In Search of a Kingdom

“Fascinating. … Engaging. … Drake’s story is both dramatic and timely. … In Laurence Bergreen’s colorful assessment, an unlikely alliance between Queen Elizabeth I and Sir Francis Drake empowered English Protestants to … stake out the beginnings of the British Empire.” — New York Times Book Review, “Editors’ Choice”“A dramatic tale of discovery. … A comprehensive look at Drake, in all his contradictions. … A lively and compelling history of a man whose blend of audacity, piety and cruelty changed the world.” — San Francisco Chronicle”With a keen sense of adventure and a sharp grasp of personalities on sea and land, Bergreen details Drake’s round-the-world adventures as well as political intrigues and mutinous sailors.” — Booklist (starred review)“The swashbuckling life and times of the explorer who achieved what Magellan could not—and made England’s fortune in the process. … Demonstrating his deep knowledge of the era, the author energetically recounts Drake’s action-packed journey. … Bergreen masterly portrays the principal characters in this drama. … A smooth, dramatic, and well-fleshed world history.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)“The great pleasure of In Search of a Kingdom is the revelation of Drake as a man of apparent contradictions that helped rather than hindered his ambitions. Readers in search of a story of how a clergyman’s son gained the support of a queen and helped found the British Empire will not be disappointed.” — Washington Independent Review of Books“Laurence Bergreen’s new book tells the swashbuckling tale of Sir Francis Drake. … Drake’s trip around the globe, which Bergreen describes in great and fascinating detail, was truly a marvel. … The account of Drake’s remarkable trip and Bergreen’s parsing of this complicated character will repay the time of readers who choose to take this 400-page trip.” — American Spectator“Vivid. … Entrancing. … The accounts of Drake’s circumnavigation and his subsequent naval career are very good indeed. They will surely delight aficionados of imperial history and anyone keen on real-life adventure stories.” — Wall Street Journal

Laurence Bergreen is the bestselling author of Over the Edge of the World: Magellan’s Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe and In Search of a Kingdom: Francis Drake, Elizabeth I, and the Perilous Birth of the British Empire. His other books include Columbus: The Four Voyages, 1492–1504; Marco Polo: From Venice to Xanadu; and Voyage to Mars: NASA’s Search for Life Beyond Earth. A graduate of Harvard, Bergreen lives in Manhattan.

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