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The Secret Voyage of Sir Francis Drake: 1577-1580
On September 26, 1580, Francis Drake sailed his ship, the Golden Hinde, into Plymouth Harbor on the southwest coast of England. He had long been given up for lost, and rumors quickly circulated about where he had been on his three-year round-the-world voyage, and about the plunder he had brought home to fill Queen Elizabeth's treasury. However, a veil of secrecy was immediately imposed on the expedition: Drake's journals and charts were impounded, and his men were forbidden, on pain of death, to divulge where they had been—especially during the summer of 1579, when they had dropped from sight in the North Pacific.
In hindsight, Drake's journey was arguably the greatest sea voyage of all time. In a ship barely one hundred feet long, he sailed more than 40,000 miles, much of the voyage at extraordinary speed; disrupted the Spanish Empire in the New World; encountered often hostile native peoples on four continents; narrowly escaped disaster on numerous occasions; and became the first captain to circumnavigate the globe.
Samuel Bawlf masterfully recounts the drama of this extraordinary expedition within the context of England's struggle to withstand the aggression of Catholic Europe and Drake's ambition for English enterprise in the Pacific. He offers fascinating insight into life at sea in the sixteenth century—from the dangers of mutiny and the lack of knowledge about wind and current to the arduous physical challenges faced every day by Drake's men. But it is Bawlf's assertion of Drake's whereabouts in the summer of 1579 that gives his book even greater originality. From a seminal study of maps of the period, Bawlf shows with certainty that Drake sailed all the way to Alaska—much farther than anyone has heretofore imagined—thereby rewriting the history of exploration. Drake was, Bawlf claims, in search of the western entrance to the fabled Northwest Passage, at which he planned to found England's first colony, which could wrest control of the Pacific, and the wealth of the East Indies, from Spain. Drake's voyage was, in fact, far ahead of its time: another 200 years would pass before the eighteenth-century explorers of record reached the northwest coast of North America.
A cast of luminous characters runs through The Secret Voyage of Sir Francis Drake: Philip II of Spain, Europe's most powerful monarch; Elizabeth's spymaster and powerful advisor, Francis Walsingham; the encyclopedic cosmographer John Dee; and Abraham Ortelius, the great Dutch mapmaker to whom Drake leaked his Pacific discoveries. In the end, though, it is Francis Drake himself who comes most fully to life through the lens of his epic voyage. Remembered most as a privateer and for his victory over the Spanish Armada, the Drake that emerges from these pages is so much more: a dynamic leader of men, a brilliant navigator and sailor, and surely one of history's most daring explorers.
In hindsight, Drake's journey was arguably the greatest sea voyage of all time. In a ship barely one hundred feet long, he sailed more than 40,000 miles, much of the voyage at extraordinary speed; disrupted the Spanish Empire in the New World; encountered often hostile native peoples on four continents; narrowly escaped disaster on numerous occasions; and became the first captain to circumnavigate the globe.
Samuel Bawlf masterfully recounts the drama of this extraordinary expedition within the context of England's struggle to withstand the aggression of Catholic Europe and Drake's ambition for English enterprise in the Pacific. He offers fascinating insight into life at sea in the sixteenth century—from the dangers of mutiny and the lack of knowledge about wind and current to the arduous physical challenges faced every day by Drake's men. But it is Bawlf's assertion of Drake's whereabouts in the summer of 1579 that gives his book even greater originality. From a seminal study of maps of the period, Bawlf shows with certainty that Drake sailed all the way to Alaska—much farther than anyone has heretofore imagined—thereby rewriting the history of exploration. Drake was, Bawlf claims, in search of the western entrance to the fabled Northwest Passage, at which he planned to found England's first colony, which could wrest control of the Pacific, and the wealth of the East Indies, from Spain. Drake's voyage was, in fact, far ahead of its time: another 200 years would pass before the eighteenth-century explorers of record reached the northwest coast of North America.
A cast of luminous characters runs through The Secret Voyage of Sir Francis Drake: Philip II of Spain, Europe's most powerful monarch; Elizabeth's spymaster and powerful advisor, Francis Walsingham; the encyclopedic cosmographer John Dee; and Abraham Ortelius, the great Dutch mapmaker to whom Drake leaked his Pacific discoveries. In the end, though, it is Francis Drake himself who comes most fully to life through the lens of his epic voyage. Remembered most as a privateer and for his victory over the Spanish Armada, the Drake that emerges from these pages is so much more: a dynamic leader of men, a brilliant navigator and sailor, and surely one of history's most daring explorers.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
March 31, 2020
A fairly concise description of the “secret” voyage and life of Sir Francis Drake. One of the most fascinating issues is the deception that the surrounds this trip as well as other voyages by explorers in Drake’s time. Trade routes, and by extension, the maps that detailed them, were so critical that maps were intentionally altered by monarch’s to protect the information that these explorers developed. In the case of King Phillip of Spain, he published maps that portrayed the Pacific Ocean as large lake that could be sailed in order to reach Asia from North America.
The reason for two star rating is the author’s handling of the “New Albion" controversy. “New Albion” is the hotly debated location on the North American coast (some possible locations include the Oregon or California coasts) where Drake careened (cleaned the hull of ) his ship before crossing the Pacific Ocean.
This author suggests that this site is on the Oregon coast, but then claims that New Albion was a colony located on Vancouver Island. He makes this assertion with sources that do not seem properly backed up. He then spends an entire chapter describing what Drake “might” have seen along the BC coast at the time. A narrative that sounds suspiciously like a cultural tourist brochure. (The author is professor of British Columbian history).
