Portugal has been a regular feature in international news headlines lately. Sadly, though, it is usually mentioned for the wrong reasons, such as worries about its ability to manage its chaotic finances and finance its debt. This glut of attention contrasts with the near invisibility Portugal has maintained for much of the last few decades on the international stage, with few figures other than its footballers and the occasional writer making an impact beyond its own borders. In The Portuguese: A Modern History, Barry Hatton explores both the reasons for the country’s see-sawing international profile and the roots of its more recent economic woes. A Lisbon-based journalist who has … [Read more...] about Portugal’s history echoes down the ages