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Examines the life of the Elizabethan adventurer and seafarer who circumnavigated the globe and helped defeat the Spanish Armada

Sir Francis Drake (1540–1596) assured his place in history when, in his lone ship the Golden Hind, he sailed the Pacific to become the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe. Drake the man, however, is an enigma and relatively little is known about his personal life. Historians today have struggled to reconcile the heroic legend with the facts, which show that Drake achieved his status almost exclusively through acts of theft, piracy, and aggression.Drake, who championed England's Protestant queen, used courage and seamanship to gain wealth and fame, and in doing so helped establish England's maritime empire. Yet, after his Armada success, the accomplished lone privateer rarely functioned effectively as part of a larger force, and he fell from royal favor, ending his days feeling cursed.In this new biography, Peter Whitfield, a leading expert in exploration and map history, examines this dilemma to shed light on Drake the man and the legend. Illustrated throughout with original documents, maps and portraits, this biography offers an accessible and highly readable account of one of the greatest explorers of all time.

Explore the life of Sir Francis Drake.The wicked ways of some of the most ruthless rulers to walk the earth are revealed in these thrilling biographies (A Wicked History) about men and women so monstrous, they make Frankenstein look like a sweetheart.

Retells in poetry the daring adventures of the explorer who was the first Englishman to sail around the world; helped to defeat the Spanish Armada; and who, encouraged by Queen Elizabeth I, was a feared pirate in his time.

To this day, Francis Drake is known as one of the greatest sailors and ship captains that England ever produced. Yet in his own daythe late 1600she was also widely known as a pirate, a term he hated with a passion. Pirates were common criminals, he said, which he was not. Instead, he was a privateer, a fighter who had been directed by Queen Elizabeth I, to attack Spanish vessels and colonies in the Americas. In fact, Drake not only seriously hindered the Spanish, he also made history by becoming only the second sea captain to sail around the globe, an incredible feat in that era. That expedition, along with several of Drakes other colorful adventures, became the stuff of legend. Today, historians sometimes struggle to separate fact from fiction in retelling his exciting deeds.

Significant in the history of Anglo-Spanish relations and of English ventures was Drake's expedition to the West Indies in 1585-86. His raids on Spanish towns on both sides of the Atlantic were aimed not only to gather treasure but to bring a military challenge to the empire of Philip II. The voyage was linked also with the plantation projects of Raleigh, and ended with Drake bringing home the discouraged settlers of the first Virginia colony. Although not a financial success, the expedition attracted wide attention in England and the continent and was a prelude to the events of 1588. For over three centuries after the voyage the main source of information about it was the lively narrative, strongly propagandistic in tone, that was published in 1588 and 1589. In the present volume this account, attributed to Captain Walter Bigges, has been critically edited in the light of evidence now available from English and Spanish sources. Printed also are documents relating to ships and personnel and to financial accounts of the expedition. Included too are the journal from the vice-admiral's ship, the Primrose, edited from the original manuscript, the fragmentary journals from ships of two other major officers, and an important newsletter. Among illustrations are a previously unpublished map relating to Drake's stop at Vigo, as well as the Boazio maps, which are shown in differing sizes and details. Dr Keeler's introduction discusses the expedition in the context of Elizabethan policies in the pre-Armada years. She points out new evidence on Drake's administrative practices, on his negotiations with Spanish officials, and on his dealings with a troublesome rear-admiral. Appendices provide critical notes on the Boazio maps and on the circumstances of the publication of the Bigges account. This is a new print-on-demand hardback edition of the volume first published in 1981.

Explore the life of Sir Francis Drake.The wicked ways of some of the most ruthless rulers to walk the earth are revealed in these thrilling biographies (A Wicked History) about men and women so monstrous, they make Frankenstein look like a sweetheart.

A comprehensive biography of Sir Francis Drake by the noted 19th century scholar and author. Contents: The Reformation Man The Spanish Main The Mule-Trains Gloriana and Her Knights An Ocean Tragedy Waking the South Sea The Great Mistake The Dragon Loosed Singeing the King of Spain's Beard In Quest of the Spanish Armada The Battle of Gravelines Drake's Armada The Last Treasure-Hunt This title is cited and recommended by Books for College Libraries; Catalogue of the Lamont Library, Harvard College; and The American Historical Association's Guide to Historical Literature.

Describes the life and explorations of the seaman Francis Drake, the first Englishman to sail around the world.