This author has confused the New Albion issue and done a disservice to history.
The reason for two star rating is the author’s handling of the “New Albion" controversy. “New Albion” is the hotly debated location on the North American coast (some possible locations include the Oregon or California coasts) where Drake careened (cleaned the hull of ) his ship before crossing the Pacific Ocean.
This author suggests that this site is on the Oregon coast, but then claims that New Albion was a colony located on Vancouver Island. He makes this assertion with sources that do not seem properly backed up. He then spends an entire chapter describing what Drake “might” have seen along the BC coast at the time. A narrative that sounds suspiciously like a cultural tourist brochure. (The author is professor of British Columbian history).
This author has confused the New Albion issue and done a disservice to history.
April 6, 2016
I came to this book with scant knowledge of Sir Francis Drake, basically that he was post-Christopher Columbus British naval explorer – and that he had a beard. Obviously there is much more to this amazing man’s story and ample reason as to why he’s remembered – and books are still being written about him – 400+ years after his sea voyages. (To put Drake in historical perspective, William Shakespeare was a contemporary.) This volume provides an excellent and very readable chronicle of Drake’s life, times and adventures.
Queen Elizabeth – the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn – was on the British throne during Drake’s lifetime. She and England were in the midst of “religious turmoil” stirred up by first her father, and then her half-sister, Mary. On the “global” front, Elizabeth was performing a delicate balancing act as a world power, seeking a national identity without unduly provoking her European neighbors – France, Portugal and particularly King Philip’s Spain.
This “contest” included trade from Asia and the colonization of the New World; the goal to exploit their treasures. Since the only mode of long-distance transportation available at the time were sailing ships, he – or she – who ruled the high seas, controlled trade which also meant the associated riches; so a sailor and commander of Drake’s caliber was a valuable resource indeed. And Drake was one hell of a sailor.
Without spoiling too much of Drake’s story here, he was tasked by Elizabeth to find a northwest passage to Asia around North America, much like the Straits of Magellan around the southern tip of South America. He never found it because there isn’t one. Along the way though, and particularly during the almost three year voyage chronicled here, Sir Francis explored and mapped the new world, survived harrowing meteorological circumstances, fought numerous naval battles and secured 30 tons of plunder - 30 tons! And also, by the way, he and his crew circumnavigated, i.e. sailed around, the globe.
As to the particulars of Drake’s nautical adventures and as to why and how they were kept “secret” – well – read the book - You won’t be disappointed. The Secret Voyage of Sir Francis Drake is a fascinating and compelling read.
Queen Elizabeth – the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn – was on the British throne during Drake’s lifetime. She and England were in the midst of “religious turmoil” stirred up by first her father, and then her half-sister, Mary. On the “global” front, Elizabeth was performing a delicate balancing act as a world power, seeking a national identity without unduly provoking her European neighbors – France, Portugal and particularly King Philip’s Spain.
This “contest” included trade from Asia and the colonization of the New World; the goal to exploit their treasures. Since the only mode of long-distance transportation available at the time were sailing ships, he – or she – who ruled the high seas, controlled trade which also meant the associated riches; so a sailor and commander of Drake’s caliber was a valuable resource indeed. And Drake was one hell of a sailor.
Without spoiling too much of Drake’s story here, he was tasked by Elizabeth to find a northwest passage to Asia around North America, much like the Straits of Magellan around the southern tip of South America. He never found it because there isn’t one. Along the way though, and particularly during the almost three year voyage chronicled here, Sir Francis explored and mapped the new world, survived harrowing meteorological circumstances, fought numerous naval battles and secured 30 tons of plunder - 30 tons! And also, by the way, he and his crew circumnavigated, i.e. sailed around, the globe.
As to the particulars of Drake’s nautical adventures and as to why and how they were kept “secret” – well – read the book - You won’t be disappointed. The Secret Voyage of Sir Francis Drake is a fascinating and compelling read.
January 26, 2014
A well researched and interesting account of Sir Francis Drake, his voyage around the world and his possible exploration of our NW coast. I learned lots about the conflicts between Spain and England and Drake's plundering of various Spanish treasures. It is so amazing to see what these explorers did in the 1500's not knowing where they were going and having to live off their own resourcefulness. The end of the book is a bit speculative of Drake's voyage around Vancouver Island, partly because that part of his voyage was kept secret so others wouldn't learn of his search for a NW passage, and partly because most of the secret records were lost in a fire.
Still it makes for interesting reading especially because a coin from 1551-1553 was discovered in some mud flats here in Victoria back in early January 2014.
Still it makes for interesting reading especially because a coin from 1551-1553 was discovered in some mud flats here in Victoria back in early January 2014.
December 19, 2011
Geographer and former politician Samuel Bawlf burst onto the literary scene with a captivating theory that Sir Francis Drake explored the Pacific Northwest of North America almost 200 years before other European explorers, claiming the territory for England as Nova Albion but failing in his primary mission to find a northwest passage between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. There is no definitive proof, of course, and without that school-children’s textbooks will remain unchanged, but what a rollicking yarn Bawlf tells - educational, exciting, well researched and thought provoking. A must read for Canadians, maritime historians, and indeed all who enjoy historical fiction.
After some early and notable success under Captain William Hawkins in the Carribbean, Drake captained his own ship, sailing for Queen Elizabeth in 1577 from Plymouth. He led his fleet south and across the Atlantic, through the Strait of Magellan on the southern tip of South America, up the west coast of South and Central America, across the Pacific to the Moluccas and ultimately continuing west around the southern tip of Africa and home to England, bearing riches and becoming the second captain and first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe. Bawlf tells of Drake’s accomplishments well, along the way highlighting developments in navigation, health (combating scurvy), daily life and seafaring life, geography and cartography, and geopolitics.
