In Search of a Kingdom: Francis Drake, Elizabeth I, and the Perilous Birth of the British Empire

by Laurence Bergreen Narrated by Michael Page

Overview

In this grand and thrilling narrative, the acclaimed biographer of Magellan, Columbus, and Marco Polo brings alive the singular life and adventures of Sir Francis Drake, the pirate/explorer/admiral whose mastery of the seas during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I changed the course of history

“Bergreen masterly portrays ... the swashbuckling life and times of the explorer who achieved what Magellan could not-and made England's fortune in the process.” -Kirkus, STARRED review

Before he was secretly dispatched by Queen Elizabeth to circumnavigate the globe, or was called upon to save England from the Spanish Armada, Francis Drake was perhaps the most wanted-and successful-pirate ever to sail. Nicknamed ""El Draque"" by the Spaniards who placed a bounty on his head, the notorious red-haired, hot-tempered Drake pillaged galleons laden with New World gold and silver, stealing a vast fortune for his queen-and himself. For Elizabeth, Drake made the impossible real, serving as a crucial and brilliantly adaptable instrument of her ambitions to transform England from a third-rate island kingdom into a global imperial power.

In 1580, sailing on Elizabeth's covert orders, Drake became the first captain to circumnavigate the earth successfully. (Ferdinand Magellan had died in his attempt.) Part exploring expedition, part raiding mission, Drake's audacious around-the-world journey in the Golden Hind reached Patagonia, the Pacific Coast of present-day California and Oregon, the Spice Islands, Java, and Africa. Almost a decade later, Elizabeth called upon Drake again. As the devil-may-care vice admiral of the English fleet, Drake dramatically defeated the once-invincible Spanish Armada, spurring the British Empire's ascent and permanently wounding its greatest rival.

The relationship between Drake and Elizabeth is the missing link in our understanding of the rise of the British Empire, and its importance has not been fully described or appreciated. Framed around Drake's key voyages as a window into this crucial moment in British history, In Search of a Kingdom is a rousing adventure narrative entwining epic historical themes with intimate passions.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

Editorial Reviews

MARCH 2021 - AudioFile

The Elizabethan seaman Sir Francis Drake is one of history’s most dashing figures, and this fine audiobook revives all the romance and excitement of a story that circumnavigates the globe. Drake, though a pirate, turned his back on the racist and imperialist practices that taint most European explorers and helped establish Britain as a naval power. Lawrence Bergreen, the prolific biographer of Louis Armstrong, Irving Berlin, and Magellan, among others, appeals to listeners who know a little, a lot, or nothing at all about his subject. In Michael Page he has a narrator in perfect agreement with the tone and character of his narrative. Told with balance and restraint, richly detailed, and full of action and adventure, here is history at its most colorful and satisfying. D.A.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

From the Publisher

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

“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

"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

San Francisco Chronicle

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.

Washington Independent Review of Books

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.

Wall Street Journal

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.

Booklist (starred review)

"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."

New York Times Book Review

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.

American Spectator

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.” 

Wall Street Journal

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.

San Francisco Chronicle

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.

Library Journal

01/22/2021

Bergreen (Casanova: The World of a Seductive Genius), who followed the tragic course of Ferdinand Magellan's around-the-world voyage in his bestselling Over the Edge of the World, now tells the story of another circumnavigation, this one undertaken by English pirate Francis Drake. Unlike Magellan, Drake survived his journey, returning to England with a fortune in gold and other valuable goods looted from the ships of England's arch-nemesis, Spain. Bergreen shows how Drake's successful piracy proved crucial to the survival of the cash-strapped reign of Elizabeth I, who unofficially endorsed Drake's raids on Spanish shipping and territories. The exploits of El Draque (The Dragon, as he was known to Spanish sailors) proved pivotal in encouraging England's command of the seas and imperial ambitions, though personal profit was of more importance to Drake than selfless patriotism. Elizabeth is as much a force in the narrative as Drake, with Bergreen recounting the machinations of her court to give full historical context to Drake's marauding. Unfortunately, the book as a whole is marred by inconsistencies in chronology and repetitions that detract from an otherwise compelling story. VERDICT An intriguing-but-flawed exploration of an often-overlooked aspect of Elizabethan history.—Sara Shreve, Newton, KS

MARCH 2021 - AudioFile

The Elizabethan seaman Sir Francis Drake is one of history’s most dashing figures, and this fine audiobook revives all the romance and excitement of a story that circumnavigates the globe. Drake, though a pirate, turned his back on the racist and imperialist practices that taint most European explorers and helped establish Britain as a naval power. Lawrence Bergreen, the prolific biographer of Louis Armstrong, Irving Berlin, and Magellan, among others, appeals to listeners who know a little, a lot, or nothing at all about his subject. In Michael Page he has a narrator in perfect agreement with the tone and character of his narrative. Told with balance and restraint, richly detailed, and full of action and adventure, here is history at its most colorful and satisfying. D.A.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

★ 2021-01-13
The swashbuckling life and times of the explorer who achieved what Magellan could not—and made England’s fortune in the process.

In his latest wide-ranging work, Bergreen, who has written biographies of Columbus, Marco Polo, Magellan, Casanova, and others, trains his well-honed historical eye on Francis Drake (circa 1540-1596). A Protestant preacher’s son who cut his teeth on slaver ships (under his cousin John Hawkins) and decided that accumulating booty from the Spanish was his preferred trade, Drake took off from Plymouth in 1577 with a small fleet and the tacit approval of Queen Elizabeth I to drive the Spanish from mineral-rich regions of South America and beyond. Demonstrating his deep knowledge of the era, the author energetically recounts Drake’s action-packed journey, which included a near mutiny and the execution of the ringleader. In 1580, Drake returned along with a handful of survivors, having successfully circumnavigated the globe, a feat that Magellan, murdered in the Philippines, was unable to accomplish. Drake also delivered a staggering amount of gold and jewels, which, Bergreen shows, essentially saved the queen from an ill-suited marriage to a French duke, bolstered the state’s woeful finances, and allowed her to build up the English navy in preparation for the eventual invasion by the Spanish Armada in 1588. Drake’s success allowed England to challenge the seemingly invincible Spanish empire for the first time—and begin to establish its own. “For Elizabeth,” writes the author, “the expedition was a challenge to the global order, which ranked Spain dominant and England a second-rate island kingdom.” The narrative is long but never boring, as Bergreen masterly portrays the principal characters in this drama: the relentless, arrogant Drake; the cautious, cunning Elizabeth; and the mortified Spanish king, Philip II, and his spy in London, Bernardino de Mendoza, who informed his liege of Drake’s every outrageous move.

A smooth, dramatic, and well-fleshed world history perfect for library collections.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940177394923
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	03/16/2021
Edition description:	Unabridged

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