In this comprehensive and astute biography of the great sailor hero, Sugden portrays a complex man of fascinating contradictions. Ambitious, vainglorious and sometimes vindictive, he was also a loyal friend and a warrior of surprising humanity and courtesy.

What must it have been like to be the first to circumnavigate the globe or traverse America from shore to shore? What political, social and financial factors of the day encouraged exploration? What personal dreams and desires drove these fearless men to search the vast unknown waters and lands, to tempt danger time and time again, all in the name of discovery? In Great Explorations, acclaimed authors including recent Laura Ingalls Wilder Award winner Milton Meltzer guide us through the adventures of the indomitable explorers who knew first-hand the joys and sorrows of pioneering.

Retells in poetry the daring adventures of the explorer who was the first Englishman to sail around the world; helped to defeat the Spanish Armada; and who, encouraged by Queen Elizabeth I, was a feared pirate in his time.

Relying on new evidence, an illustrated biography of the sixteenth-century English explorer reveals Drake's complex character, from his patriotic exploits to his acts of piracy, and from his leadership of the English navy to his ineptitude at warfare. UP.

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The award-winning author of Tecumseh's Last Stand provides a meticulously researched portrait of sixteenth-century English navigator Sir Francis Drake, exploring Drake's private life, his achievements, and his rise to the heights of Elizabethan England.

In this lively and engaging new biography, Harry Kelsey shatters the familiar image of Sir Francis Drake. The Drake of legend was a pious, brave, and just seaman who initiated the move to make England a great naval power and whose acts of piracy against his country’s enemies earned him a knighthood for patriotism. Kelsey paints a different and far more interesting picture of Drake as an amoral privateer at least as interested in lining his pockets with Spanish booty as in forwarding the political goals of his country, a man who became a captain general of the English navy, but never waged traditional warfare with any success.Drawing on much new evidence, Kelsey describes Drake’s early life as the son of a poor family in sixteenth-century England. He explains how Drake dabbled in piracy, gained modest success as a merchant, and then took advantage of the hostility between Spain and England to embark on a series of daring pirate raids on undefended Spanish ships and ports, preempting Spanish demands for punishment by sharing much of his booty with the Queen and her councillors. Elizabeth I liked Drake because he was a charming rogue, and she made him an integral part of her war plans against Spain and its armada, but she quickly learned not to trust him with an important command: he was unable to handle a large fleet, was suspicious almost to the point of paranoia, and had no understanding of personal loyalty. For Drake, the mark of success was to amass great wealth, preferably by taking it from someone else and the primary purpose of warfare was to afford him the opportunity to accomplish this.

How long did it take Frances Drake to sail around the world? Why was Drake knighted? How did Drake "singe the King of Spain's beard"? The 'Groundbreakers' series explores the lives of pioneering men and women–people whose achievements and discoveries have had a lasting impact on our world. Each book tells about the experiences that inspired these amazing individuals to think in new ways and discusses how the environment they lived in affected their work. Information on their supporters, colleagues, and rivals adds to the story. Finally, a look at the person's legacy shows how their achievements and discoveries continue to affect people today.

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Sir Frances Drake (1540-96) was a fearless explorer, a dashing sea hero, and the first Englishman to voyage around the world. In his later years he was chosen as the mayor of Plymouth, represents Bossiney in Parliament and finds fame as one of the great naval warriors of the Tudor period. Called 'El Draque', the dragon, by the Spanish, his status as national hero comes from the leading role he played in stopping the Spanish King's Armada invading England. There's no doubt his life has all the ingredients for creating a classic Dead Famous, and Andrew Donkin (author of Dahl, Shakespeare) is one of the best authors to do him justice.

'Their fruits be diverse and plentiful, as nutmegs, ginger, long pepper, lemons, cucumbers, cocos, sago, with divers other sorts...' Scholar, spy, diplomat and supreme propagandist for Elizabethan sea power, Richard Hakluyt's accounts of famed explorers mythologised a nation growing rapidly aware of the size and strangeness of the world - and determined to dominate it. Introducing Little Black Classics: 80 books for Penguin's 80th birthday. Little Black Classics celebrate the huge range and diversity of Penguin Classics, with books from around the world and across many centuries. They take us from a balloon ride over Victorian London to a garden of blossom in Japan, from Tierra del Fuego to 16th century California and the Russian steppe. Here are stories lyrical and savage; poems epic and intimate; essays satirical and inspirational; and ideas that have shaped the lives of millions. Richard Hakluyt (c 1552-1616). Hakluyt's Voyages and Discoveries is available in Penguin Classics.