With this rich tapestry of detail, Bawlf concentrates on a large gap between the time Drake was know to have landed in New Spain (Mexico) and when he was known to have arrived across the Pacific in the Moluccas, and he painstakingly lays out his evidence that Drake spent the time exploring northwards to the Alaska panhandle. Gaps in information or historical record are addressed through circumstantial evidence, though no definitive proof is or can be offered regarding the secret voyage.
Not being an historian by training or vocation, the only inaccuracy I could spot was with reference to William Hawkins as John Hawkins’ brother early in the book and as his nephew later - a very minor oversight. The primary criticism of the book is with regard to the final sections, which detail Drake’s hypothetical voyage in the Golden Hinde north to Alaska. Bawlf is clear regarding his suppositions, but the chapters have the same historical tone as those detailing Drake’s earlier, well documented voyages, and thus a casual reader might be left with the impression that this northern voyage is more fact than conjecture. The tone does give the book a consistency and makes Bawlf’s hypothesis extremely readable, but it also leaves the impression that he’s trying a bit too hard to turn his theory into fact. Again, a very minor quibble.
The Secret Voyage has all of the detail of a history text, the action of an historical novel, and the potential to unleash further research to confirm or repudiate this most interesting of hypotheses. Extremely well structured and researched, and a very enjoyable read.
After some early and notable success under Captain William Hawkins in the Carribbean, Drake captained his own ship, sailing for Queen Elizabeth in 1577 from Plymouth. He led his fleet south and across the Atlantic, through the Strait of Magellan on the southern tip of South America, up the west coast of South and Central America, across the Pacific to the Moluccas and ultimately continuing west around the southern tip of Africa and home to England, bearing riches and becoming the second captain and first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe. Bawlf tells of Drake’s accomplishments well, along the way highlighting developments in navigation, health (combating scurvy), daily life and seafaring life, geography and cartography, and geopolitics.
With this rich tapestry of detail, Bawlf concentrates on a large gap between the time Drake was know to have landed in New Spain (Mexico) and when he was known to have arrived across the Pacific in the Moluccas, and he painstakingly lays out his evidence that Drake spent the time exploring northwards to the Alaska panhandle. Gaps in information or historical record are addressed through circumstantial evidence, though no definitive proof is or can be offered regarding the secret voyage.
Not being an historian by training or vocation, the only inaccuracy I could spot was with reference to William Hawkins as John Hawkins’ brother early in the book and as his nephew later - a very minor oversight. The primary criticism of the book is with regard to the final sections, which detail Drake’s hypothetical voyage in the Golden Hinde north to Alaska. Bawlf is clear regarding his suppositions, but the chapters have the same historical tone as those detailing Drake’s earlier, well documented voyages, and thus a casual reader might be left with the impression that this northern voyage is more fact than conjecture. The tone does give the book a consistency and makes Bawlf’s hypothesis extremely readable, but it also leaves the impression that he’s trying a bit too hard to turn his theory into fact. Again, a very minor quibble.
The Secret Voyage has all of the detail of a history text, the action of an historical novel, and the potential to unleash further research to confirm or repudiate this most interesting of hypotheses. Extremely well structured and researched, and a very enjoyable read.
September 18, 2021
"The Secret Voyage of Sir Francis Drake 1577-1580" by Samuel Bwalf is a biographical non-fiction text about Sir Francis Drake's travel around the world and an overall situation which was revolting the exploration of the New World by the European Colonies. However, the research tries to deny the fact that James Cook was the first one to visit the British Columbian Coast. Instead, the author of the book proposes the theory of Francis Drake becoming the first one, as he has founded the territory of Nova Albion for The British Empire.
Samuel Bawlf was a Canadian politician and author who did not have a historian's education, as he has studied urban planning at the University of British Columbia. Coming from these facts, the book shall be viewed with some extent of skepticism, as well as even historical fiction as the tone of the whole argument of Sir Francis Drake getting first to the Pacific Northwest sounds very convincing, despite it being a theory, which to this day still does not have enough evidence to it.
Besides the theory that Samuel Bawlf proposes, he also tells a mere perfect biography of Sir Francis Drake himself, as he states that his original role was to help Queen Elizabeth I to strengthen the empire's economy, as the country itself was pushed by Spain, which led for it to have a desperate need in establishing new territories, trade and gaining new resources and valuables in North America. Thus, Elizabeth I has given Francis Drake a mission of finding a northwest passage to Asia through North America, as it would have established even more trade opportunities and try to get as many valuables as possible out of the voyage. The voyage turned out to be a great success, as it was done in 3 years, brought the British Empire fame, and brought money to both the queen, Francis Drake himself, and the people who have invested in the voyage. The voyages of Francis Drake have since then continued, even though Queen Elizabeth tried to keep them all a secret; however, many of the people knew it from the rumors which spread through the country. Francis Drake was such an important figure that the influence on Spain and England after his death was enormous, as "Drake's death swept through the country [England] with sorrow. Tributes to the nation's hero were poured forth in verse, prose, and song.". However, Spanish King Phillip reacted to his death as a victory, which shows how vital the voyages of Sir Francis Drake were.
The book's main problem is its style, as it is written almost like a textbook, especially the last part, which might be accidentally considered factual to a person who is not familiar with history. The claims that Bawlf makes might almost seem as controversial, as he debates the location of New Albion being in Vancouver Island and, based on it, determines whether the captain has explored the Pacific Northwest or not. New Albion is still a debatable location to this day, and there is no significant proof of where it might be located: whether it be the coast of Oregon or California or the Vancouver Island itself.
