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| Lisbon, City of the Sea: A History | 
 enlarge | Author: Jack Malcolm
Publisher: I B Tauris & Co Ltd
Category: Book
List Price: £18.99
Buy New: £12.34
You Save: £6.65 (35%)
New (19) from £8.49
Avg. Customer Rating:  5 reviews
Sales Rank: 390031
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 224
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 8.5 x 5.5 x 1.2
ISBN: 1845114035
Dewey Decimal Number: 946.942
EAN: 9781845114039
ASIN: 1845114035
Publication Date: March 30, 2007
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews:
A PLEASANT FIRESIDE CHAT WITH MR. JACK March 5, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I really enjoyed Mr. Jack's book. It is much like a fireside chat. He is always terse, and the repetitions in the text are there as mnemonic devices. How else would I remember those Suevic tribes that recur at the beginning of the various chapters-- all of which are arranged chronologically. What I learned from the book is that from early on in Portugese history the English played a starring role. Portugal was almost an English protectorate-- keeping the Spanish away, and the Brazilian trade routes open. And Henry the Navigator's mother was Philippa of Lancaster, the wife of Joao I.
There are great chapters on the Manueline Age, the All Saints' Day earthquake of 1755, and the rise of the Marques de Pombal-- who dug deep enough in the 1654 treaty to figure out how to wrestle the wine trade monopoly from the English. Mr. Jack is unerring when it comes to politics and politicians, and the chapter on the rise of Salazar in the 1920's is lucid and to the point. I learned a lot, and was entertained along the way.
Maurice Hart
Lisbon: city of heart and soul September 17, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I have visited Lisbon on two occasions, yet I have learnt just as much about this great city from reading Malcolm Jack's 'Lisbon: City of the Sea'. This is a place steeped in history, and of disaster, a city of fado, religion, royalty and poetry; and geographically of steep inclines stretching away from the mighty Tagus: the watery backbone of Lisbon and Portugal.
Yet this is not just a book to help any traveller acquire a knowledge of its history. The author writes in an accomplished style that transcends right into its heart and soul.
The words have the power to take me back to sitting outside a baroque coffee house in Bairro Alto watching Lisboans going about their business, to and from the markets; as the heat of an Atlantic sun radiates onto my skin; and waiting for that moment when Fernando Pessoa, his long black cape blowing horizontal in the wind, side steps around the corner as his felt hat flies off his head.. This is the true wealth of this enjoyable book.
Lisbon - a treat! September 4, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I haven't been to Lisbon but having read this lovely book, I'm really interested to go. I had no idea that Lisbon was so cosmopolitan even hundreds of years ago when most European cities were still quite insular. Malcolm Jack draws on a huge amount of research to bring human stories to life; one identifies easily with the main players of each era. He also orders the book in a very logical manner which helps bring each stage of the city's development (and destruction by earthquake) into clear focus.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who knows and loves Lisbon, and to those people like me who haven't been but love cities with history and passion.
Lisbon August 29, 2007
This is a wonderful book, Malcolm Jack has a style of writing that is both informative and entertaining. He brings the city of Lisbon to life with its rich history and enticing scenery. This book is a must read for history buffs and travellers alike.
 A concise primer for an intriguing city August 21, 2007
I have only been to Lisbon once, very briefly, to watch a football match, but this scholarly and readable history makes we want to go back. The author has a real feel for his subject and offers fascinating insights into the higgledy-piggledy city that has grown up around the Tagus estuary over so many centuries. Jack takes the story back to Roman times and beyond and shows how, as with other great European cities, there have been ongoing tensions between locals and outsiders - from Moors to Jews to celebrity visitors like Lord Byron. The section on the devastating earthquake of 1755 is particularly good.
I like the way the author meanders. He offers succinct portraits of major figures in Lisbon, like King Manuel I and the Marquis of Pombal, but also wanders off into topics like bullfighting, literary cafes and art deco cinemas. A lot of ground is covered quickly.
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