Sir Walter Raleigh: In Life and Legend

by Mark Nicholls, Penry Williams

New biography of one of the key figures in British history focusing on both his writing and legacy. Sir Walter Raleigh is a figure writ large in popular imagination. Yet how can we understand this man who was soldier, voyager, visionary, courtier, politician, poet, historian, patriot and 'traitor'? We know some facts, and much can be learned from Raleigh's prose and poetry about his ideas, personality, feelings and values. Important new texts of his works have recently been published: we now possess reliable versions of his poems, his letters and his travel narratives. No biography of Raleigh, however, can be complete without an assessment of his posthumous reputation. Myths that accumulated around him tell us something about the man himself, but far more about the perceptions of his own and subsequent generations. Raleigh's talents as a writer ensured his positive legacy, but the appropriation of his legend for so many differing political uses has left us with a complex picture. In this original and important new biography Williams and Nicholls set this right.

400 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Johnny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poet, soldier, courtier, colonial planter, proto founder of English America, Irish planter, historian, scientist is a very good roll-call for Walter. Edward Gibbon was close to choosing him for a biography before settling on the Roman Empire and called him "my hero". But, Walter Raleigh is now an unfashionable figure in the modern world and this book explains why this is - turgid history writer, introducer of tobacco and planter of Ireland.

A failed political career as a courtier and a gold prospector in the Spanish Main it was ultimately his loose disgruntled mouth upon the succession of King James I that cost Raleigh his head, but the dubious manner of his conviction for treason, the treachery of pretend friends and his extraordinary 45 minute speech on the scaffold has kept his serious flaws to the background - and they are notable. He was a bumbling schemer and had enemies at court which were ready to dump him in it. It's hard not to come to the conclusion that Raleigh was destined to fall. Ultimately, Raleigh became a hero to many during his life and he became a strange martyr for rights of every Englishman - despite the flaws which this book ably outlines.

This is a comprehensive biography (among many that are out there), with a lengthy chapter on Raleigh's poetry but also his History of the World - horribly outdated now of course - but still being referred to at the beginning of the 19th century.

What's surprising is such a full and tragic life has not had a serious biopic on the big screen.

[Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started Nov 2 a bit tedious at first but the adventures in South America are wild. This book is really suited for readers who have an in-depth knowledge of British history.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent scholarly, yet very readable, account of Sir Walter Ralegh. Well researched and referenced, and a must for anyone interested in the man or the times.

[Matt McCormick · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are certain challenges when tackling this well-researched biography of a clearly compelling Elizabethan and Jacobean figure. The first may be encountered by readers not steeped in English naming conventions. A host of characters appear under names that combine titles, locations, surnames, given names, and ordinal numbers. Thus Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, may be referred to simply as Essex or as Devereux, and must not be confused with his son, Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex. For the uninitiated, this alone can present a hurdle.

A second challenge lies in the modern reader’s difficulty in appreciating a true Renaissance man—something Raleigh certainly was. Soldier, seaman, adventurer, courtier, apothecary, writer, property baron, political intriguer, and patron of the sciences and arts, Raleigh resists modern categorization. The sheer breadth of these roles can flatten him for the modern reader, who may struggle to grasp the significance each carried in an early modern context, before rigid professional specialization had taken hold.

American readers in particular may also find early modern English geography demanding. Place names, proximity to court, landholdings, and regional affiliations all mattered deeply in shaping political and social life, and the narrative assumes a degree of familiarity with this landscape.

Setting these reservations aside, Nichols and Williams have produced a readable and judicious biography that presents Raleigh and his circle with balance and restraint. They explain the workings of court politics, commerce, and the law clearly and with commendable concision. Well-known figures such as Shakespeare, Marlowe, and Bacon appear in their proper historical context, rather than as distractions or ornaments.

Raleigh’s life—and the world he inhabited—was both fascinating and historically important. This book succeeds in conveying that importance without lapsing into either mythmaking or apology. I recommend it to readers who already possess a general grasp of the period and its principal historical actors.