The debate of whether Sir Francis Drake discovered the Pacific Northwest or not could have been, however, solved if Elizabeth I had let Francis Drake himself publish the book about it; although she did not let him to as it could have caused outrage from Spain as nearly the entire New World activity was tried to be kept as secret at the time (same goes to Bering, who, whilst opening Alaska, tried to keep it secret, although the Spanish ambassador in Russia still unveiled the secret). Thus, the book is called "The Secret Voyage of Francis Drake" for a reason, as it has been kept like that for a very long period.
In conclusion, the work of Samuel Bawlf, despite being controversial at some point, is a very clever and well-detailed historical research, which he made very accessible to read, as well as it gives an engaging narrative, which provokes other historians to research the problem further, as such a voyage and the outcome of it caused many benefits not only to England alone but to the world itself, furthermore causing some of the parts of his voyage to remain a mystery which is yet to be solved.
Samuel Bawlf was a Canadian politician and author who did not have a historian's education, as he has studied urban planning at the University of British Columbia. Coming from these facts, the book shall be viewed with some extent of skepticism, as well as even historical fiction as the tone of the whole argument of Sir Francis Drake getting first to the Pacific Northwest sounds very convincing, despite it being a theory, which to this day still does not have enough evidence to it.
Besides the theory that Samuel Bawlf proposes, he also tells a mere perfect biography of Sir Francis Drake himself, as he states that his original role was to help Queen Elizabeth I to strengthen the empire's economy, as the country itself was pushed by Spain, which led for it to have a desperate need in establishing new territories, trade and gaining new resources and valuables in North America. Thus, Elizabeth I has given Francis Drake a mission of finding a northwest passage to Asia through North America, as it would have established even more trade opportunities and try to get as many valuables as possible out of the voyage. The voyage turned out to be a great success, as it was done in 3 years, brought the British Empire fame, and brought money to both the queen, Francis Drake himself, and the people who have invested in the voyage. The voyages of Francis Drake have since then continued, even though Queen Elizabeth tried to keep them all a secret; however, many of the people knew it from the rumors which spread through the country. Francis Drake was such an important figure that the influence on Spain and England after his death was enormous, as "Drake's death swept through the country [England] with sorrow. Tributes to the nation's hero were poured forth in verse, prose, and song.". However, Spanish King Phillip reacted to his death as a victory, which shows how vital the voyages of Sir Francis Drake were.
The book's main problem is its style, as it is written almost like a textbook, especially the last part, which might be accidentally considered factual to a person who is not familiar with history. The claims that Bawlf makes might almost seem as controversial, as he debates the location of New Albion being in Vancouver Island and, based on it, determines whether the captain has explored the Pacific Northwest or not. New Albion is still a debatable location to this day, and there is no significant proof of where it might be located: whether it be the coast of Oregon or California or the Vancouver Island itself.
The debate of whether Sir Francis Drake discovered the Pacific Northwest or not could have been, however, solved if Elizabeth I had let Francis Drake himself publish the book about it; although she did not let him to as it could have caused outrage from Spain as nearly the entire New World activity was tried to be kept as secret at the time (same goes to Bering, who, whilst opening Alaska, tried to keep it secret, although the Spanish ambassador in Russia still unveiled the secret). Thus, the book is called "The Secret Voyage of Francis Drake" for a reason, as it has been kept like that for a very long period.
In conclusion, the work of Samuel Bawlf, despite being controversial at some point, is a very clever and well-detailed historical research, which he made very accessible to read, as well as it gives an engaging narrative, which provokes other historians to research the problem further, as such a voyage and the outcome of it caused many benefits not only to England alone but to the world itself, furthermore causing some of the parts of his voyage to remain a mystery which is yet to be solved.
May 26, 2016
When I saw this book in my local library I thought, "Hmm. Pirate story. Nice." I had no idea I was about to read the tale of the second man to ever circumvent the globe; which he did in a little wooden Galleon named "The Golden Skiff."
He fought the Spanish, partied and warred with natives, braved storms, heatwaves, freezing, and mutiny, to return to England with a boatload of treasures that catapulted him to International fame.
The book itself is non-fiction and reads as a history book would, but the tale of this man was so engrossing I found myself looking forward to coming back and reading it rather than running another round on my Playstation. Great story.
He fought the Spanish, partied and warred with natives, braved storms, heatwaves, freezing, and mutiny, to return to England with a boatload of treasures that catapulted him to International fame.
The book itself is non-fiction and reads as a history book would, but the tale of this man was so engrossing I found myself looking forward to coming back and reading it rather than running another round on my Playstation. Great story.
January 5, 2020
It’s all hogwash?
Author Samuel Bawlf offers a swashbuckling – if controversial -- account of the exploits of English explorer and corsair Sir Francis Drake, hinging on the argument that part of Drake’s 1577-1580 round-the-world voyage included a secret reconnaissance of the northwest coast of North America. Taken at face value, the story of Drake’s life is compelling as the larger-than-life sea captain (or maybe pirate depending on your point of view) seizes Spanish treasure caravans in the isthmus of Panama, rounds the tempestuous Straits of Magellan to enter the Pacific, plunders gold and silver along the coast of South America, and later battles the grand armada of Spain in Europe.
