Sir Francis Drake (Historic Lives, 1) - Hardcover

Whitfield, Peter

3.5

22 ratings by Goodreads

9780814794036: Sir Francis Drake (Historic Lives, 1)

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0814794033 ISBN 13: 9780814794036

Publisher: NYU Press, 2004

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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.

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About the Author:

Peter Whitfield is an independent scholar and a leading expert in map history and exploration. He is a former director of Stanford's International Map Centre in London. His previous books include The Charting of the Oceans: Ten Centuries of Maritime Maps; New Found Lands: Maps in the History of Exploration; and Astrology: A History.

From Booklist:

Pirate or patriot? Francis Drake has also enjoyed a volatile reputation, which currently rests fairly low in our antiheroical age. Whitfield, a well-regarded historian of cartography, straightforwardly recounts Drake's adventures for readers new to the sea dog, such as the circumnavigation of 1577-80 and the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. But, as the author notes, these events have to be reconciled with Drake's slaving, thieving, and a likely instance of deserting a fellow captain. Glory often stands on feet of clay, as Whitfield demonstrates in this fine summary biography. Gilbert Taylor
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