Sir Francis Drake to Queen Elizabeth: "Your Majesty shall stand assured, if the fleet comes out of Lisbon, as long as we have victual to live upon that coast, with God's assistance, they shall be fought with ... The advantage of time and place in all martial actions is half a victory; which being lost is irrevocable."

The life of Sir Francis Drake reads like a piece of improbable fiction. He was the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe, was the plunderer of the Spanish gold fleet, was knighted by Queen Elizabeth aboard his ship The Golden Hind, and was largely responsible for the destruction of the Spanish Armada in 1588.

He is an extraordinary example of a self-made man, a navigator of astonishing brilliance, a genius at naval warfare and an outstanding leader of men. He was already a legend when he died in 1596. And the legend is justified. At a time when birth and breeding were essential keys to the doors of power, Drake rose by his own efforts, almost unaided.

Praise for Drake: England's Greatest Seafarer:

'A gripping story' - The Economist

'A superior, readable treatment of an important but little-discussed epic from the Renaissance past ... An astonishing tale' - Kirkus Reviews