I found The Secret Voyage of Sir Francis Drake a grand tale … the only problem being … many critics have called the crux of Bawlf’s book – that Francis Drake sailed as far north as Vancouver and southern Alaska -- fanciful. Managing editor of the magazine Archaeology Eric A. Powell wrote in a 2005 review that “Bawlf tells a deeply improbable story vividly.” He elaborates that “… the evidence Bawlf presents in the chapters devoted to recasting Drake's voyage up the Pacific coast as an exploration of Canada simply doesn't hold up” and that Balwf’s work is “a bold thesis, but it rests on baroque reinterpretations of maps, ethnographic descriptions, and ignores convincing archaeological evidence that Drake's voyage was confined to the coast of what later became California and southern Oregon.”
Darn. I feel like I’ve been here before with Sławomir Rawicz’s The Long Walk. And maybe I should have expected this. Whereas Rawicz purportedly encounters yeti in the Himalayas during his ‘true’ tale, Bawlf also ventures into ‘history’s unexplained mysteries’ to bolster his case, using for example strange stone alignments and mysterious inscriptions at Oregon’s Nehalem Bay as corroborating evidence of Drake’s northern explorations. While I enjoyed the detective work, it did seem a bit too good to be true.
So … I’ll leave this one where I left IThe Long Walk. I found The Secret Voyage of Sir Francis Drake an immensely entertaining read, but a book that loses more than a few stars due to a tainted pedigree. And with only some many hours in a day to give to reading, discerning readers may want to try to find a more authoritative biography of the wily Sir France Drake to fill their time.
P.S. You can find Eric A. Powell’s review at https://archive.archaeology.org/onlin.... Or if you want a more acerbic debunking of Balwf’s theory, see Oliver Seeler’s ‘The Turbid Theories of Samuel Bawlf’ at http://drake.mcn.org/bc.htm.
January 5, 2024
This is a fascinating story, whether you're interested in the politics of Elizabethan England, the early colonisation of the Americas, or the sea voyages of discovery of the sixteenth century. Although this is a scholarly text (with 30 pages of footnotes and an extensive bibliography), the main narrative is easily readable for someone (like me) who had no prior knowledge of Drake's voyages. (I think I must have learned at primary school that he sailed around the world, but that was about it.) The author gives enough explanation of the background and main characters in English and European poltics to enable the average reader to understand that where and when Drake travelled and how his time was divided between defending the British nation and exploring the world was largely dictated by the shifting powers of the three dominant European sea powers: Spain, Portugal and Britain. I learned a great deal from this book and the information was presented in a way that I found both entertaining and exciting. It is staggering that a man with so little in the way of technology could travel so far and discover so much.
July 20, 2024
This book was another of the sort about the age of exploration and sailors in general, which I love. Francis Drake was a great and storied sailor who went on multiple voyages. This book focusing on his life surrounding his secret voyage that was suppressed to protect information from getting out was great, as I didn’t know much about Drake previously and had barely heard of this voyage. This voyage he went on was full of story, from raiding Spanish ships and navigating through the treacherous Strait of Magellan to sailing along the California coast all the way to the south of Alaska. He sailed and mapped an area that was scarcely traveled to for a further 200 years and while already achieving an extraordinary feat by getting to the west coast of America, he went even further in his achievements by mapping and meeting people along the coast up to Alaska. The stories surrounding his other voyages and his time before and after the voyage were also great, hearing about important sailors or people in his life and at court was fun as well. This book is really great and I recommend it to anyone who likes history and sailing history/the age of discovery like myself.
4.5/5
4.5/5
September 13, 2022
Actually, I started this book 10-12 years ago and put it down after about 50 pages. It got stacked away and then re-shelved, so out of sight, out of mind. I recently read another Drake biography that was kinda so-so, so I decided to pick this one back up and it was definitely the better work.
Excellent research and good story telling make this book worthy for anyone interested in the Age of Discovery. The first 90 or so pages are a basic introduction to the age, but the meat of the work revolves around Drake’s Pacific adventures. Recommended.
Excellent research and good story telling make this book worthy for anyone interested in the Age of Discovery. The first 90 or so pages are a basic introduction to the age, but the meat of the work revolves around Drake’s Pacific adventures. Recommended.
January 23, 2019
Very insightful and well researched. It's difficult to imagine that such a voyage took place in its time, or why there is a delay in awarding Sir Drake with the discovery of the coast of Canada on behalf of his Queen, but I also feel we may be naive in thinking that our continent was not as full of life and commerce as it appears to have been long before written time. I also want to believe that Nova Albion is my beloved Vancouver Island, but I will wait for the experts to decide.
September 26, 2019
I have read a little more than 50% of the book and stopped.
I was really interesting in the around the world voyage and this book also discusses too many details (for my purpose) about politics, different versions of the facts, letters and so on.
Still, a good account about Sir Francis Drake.
I was really interesting in the around the world voyage and this book also discusses too many details (for my purpose) about politics, different versions of the facts, letters and so on.
Still, a good account about Sir Francis Drake.
October 15, 2025
Erg interessant, maar de aanpak van de auteur doet het leesplezier niet altijd ten goede.
Er wordt veel aandacht besteed aan het feit dat een heel deel van Drake's reis geheimgehouden wordt en dat deel wordt pas op het einde beschreven. Maakt het verhaal gefragmenteerd waardoor het moeilijker leest.
Er wordt veel aandacht besteed aan het feit dat een heel deel van Drake's reis geheimgehouden wordt en dat deel wordt pas op het einde beschreven. Maakt het verhaal gefragmenteerd waardoor het moeilijker leest.
April 15, 2013
Samuel Bawlf’s, “The Secret Voyage of Sir Francis Drake” is a good book but is a little dry in parts. I was initially put off by the text-book style of writing when compared with the fluid and detailed prose of explorer novelist Laurence Bergreen. But once I got into it I realized that Bawlf provides many useful summaries regarding the use of navigational instruments (the astrolabe, cross-staff) and the broader events that contextualized Drake’s travels (the Treaty of Tordesillas 1494, the Inquisition, the correlating rise in Protestantism & the loosening of Spanish claims on New World land and shipping lanes).
