There are books for which summer is the ideal time to be discovered. Among the recent publications devoted to the 25 April 1974 Revolution, we highlight two works that invite us to revisit the Portuguese Revolution through new historiographical approaches.

*O povo é quem mais ordena* (The People Are the Ones Who Give the Orders), by Victor Pereira, presents a fresh take on the many protagonists and dynamics of 25 April, offering a synthesis of the Portuguese Revolution that brings together themes, actors and contexts that are rarely examined in a coherent manner. First published in French in 2023, the book analyses the Portuguese revolutionary process beyond its main events, focusing on the dynamics, key figures and debates that shaped society between 1974 and 1975.

The recent publication of *There Can Be No Neutrals! General Vasco Gonçalves in the Portuguese Revolution (1974–1975)*, by António Amaral, invites readers to revisit one of the most central and controversial figures of the April Revolution. A member of the MFA and Prime Minister between July 1974 and September 1975, Vasco Gonçalves led four of the six Provisional Governments, becoming a key figure in a political process that continues to provoke interpretations and debates.

In conjunction with these articles, the ‘Document(s) of the Month’ section for July–August features a selection of documents from the Vasco Gonçalves Archive, held at the University of Coimbra’s 25 April Documentation Centre, which reveal the support that the former Prime Minister continued to command following the period in which he led four of the six Provisional Governments (1974–1975) . The same collection also contains letters expressing the opposite view, reminding us that Vasco Gonçalves was, from an early stage, a figure who was both admired and contested. We highlight an extract from a letter of condemnation directed at Vasco Gonçalves, dated 15 July 1975; two telegrams in support of the then Prime Minister of the Fourth Provisional Government, both dated 18 July 1975; and a postcard addressed to Vasco Gonçalves, written after his removal from the Fifth Provisional Government, dated 9 December 1975. 

We have also included in this selection two photographs from Gerald Gigon’s Photographic Archive. In the first, amidst a crowd celebrating 1 May 1975, a portrait of Vasco Gonçalves is on display. The second image shows the famous poster designed by João Abel Manta, ‘Povo-Vasco-MFA’.

The chronology *The Pulse of the Revolution* helps to put this leading role into context. In July 1975, Vasco Gonçalves took part in the public affirmation of the MFA’s unity, represented Portugal at Cape Verde’s independence ceremony, spoke at the presentation of the People’s Alliance/MFA Guide Document, faced mounting political opposition — symbolised by the PS demonstration on 15 July — and, at the same time, became the focus of a significant campaign of support, epitomised by the ‘People-Vasco-MFA’ poster and the slogan ‘Come on, come on, comrade Vasco’.

By linking the publication of António Amaral’s work to the dissemination of the selection of documents on display and to a re-examination of the chronology of July 1975, the 25 April Documentation Centre invites researchers, students and the general public to return to the sources and to reflect critically on a figure who, half a century later, continues to provoke debate. For it is precisely in the preservation and interpretation of documents that one of the main missions of archives lies: to contribute to a more informed, pluralistic and rigorous understanding of our contemporary history.