The story of the Spanish Armada, sent crashing to destruction in stormy seas by English battleships, is one of the most famous and popular of British history. Philip II of Spain's crusade to conquer Protestant England was the culmination of an undeclared war between the two nations which had simmered for years. The dramatic destruction of the Spanish fleet by Howard, Drake and their men ensured that England kept her political and religious freedom--but it was not the end of the story. This history places the Spanish Armada in its true context, as the most spectacular of Spain's continued attempts to return England to Catholicism, first through friendship, then by marriage and finally through war. It explains that the 1588 battle was only one in a series of Spanish naval campaigns against England--it was not until the 17th century that peace was fully assured.