The book is centered on Sir Francis Drake’s secretly commissioned voyage to the New World. Prior to this commission, Elizabeth I’s government was in financial trouble relative to Spain, her primary rival. Spain was also Catholic and supported Mary Stuart for the English throne. When considering the on-going nature of this dual threat, Elizabeth eventually concluded that a Spanish end to England was inevitable if she didn’t heal England’s finances by catching up in the race to exploit New World resources. One problem was that Phillip felt he had a Pope sanctioned monopoly on all New World land West of Brazil, a treaty that would hold little weight in a Protestant England. Elizabeth knew that meddling in Spanish commerce would be viewed as an act of war but she had to try because Phillip’s power was growing and an invasion was just a matter of time.
In Elizabeth’s day monarchs facing financial strain would often regulate the use of joint-stock companies to finance New World voyages. That way, monarchs wouldn’t have to shoulder the entire risk of the venture and they could provide an incentive for private ship owners to augment the strength of their navy. Elizabeth tested these waters with Sir Francis Drake but kept the expedition secret to avoid rocking the boat. Drake was to plunder the Spanish, to find a suitable spot for English colonization, and to find the elusive Northwest Passage.
A stellar navigator, Drake appeared and disappeared with loads of plunder. When overtaking a ship, Drake’s men would go straight to the cabin to capture the pilot and their maps, but instead of doling out harsh treatment, he would dine the Captain and decide which of his crew to keep to operate the captured ships and to help steer toward established harbours and destinations. Once that was decided, anyone who wasn’t accepted was dropped off at land or in a discarded ship with the necessary provisions to live or make landfall.
Drake’s success was based largely on surprise. As such, he had to keep ahead of Spanish messengers on land as he sailed through Magellan’s Strait and up the West coast of what is now south and Central America. He also made sure to careen his ships at regular intervals to get rid of any dead weight whether it was barnacles or a slow ship, and tried to gain as much knowledge as possible about where to catch trade winds.
But the voyage was as much about exploration. Numerous detailed observations of the coasts were made especially north of the 40th parallel, which was one reason why the time of the voyage stretched beyond expectation. By the time Drake’s fleet reached southern Alaska it was decided that a contingent of men would be left behind in a smaller boat to attempt navigation of the fabled Northwest Passage whereas Drake's team would haul it back in the bigger ships, the 20,000 miles West, over the Pacific, and around the capes, to get back to England.
When Drake arrived in England he wasn’t sure whether country’s political circumstances had changed or whether he had fallen out with Elizabeth for whatever arbitrary reason. Thus, he anchored off the coast of France until he received word.
Hearing of Drake’s plunder, Elizabeth immediately reeled him in and bathed in his riches. Drake enjoyed Elizabeth’s favour but eventually wanted back out to sea to in order to time the navigation of the Northwest Passage and become known for its discovery. Elizabeth had different plans. Instead, she made Drake second in command of an English fleet designed to take on the accruing Spanish Armada. Drake’s job was to randomly attack assembling Spanish fleets in home harbours to break their battle formations and morale, but ultimately to distract the focus and resources of Phillip. Drake successfully took to the task but was upset with the Queen’s commissioning of others to carry out his New World hopes, all of which failed miserably. Drake was the King of the Seas and everyone knew it. When Drake died, all the men in the New World, regardless of nation, mourned his passing whereas the Old World celebrated.
Beyond the New World adventure, a few other themes emerged. One was that retrospect has helped redeem Drake’s accomplishments and reputation. It took more than 200 years for other explorers to successfully replicate his feats. The one drawback of this book is the length of text devoted to the politically shifting nature of maps and the part devoted to whether or not the Northwest Passage was found.
3 out of 5 stars for Bawlf!
The book is centered on Sir Francis Drake’s secretly commissioned voyage to the New World. Prior to this commission, Elizabeth I’s government was in financial trouble relative to Spain, her primary rival. Spain was also Catholic and supported Mary Stuart for the English throne. When considering the on-going nature of this dual threat, Elizabeth eventually concluded that a Spanish end to England was inevitable if she didn’t heal England’s finances by catching up in the race to exploit New World resources. One problem was that Phillip felt he had a Pope sanctioned monopoly on all New World land West of Brazil, a treaty that would hold little weight in a Protestant England. Elizabeth knew that meddling in Spanish commerce would be viewed as an act of war but she had to try because Phillip’s power was growing and an invasion was just a matter of time.
In Elizabeth’s day monarchs facing financial strain would often regulate the use of joint-stock companies to finance New World voyages. That way, monarchs wouldn’t have to shoulder the entire risk of the venture and they could provide an incentive for private ship owners to augment the strength of their navy. Elizabeth tested these waters with Sir Francis Drake but kept the expedition secret to avoid rocking the boat. Drake was to plunder the Spanish, to find a suitable spot for English colonization, and to find the elusive Northwest Passage.
A stellar navigator, Drake appeared and disappeared with loads of plunder. When overtaking a ship, Drake’s men would go straight to the cabin to capture the pilot and their maps, but instead of doling out harsh treatment, he would dine the Captain and decide which of his crew to keep to operate the captured ships and to help steer toward established harbours and destinations. Once that was decided, anyone who wasn’t accepted was dropped off at land or in a discarded ship with the necessary provisions to live or make landfall.
