After the accession of Elizabeth I in 1558, Protestant England was beset
by the hostile Catholic powers of Europe - not least Spain. In October
1585 King Philip II of Spain declared his intention to destroy
Protestant England and began preparing invasion plans, leading to an
intense intelligence war between the two countries, culminating in the
dramatic sea battles of 1588. Robert Hutchinson's tautly written book
examines this battle for intelligence, and uses everything from
contemporary eye-witness accounts to papers held by the national
archives in Spain and the UK to recount the dramatic battle that raged
up the English Channel.