Portuguese

‘Hatton clearly loves Portugal … engaging, often delightful.’ — Publishers WeeklyAn intimate portrait of this fascinating country, capturing its contradictions and charms.Though a founding member of NATO and the euro, Portugal is often overlooked, a small country on Europe’s southwestern edge. In The Portuguese, veteran journalist Barry Hatton blends historical insight with personal anecdotes to explore this enigmatic nation.During the 1400s and 1500s, Portuguese explorers led Europe into the Atlantic and helped connect Asia with Europe, creating a vast four-continent empire. This legacy still resonates today, particularly through the Portuguese language, spoken by over 220 million people worldwide. Hatton examines Portugal’s vibrant yet turbulent past—from the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, which shook European thinking and began a long decline, through António Salazar’s dictatorship, to its end in the 1974 Carnation Revolution, briefly thrusting Portugal into Cold War geopolitics. Hatton also explores the country’s complex ties with neighbouring Spain, and its oldest ally, England.With diverse landscapes, rich cultural heritage, a love of food and fine wine, an easy-going lifestyle and a rebellious streak, the Portuguese are uniquely compelling. Hatton’s portrait is intimate and revealing, capturing the charms and contradictions of a fascinating country.An established classic history of Portugal Author is a journalist who has been based in Lisbon for over 30 years A concise and thorough narrative history of this beguiling country