Drake’s success was based largely on surprise. As such, he had to keep ahead of Spanish messengers on land as he sailed through Magellan’s Strait and up the West coast of what is now south and Central America. He also made sure to careen his ships at regular intervals to get rid of any dead weight whether it was barnacles or a slow ship, and tried to gain as much knowledge as possible about where to catch trade winds.
But the voyage was as much about exploration. Numerous detailed observations of the coasts were made especially north of the 40th parallel, which was one reason why the time of the voyage stretched beyond expectation. By the time Drake’s fleet reached southern Alaska it was decided that a contingent of men would be left behind in a smaller boat to attempt navigation of the fabled Northwest Passage whereas Drake's team would haul it back in the bigger ships, the 20,000 miles West, over the Pacific, and around the capes, to get back to England.
When Drake arrived in England he wasn’t sure whether country’s political circumstances had changed or whether he had fallen out with Elizabeth for whatever arbitrary reason. Thus, he anchored off the coast of France until he received word.
Hearing of Drake’s plunder, Elizabeth immediately reeled him in and bathed in his riches. Drake enjoyed Elizabeth’s favour but eventually wanted back out to sea to in order to time the navigation of the Northwest Passage and become known for its discovery. Elizabeth had different plans. Instead, she made Drake second in command of an English fleet designed to take on the accruing Spanish Armada. Drake’s job was to randomly attack assembling Spanish fleets in home harbours to break their battle formations and morale, but ultimately to distract the focus and resources of Phillip. Drake successfully took to the task but was upset with the Queen’s commissioning of others to carry out his New World hopes, all of which failed miserably. Drake was the King of the Seas and everyone knew it. When Drake died, all the men in the New World, regardless of nation, mourned his passing whereas the Old World celebrated.
Beyond the New World adventure, a few other themes emerged. One was that retrospect has helped redeem Drake’s accomplishments and reputation. It took more than 200 years for other explorers to successfully replicate his feats. The one drawback of this book is the length of text devoted to the politically shifting nature of maps and the part devoted to whether or not the Northwest Passage was found.
3 out of 5 stars for Bawlf!
August 24, 2019
Well written,intriguing and an interesting historicanl book...well researched..wish there were more like it ..that I could find to read.
January 2, 2020
Before reading this I knew only the name of Drake.
Read
April 8, 2022Captivating
November 30, 2024
A good read theorizing that Drake explored SE AK long before it was cool.
September 14, 2016
This is a good, interesting book. For my taste it could have been better were Bawlf a better story-teller. However, all the facts are here and there is a myriad of them, often laid out with extracts from original writings and logs of people involved. Drake was perhaps the penultimate English explorer (restless beyond imagining) and his skills as navigator, sailor, leader and even politician all come to the fore in this wide-ranging tale. I found the workings of governments and nations, especially those of the seafaring and colonizing countries (England, Spain and Portugal) even more intriguing (and that's the correct word for them) than even the far-flung exploits of Sir Francis.
Boy the people in that day and age were tough and self-reliant. Well worth a read.
Boy the people in that day and age were tough and self-reliant. Well worth a read.
March 15, 2016
This is a fascinating and, to me, compelling argument about the extent of Drake’s northward exploration during the less documented portions of his voyage around the world. Bawlf combines a personal knowledge of the waters of the Northwest with what has been some obviously extensive scholarship. It’s handled very lightly in this popular version of the argument, but there are plenty of long quotations from sixteenth century sources, and Bawlf’s vision of sixteenth-century politics is in line with dominant historical accounts. Sadly, so much information from the original voyage was suppressed as a state secret and then apparently lost, that much remains in doubt. Bawlf’s crucial section is therefore conjectural (as are everyone else’s arguments about this section of the voyage). But it’s a brilliant example of arguing using a variety of sources filled with hints, half-truths, and deliberate falsification. Bawlf also combines the original sources with accounts of later explorers, shreds of archaeological evidence, anthropology, and modern cartography and climatology. Because his arguments are based on so many sources, they are convincing in general outline. It seems clear that Drake visited several locations on the coast of the Pacific Northwest. The level of specificity claimed for his course is a little suspicious, and the claim that “Nova Albion” can only represent Vancouver island is muddy. But the book also functions as an engaging narrative of Drake’s entire journey. Drake himself comes off as perhaps the most patient and kind early modern explorer you’ll ever encounter (certainly extraordinarily kind by the standards of his day). If you like to sail, you’ll also be enthralled by the amazing examples of seamanship (both authenticated and conjectural).
November 13, 2010
This is a great swashbuckling book. We all learned of how Francis Drake circumnavigated the world looting spanish ships on the way and arriving back in Elizabethan England with a ship full of treasure. What is new is the discovery that part of his mission was suppressed and the full story only recently pieced together. Part of his mission was to sail around the southern tip of S. America, navigate the Strait of Magellan and then sail up the western coast as far north as to find the western outlet of the presumed northwest passage. of course other English sailors (e.g. Frobisher) had attempted to find a NW passage from the east side. The clever part of Drake's mission was the idea that perhaps if they found the western outlet, they could navigate their back. Very bold, but, of course, fatally flawed. Nevertheless, it makes for a great story. The book is rich with the story told by maps and the subterfuge in which the Elizabethan's engaged to hide from their spanish enemies their actual intent.
I bought this book when on a trip to Vancouver and, not surprisingly, it reveals that Drake at one time landed on what is present day Vancouver. I enjoyed the book and it will be placed on the history section of my shelves, next to J.E.Neale's biography of Eliz I.
