Synopsis

Aboard a yacht on the seas of the battle, sailor and historian Dan Snow describes the key characters, weapons and stories of the 12 days of the Armada threat.

Further Information

More clips from Armada: 12 Days to Save England

1: Day One | Armada: 12 Days to Save England

BBC Two | 2015 | 58'54''

Anita Dobson stars as Elizabeth I, and Dan Snow tells the story of how England came within a whisker of disaster in summer 1588.

2: The Battle for England | Armada: 12 Days to Save England

BBC Two | 2015 | 58'42''

Dan Snow relives fierce sea battles and looks behind the scenes in the court of Elizabeth I as the Spanish fleet ...

3: Endgame | Armada: 12 Days to Save England

BBC Two | 2015 | 59'13''

Newly discovered documents reveal a remarkable web of misunderstandings that stopped the Spanish from invading.

Cannon Technology | Armada: 12 Days to Save England

BBC Two | 2015 | 1'38''

Dan Snow discusses the new technology that produced the superior weapons used by the English against the Spanish Armada.

Elizabeth's Finances | Armada: 12 Days to Save England

BBC Two | 2015 | 1'48''

Dan Snow discusses the difficulties with Elizabeth's finances.

Elizabeth's Routine | Armada: 12 Days to Save England

BBC Two | 2015 | 2'24''

Dan Snow discusses the importance of Elizabeth's appearance during the Spanish Armada.

Elizabeth's Speech at Tilbury | Armada: 12 Days to Save England

BBC Two | 2015 | 3'34''

An exploration of Elizabeth's important speech at Tilbury.

England's Land Defence | Armada: 12 Days to Save England

BBC Two | 2015 | 3'12''

Dan Snow investigates England's poor land defence at the time of the Spanish Armada.

English Naval Tactics | Armada: 12 Days to Save England

BBC Two | 2015 | 2'10''

Dan Snow demonstrates the English naval tactics against the Spanish Armada.

Fireships | Armada: 12 Days to Save England

BBC Two | 2015 | 4'57''

Dan Snow explores the English use of fireships against the Spanish Armada.

Medina Sidonia | Armada: 12 Days to Save England

BBC Two | 2015 | 2'48''

Dan Snow discusses the difficulties of sending communication between the two sides of the Spanish Armada led by Medina Sidon...

Philip's Plan | Armada: 12 Days to Save England

BBC Two | 2015 | 1'36''

Dan Snow discusses Philip's master plan for the Spanish Armada.

Portland Race | Armada: 12 Days to Save England

BBC Two | 2015 | 4'07''

Dan Snow demonstrates Martin Frobisher's tactics in second battle of the Spanish Armada.

The Armada Portrait | Armada: 12 Days to Save England

BBC Two | 2015 | 2'18''

Dan Snow discusses the significance of the Armada Portrait.

The Battle for the Isle of Wight | Armada: 12 Days to Save England

BBC Two | 2015 | 3'50''

Dan Snow discusses the English and Spanish tactics in the battle for the Isle of Wight.

The Battle of Gravelines | Armada: 12 Days to Save England

BBC Two | 2015 | 4'12''

Dan Snow investigates the Battle at Gravelines, the largest confrontation of the Spanish Armada.

The Flaw in Philip's Plan | Armada: 12 Days to Save England

BBC Two | 2015 | 3'06''

Dan Snow explores the fatal flaw in Philip's master plan for the Spanish Armada.

What Caused the Spanish Armada? | Armada: 12 Days to Save England

BBC Two | 2015 | 4'47''

Dan Snow discusses the foundations of what caused the Spanish Armada.

More from Dan Snow

South China Sea Trade | World's Busiest Cities

BBC Two | 2017 | 3'03''

Hong Kong's busy port is a vital gateway to trade in the South China Sea.

1066: A Year to Conquer England

BBC Two | 2017 | 58'27''

Dan Snow explores the political intrigues and family betrayals between Vikings, Anglo-Saxons and Normans that led to war and the Battle of Ha...

New York: America's Busiest City

BBC Two | 2016 | 59'04''

Anita Rani, Ade Adepitan, Ant Anstead and Dan Snow try commuting New York-style, joining 5.5 million commuters on the iconic Staten Island f...

1066 Unpacked | The One Show

BBC One | 2016 | 4'36''

Dan Snow recruits a team of volunteers to demonstrate the movements made by the rivals to the throne and how King Harold's armies attempted to d...

What Caused the Spanish Armada? | Armada: 12 Days to Save England

BBC Two | 2015 | 4'47''

Dan Snow discusses the foundations of what caused the Spanish Armada.

Learning Zone | The Birth of Empire: The East India Company

BBC Two | 2014 | 59'05''

A compilation of short films made specially for schools on the rise and fall of the East India Company, which acc...

Britain and the Start of WW1 | Learning Zone

BBC Two | 2013 | 7'30''

Dan Snow recreates a map of Europe on the beach to explain how Britain became involved in World War I.

Episode 2 | D-Day: The Last Heroes

BBC One | 2013 | 58'43''

The concluding part of historian Dan Snow's documentary series tells the powerful and heroic stories of those who risked their lives on th...

3: Industrial New York | Filthy Cities

BBC Two | 2011 | 59'07''

Dan Snow looks at 19th century New York when migrants arrived in a city consumed by squalor, stench and soot.

6: 1973 Middle East | Peter and Dan Snow: 20th Century Battlefields

BBC Two | 2007 | 58'25''

Peter and Dan Snow unpick the fighting that broke out in 1973. Known by some as the Yom Kippur War, it wa...

4: The Battle Against the Spanish Armada | Battlefield Britain

BBC Two | 2004 | 58'48''

Peter and Dan Snow take a look at the battles that shaped our nation. Drake's unlikely sea victory against the...

4: Learning Zone | Armada: 12 Days to Save England

Synopsis

More clips from Armada: 12 Days to Save England

More resources about Tudor England

More from Dan Snow

We use cookies!