Sir Walter Raleigh (An Adventure From History) (A Ladybird Book Series 561) by L.Du Garde Peach

by L. Du Garde Peach

Genres: History, Childrens

Hardcover

First published January 31, 1957

About the author

Lawrence du Garde Peach was an English author and writer of plays for radio, stage and screen. Today he may be best remembered as the author of over 30 books for Ladybird's Adventure from History series of nonfiction children's books, published from 1957 until his death, which was the largest series Ladybird ever produced, and remained in print until 1986.

Reviews

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ladybird history books are social history at it's best, from; I would estimate ages 8 to 14 for school use of simply to enjoy. They bring history alive for children, and are filled with fascinating information. As well as bringing alive an animated, exciting past, they also show how events of the past, are with us today, in so many fascinating ways.
This is the true story, very simply and vividly told of one of the great personalities, who lived during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
The Defeat of the Spanish Armada is one of the highlights of the story. It also tells of the exploits of Sir Walter Raleigh during this time, really bringing this period alive.
L Du Garde Peach is written by L Du Garde Peach. with great illustrations by John Kenney. It was first published in 1957.

[Manny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sir Walter Raleigh struck his son at a grand dinner for telling the story of a whore who refused to service the son on the grounds that she had lain with his father not an hour before. Some vestigial feeling of filial duty prevented his hitting his father back, and so the son struck an innocent bystander instead, crying: "Box about, 'twill come to my father anon!"

I found this story just now in Ken Binmore's Natural Justice. It does not appear in The Ladybird Book of Sir Walter Raleigh.

[Judith Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another collaboration between L du Garde Peach and John Kenney, with some fascinating detail, though obviously condensed and no mention of Raleigh's end at the hands of the executioner... I only recalled, from my childhood, the story of him laying the cloak over the puddle, and that he had bought potatoes and tobacco to the British Isles. As I said to my husband (whose childhood Ladybird book this was), our adult son probably learnt even less when he was at school. I was prompted by this to go and look Sir Walter's life up in my trusty Chambers Biographical Dictionary (discarded library copy pubd 1969) - so much nicer during bedtime reading than googling!

I love Kenney's work - so vividly full of movement and expression. I found the picture of Raleigh being carried off the beach, wounded, quite moving, particularly having read (on google, I confess!) that Kenney was on active service in WW2, and took part in the D-Day landings in Normandy.

Lastly, was amused that Peach, also a playwright, popped in a whole page about Shakespeare that didn't directly relate to the rest of the story!

[H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Through English history a great man. He was a keen explorer and sailor who rose to fame for many reasons. One of them was for “stopping and capturing Spanish treasure ships”

History books are mostly written by the winners of conflicts…

[Andrew Ives · Rating 5 out of 5]

(My 1957 copy has the dustjacket missing, and so the cover shows a different illustration of the same 'cloak over a puddle' incident.) As is usual with Ladybird books from this era, and especially those by Du Garde Peach, this one is quite brilliantly written in such a concise and accessible way that Raleigh's life story unfolds rapidly and with some excitement. Necessarily, there is some overlap with the life stories of Sir Francis Drake and Elizabeth I, but the Shakespeare page was strangely thrown in for no particular reason, albeit additional education, yet the Mayflower and Gunpowder Plot wasn't mentioned even in passing. The true ending to Raleigh's life was somewhat skipped over, which is understandable in a children's book, although what is presented instead is almost a lie. The illustrations, as always, are full-page, well-painted, often dynamic and atmospheric. 4.75/5

[Catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Strange that the author doesn't relate how Raleigh died by execution. Leaves him living comfortably in the Tower of London. Did he think that execution wasn't a suitable topic for a children's book? Or did he prefer to leave our hero alive?