I bought this book when on a trip to Vancouver and, not surprisingly, it reveals that Drake at one time landed on what is present day Vancouver. I enjoyed the book and it will be placed on the history section of my shelves, next to J.E.Neale's biography of Eliz I.
March 13, 2021
"The Secret Voyage of Sir Francis Drake" S. Bewlf. 2003. Successful slaver, intrepid buccaneer, and famous explorer, Sir Francis Drake is with out question one of the most colorful and exciting characters in maritime history. The book's main focus is on Drake's secret exploration of the Pacific Northwest in search of the famed Northwest Passage. Artifacts from archeological digs and the oral history of Native Americans, along with scant surviving cartographic knowledge are used to piece together his journey. The author even studies the climatic history of the the area comparing it to the descriptions of surviving documents. Because Queen Elizabeth insisted on keeping his explorations clandestine, the breadth of his discoveries have remained a mystery. Although primarily conjectural, this book does an amazing job of sleuthing the many possibilities of his exploration in a very intelligent and methodical fashion. If only all historical works could be this exciting of a read!
August 30, 2014
This is a history of the voyages of Drake. After giving you the commonly known history of the man and explaining his times and the world situation to some degree his suppressed voyage details are discussed. His voyage around the world was not a secret. But the official story didn't match up the amount of time it took for the voyage. Here, the author discusses the logical explanation, Drake's time exploring the Puget Sound/Vancouver area and why his exploration of this area was suppressed. Details on maps from his time in England confirm his knowledge of the area and there is no other reasonable explanation for this. We have plenty of evidence that the Queen directed information about his voyage suppressed. Sadly, additional records have been lost or destroyed either during the civil war or when the palace at Whitehall burned.
It's very interesting thinking about what a different world it was in this time and what outsized characters (like Drake) accomplished.
It's very interesting thinking about what a different world it was in this time and what outsized characters (like Drake) accomplished.
November 14, 2014
Bawlf first tells the entrancing story of Francis Drake, a man with virtually no background who leaped into immense wealth and influence via his voyages into the Spanish maritime empire. According to Bawlf, the various fragments of information left by Drake after he English spy-masters had stolen and hidden almost everything reveal that he discovered British Columbia and the "north-west passage" route back to England. This discovery held enormous import for the British elite, who ached to dismantle the haughty Spanish empire and replace it with their own. We know now that they succeeded, although the north-west passage played no part: it did not exist. Nevertheless, Bawlf tells a fascinating story of 16th-century detective work, rifling around in the ancient maps and extracting from them Drake's hidden episode that only makes a greater man of him. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, which leaves the detective work until the end for real adherents.
August 24, 2007
Growing up in the SF Bay Area, I was told (taught?) that Sir Francis Drake "discovered" the bay and left a plaque. So I was suprised to read in this book that um, he didn't ever go to SF. Go figure!
I mean, I was genuinely suprised when I got to the end of the book and figured that he wasn't heading towards SF. I guess that story was proven false about twenty years ago, but I never heard different.
So that was cool.
Otherwise, the book is capable, but hardly imparts the um, flavor of what a 16th century sea voyage must have been like. His prose is decent enough, but it doesn't sparkle.
There is over ample coverage of the high politics of the period (understandable, since Drake figured prominently in many inter govenmental shenanigans).
I mean, I was genuinely suprised when I got to the end of the book and figured that he wasn't heading towards SF. I guess that story was proven false about twenty years ago, but I never heard different.
So that was cool.
Otherwise, the book is capable, but hardly imparts the um, flavor of what a 16th century sea voyage must have been like. His prose is decent enough, but it doesn't sparkle.
There is over ample coverage of the high politics of the period (understandable, since Drake figured prominently in many inter govenmental shenanigans).
May 2, 2010
Wow! My son lent me this book and said he thought I'd like it. Boy was he right. Drake is another one of those characters from history I've always been fascinated about. His voyage around the world and his defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 were events that reshaped the history of the world over 400 years ago. (Incidentally, I've always been fascinated with round-the-world voyages for some reason and once read a book written by Francis Chichester which I think was called the Gypsy Moth about his solo circumnavigation of the globe in the 1960's). To top things off the author puts forth a convincing argument that Drake secretly explored the coast of British Columbia and Alaska in 1577, nearly 200 years before Captain Cook. Read it! It's terrific.
August 29, 2012
Kaasahaarav kirjeldus ühest oma aja kuulsaimast maadeavastajast, seiklejast, piraadist. Raamat põhineb tõsielusündmustel, nii hästi-halvasti kui neid on tänapäeval võimalik rekonstrueerida, aga omab ka ilukirjanduslikku väärtust. Hea katkend ajastust, mil meie planeedil oli veel midagi tõepoolest avastada ning seikused ei olnud kaugeltki mitte turvalised; kui seadused kehtisid ainult nii kaugele kui neid oli võimalik viia ning sellest edasi oli oportunistlike, tihti tugevama õigust kehtestavate, aga samas ka põhimõttekindlate meeste pärusmaa.
February 8, 2008
If you're looking for a definitive biography of Sir Francis Drake, this isn't it. But if you're already a big fan and looking for some more details on one of his most famous and, I must say, intriguing voyages, then this is the right book for you. I may be the only person to fit that bill, but I must say that it is really interesting and the research and speculation are all well grounded, which makes for a great read.
December 9, 2011
Annotated. Provides a good biographical sketch of Drake while focusing on the period of time during the 1580's-1590's, and particularly the Northwest pacific aspects of his round the world voyage in 1577-80. The book is written in a narrative style. It provides convincing support for its conclusions and arguments. The handling and use of small boats such as pinnances is given a great deal of credit in the physical undertaking of an expedition.
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