What do you think?
Rate this book
In Search of a Kingdom: Francis Drake, Elizabeth I, and the Perilous Birth of the British Empire
In this grand and thrilling narrative, the acclaimed biographer of Magellan and Columbus 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
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.
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.
464 pages, Hardcover
First published March 16, 2021
314 people are currently reading
3999 people want to read
About the author
Laurence Bergreen
19 books321 followersLaurence Bergreen is an award-winning biographer, historian, and chronicler of exploration. His books have been translated into over 20 languages worldwide. In October 2007, Alfred A. Knopf published Marco Polo: From Venice to Xanadu, a groundbreaking biography of the iconic traveler. Warner Brothers is developing a feature film based on this book starring Matt Damon and written by William Monahan, who won an Oscar for “The Departed.”
His previous work, Over the Edge of the World: Magellan’s Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe, was published to international acclaim by William Morrow/HarperCollins in October 2003. A New York Times “Notable Book” for 2003, it is also in development as a motion picture and is now in its tenth printing.
In addition, Bergreen is the author of Voyage to Mars: NASA’s Search for Life Beyond Earth, a narrative of NASA’s exploration of Mars, published in November 2000 by Penguin Putnam. Dramatic rights were acquired by TNT.
In 1997, Bantam Doubleday Dell published Louis Armstrong: An Extravagant Life, a comprehensive biography drawing on unpublished manuscripts and exclusive interviews with Armstrong colleagues and friends. It appeared on many “Best Books of 1997” lists, including those of the San Francisco Chronicle, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and Publishers Weekly, and has been published in Germany, Finland, and Great Britain. In 1994, Simon & Schuster published his Capone: The Man and the Era. A Book-of-the-Month Club selection, it has been published in numerous foreign languages, was optioned by Miramax, and was a New York Times “Notable Book.”
His biography, As Thousands Cheer: The Life of Irving Berlin, appeared in 1990. This book won the Ralph J. Gleason Music Book Award and the ASCAP-Deems Taylor award and received front-page reviews in major American and British newspapers and appeared on bestseller lists; it was also a New York Times “Notable Book” for 1990. His previous biography, James Agee: A Life, was also critically acclaimed and was a New York Times “Notable Book” for 1984. His first book was Look Now, Pay Later: The Rise of Network Broadcasting, published by Doubleday in 1980.
He has written for many national publications including Esquire, Newsweek, TV Guide, Details, Prologue, The Chicago Tribune, and Military History Quarterly. He has taught at the New School for Social Research and served as Assistant to the President of the Museum of Television and Radio in New York. In 1995, he served as a judge for the National Book Awards and in 1991 as a judge for the PEN/Albrand Nonfiction Award. A frequent lecturer at major universities and symposiums, he also serves as a Featured Historian for the History Channel.
Mr. Bergreen graduated from Harvard University in 1972. He is a member of PEN American Center, The Explorers Club, the Authors Guild, and the board of the New York Society Library. He lives in New York City and is represented by Suzanne Gluck of the William Morris Agency.
His previous work, Over the Edge of the World: Magellan’s Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe, was published to international acclaim by William Morrow/HarperCollins in October 2003. A New York Times “Notable Book” for 2003, it is also in development as a motion picture and is now in its tenth printing.
In addition, Bergreen is the author of Voyage to Mars: NASA’s Search for Life Beyond Earth, a narrative of NASA’s exploration of Mars, published in November 2000 by Penguin Putnam. Dramatic rights were acquired by TNT.
In 1997, Bantam Doubleday Dell published Louis Armstrong: An Extravagant Life, a comprehensive biography drawing on unpublished manuscripts and exclusive interviews with Armstrong colleagues and friends. It appeared on many “Best Books of 1997” lists, including those of the San Francisco Chronicle, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and Publishers Weekly, and has been published in Germany, Finland, and Great Britain. In 1994, Simon & Schuster published his Capone: The Man and the Era. A Book-of-the-Month Club selection, it has been published in numerous foreign languages, was optioned by Miramax, and was a New York Times “Notable Book.”
His biography, As Thousands Cheer: The Life of Irving Berlin, appeared in 1990. This book won the Ralph J. Gleason Music Book Award and the ASCAP-Deems Taylor award and received front-page reviews in major American and British newspapers and appeared on bestseller lists; it was also a New York Times “Notable Book” for 1990. His previous biography, James Agee: A Life, was also critically acclaimed and was a New York Times “Notable Book” for 1984. His first book was Look Now, Pay Later: The Rise of Network Broadcasting, published by Doubleday in 1980.
