesies, and sensitive issues. These concise guides tell you what to expect, how to behave, and how to establish a rapport with your hosts. This inside knowledge will enable you to steer clear ofHumiliating gaffes and mistakes, feel confident in unfamiliar situations, and develop trust, friendships, and successful business relat (more…)

The highly successful “Globetrotter Travel Series”, which includes Travel Guides, Travel Maps, Road Atlases, Best Of Pocket Guides and In Your Pocket Language Guides, presently covers more than 90 destinations worldwide. The Packs are excellent value, including both a guidebook and a softcover version of the fold-out Globetrotter map of the region, in a printed plastic wallet.The handy pocket-size guide is packed with useful information, tips and recommendations, accompanied by colour photographs, charts and maps for the first-time traveller who wants to experience the major highlights that Lisbon and Portugal has to offer. The fold-out map of Lisbon and Portugal is best for tourists and visitors.

About the Author

Jane O’ Callaghan has worked and travelled extensively in the Algarve over the last fifteen years. A philosophy and literature graduate, she lives in London and writes for a wide variety of newspapers and magazines.
–This text refers to (more…)

Review

“Standard reading for all those seeking an insight into the historical evolution of this remarkable country.” Times Higher Education Supplement”A modern account and the first to be written in ENglish since the termination of dictatorship. No international history series can be considered complete without this…edition.” Library Bookwatch

This concise, illustrated history of Portugal presents an introduction to the people and culture of the country and its search for economic modernization, political stability and international partnership. The first single-volume account of Portugal’s history since the days of dictatorship and colonization, this updated second edition also covers theSay of historical writing on Portugal at the turn of the millennium. First Edition Hb (1993): 0-521-43308-8 First Edition Pb (1993): 0-521-43880-2 David Birmingham is a Professor of Modern History at the University of Kent, Canterbury. He has written e (more…)

From Publishers Weekly

In 1979, 19 years before he won the Nobel Prize for literature, Portuguese novelist Saramago (Blindness) journeyed across his homeland, hoping “to write a book on Portugal that would be capable of offering a fresh way of looking, a new way of feeling” about the country’s history and culture. Out of that personal quest comes this monumental work, a literary hybrid that intermingles an intimate portrait of a nation with aspects of a novel, travel log and guide book. From the outset, a deep sense of Portuguese and European history pervades Saramago’s descriptions, which evince a longing for the past whose fragments lie in every crevice, niche and portico. For example, upon seeing “traces of ancient anti-Spanish rancor in the form of obscene graffiti scored into good 15th-century stone” in Miranda do Douro, he recalls a 17th-century siege that took place in the small town. Later on in his trip, standing in the ruins of a church, he muses, “The day (more…)