He has written for many national publications including Esquire, Newsweek, TV Guide, Details, Prologue, The Chicago Tribune, and Military History Quarterly. He has taught at the New School for Social Research and served as Assistant to the President of the Museum of Television and Radio in New York. In 1995, he served as a judge for the National Book Awards and in 1991 as a judge for the PEN/Albrand Nonfiction Award. A frequent lecturer at major universities and symposiums, he also serves as a Featured Historian for the History Channel.
Mr. Bergreen graduated from Harvard University in 1972. He is a member of PEN American Center, The Explorers Club, the Authors Guild, and the board of the New York Society Library. He lives in New York City and is represented by Suzanne Gluck of the William Morris Agency.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 218 reviews
March 31, 2021
Long, tiresome, and with a remarkable talent for repeating itself, this book takes an interesting time in the creation of the British Empire and turns it into a slog.
The worst of it is the repetitiveness. The amount of times that the same phrase or sentence is used is massive, oftentimes with it being repeated on the same page or even the same paragraph. There are even times where the same quote is used 3 or 4 times in a chapter!
Another problem is the amount of bouncing in between locations and sometimes even times. While it is often hard to give history context in a linear fashion, Bergreen likes to move around between Francis Drake in the Pacific, Elizabeth in England, and Phillip in Spain, often with no transition or tying bond between the two events. While the key elements of the story are all there, the order keeps it from being a captive narrative.
I’ve heard people say good things about the author’s other books, but this one made me truly skeptical in trying them out.
The worst of it is the repetitiveness. The amount of times that the same phrase or sentence is used is massive, oftentimes with it being repeated on the same page or even the same paragraph. There are even times where the same quote is used 3 or 4 times in a chapter!
Another problem is the amount of bouncing in between locations and sometimes even times. While it is often hard to give history context in a linear fashion, Bergreen likes to move around between Francis Drake in the Pacific, Elizabeth in England, and Phillip in Spain, often with no transition or tying bond between the two events. While the key elements of the story are all there, the order keeps it from being a captive narrative.
I’ve heard people say good things about the author’s other books, but this one made me truly skeptical in trying them out.
March 27, 2024
I have been to the southern part of the world, farther south than anyone of you, ye or any man yet known
In the year of our Lord 1577, Francis Drake embarked from Plymouth with a small fleet of five ships and a crew of 160 men, driven by a daring ambition to uncover new trade routes and seize the riches of the Spanish Empire. With the tacit support of Queen Elizabeth I, Drake explored the coasts of South and Central America, launching surprise attacks on unsuspecting Spanish settlements and vessels, and navigated the straits of Magellean to reach distant lands like Tahiti and New Guinea, ultimately venturing as far as the Philippines and Indonesia. Having circumnavigated the globe, Drake brought back an astonishing bounty of precious metals, spices, and jewels. His historic feat marked him as the first Englishman and only the second person in history to circumnavigate the globe, earning him the accolades of knighthood from Queen Elizabeth I and a generous share of the spoils.
The exact net worth of the loot acquired by Drake is not known, but it was estimated to be about 400,000 pounds in 1580, which would be equivalent to about 88 million pounds or 120 million dollars today. The loot was enough to pay off the entire national debt of England at the time and still leave a surplus for the queen and the crew. It was also more than the annual income of the Spanish crown from its American colonies.
In "In Search of a Kingdom," Laurence Bergreen recounts Drake's epic voyage within the broader context of the fierce rivalry between Elizabeth I and King Philip II of Spain, drawing from a range of sources including the colorful accounts of Bernardino de Mendoza, Spain's ambassador (and spy) to London and a keen observer of Drake's exploits. Mendoza's narrative offers an often comical attempt of Mendoza to unravel the mysteries of Drake's activities.
The book also relies heavily on Drake's own writings, providing a glimpse into the 16th-century perspective on encounters with indigenous peoples and the complexities of their interactions with the Spanish colonizers. Bergreen quotes Drake verbatim, so the use of Old English may seem archaic to modern readers and even gets frustrating as the book progresses.
Bergreen contends that Drake's success marked the beginning of England's ascendancy on the world stage, though some may debate the extent of its impact. Yet there is no denying the profound humiliation inflicted upon Spain, as Drake not only outmaneuvered his rivals but also brazenly seized their wealth in a daring display of global piracy.
"In Search of a Kingdom" offers a colourful account of one of history's early global adventurers, capturing the spirit of exploration and conquest that shaped the course of nations.
In the year of our Lord 1577, Francis Drake embarked from Plymouth with a small fleet of five ships and a crew of 160 men, driven by a daring ambition to uncover new trade routes and seize the riches of the Spanish Empire. With the tacit support of Queen Elizabeth I, Drake explored the coasts of South and Central America, launching surprise attacks on unsuspecting Spanish settlements and vessels, and navigated the straits of Magellean to reach distant lands like Tahiti and New Guinea, ultimately venturing as far as the Philippines and Indonesia. Having circumnavigated the globe, Drake brought back an astonishing bounty of precious metals, spices, and jewels. His historic feat marked him as the first Englishman and only the second person in history to circumnavigate the globe, earning him the accolades of knighthood from Queen Elizabeth I and a generous share of the spoils.
The exact net worth of the loot acquired by Drake is not known, but it was estimated to be about 400,000 pounds in 1580, which would be equivalent to about 88 million pounds or 120 million dollars today. The loot was enough to pay off the entire national debt of England at the time and still leave a surplus for the queen and the crew. It was also more than the annual income of the Spanish crown from its American colonies.
In "In Search of a Kingdom," Laurence Bergreen recounts Drake's epic voyage within the broader context of the fierce rivalry between Elizabeth I and King Philip II of Spain, drawing from a range of sources including the colorful accounts of Bernardino de Mendoza, Spain's ambassador (and spy) to London and a keen observer of Drake's exploits. Mendoza's narrative offers an often comical attempt of Mendoza to unravel the mysteries of Drake's activities.
The book also relies heavily on Drake's own writings, providing a glimpse into the 16th-century perspective on encounters with indigenous peoples and the complexities of their interactions with the Spanish colonizers. Bergreen quotes Drake verbatim, so the use of Old English may seem archaic to modern readers and even gets frustrating as the book progresses.
Bergreen contends that Drake's success marked the beginning of England's ascendancy on the world stage, though some may debate the extent of its impact. Yet there is no denying the profound humiliation inflicted upon Spain, as Drake not only outmaneuvered his rivals but also brazenly seized their wealth in a daring display of global piracy.
"In Search of a Kingdom" offers a colourful account of one of history's early global adventurers, capturing the spirit of exploration and conquest that shaped the course of nations.
April 10, 2021
Two things first off:
1) I loved “Over the Edge of the World.” Excellent book that I couldn’t put down 2) I read this book as an ARC.
I certainly hope the final book was throughly edited before publication, because the ARC was riddled with typos, word processing mistakes and was repetitive to the point of comedy at times. Some of the anecdotes are told four times!
The author relies far too heavily on lengthy quotations. Some are a page and a half long in Elizabethan English. Paraphrase some of that stuff, my man.
The text is extremely disorganized especially the second half. The story of the Armada confused me and I’ve taught classes on it.
Some pretty mundane things are examined in great detail while extremely important moments are just glossed over. For example, Drake’s controversial actions the night of the Armada battle are dealt with in two sentences and brushed aside. Ahh, hey, he abandoned the plan, caused the scattering of his squadron and went off on personal pillaging. Kinda needs some kind of attempt at an explanation.
Not a recommend for the serious student of the age. A beginner could benefit from the bibliography.
1) I loved “Over the Edge of the World.” Excellent book that I couldn’t put down 2) I read this book as an ARC.
I certainly hope the final book was throughly edited before publication, because the ARC was riddled with typos, word processing mistakes and was repetitive to the point of comedy at times. Some of the anecdotes are told four times!
The author relies far too heavily on lengthy quotations. Some are a page and a half long in Elizabethan English. Paraphrase some of that stuff, my man.
The text is extremely disorganized especially the second half. The story of the Armada confused me and I’ve taught classes on it.
Some pretty mundane things are examined in great detail while extremely important moments are just glossed over. For example, Drake’s controversial actions the night of the Armada battle are dealt with in two sentences and brushed aside. Ahh, hey, he abandoned the plan, caused the scattering of his squadron and went off on personal pillaging. Kinda needs some kind of attempt at an explanation.
Not a recommend for the serious student of the age. A beginner could benefit from the bibliography.
January 13, 2021
Fascinating, and eminently readable: you can get caught in the web of Drake's piracy, circumnavigation, and the defeat of the Spanish Armada.
I had read Bergreen's biography of Marco Polo for a modern audience, and enjoyed this in a similar spirit.
Highly recommended.
I had read Bergreen's biography of Marco Polo for a modern audience, and enjoyed this in a similar spirit.
Highly recommended.
August 27, 2023
This isn’t the Sir Francis Drake story I learned when growing up. I was taught that he sailed around the world and defeated the “invincible” Spanish Armada in 1588 with the aid of the “Protestant Wind” setting the stage for the development of the British Empire.
It turns out that Drake wasn’t really a military leader at all—he was a highly skilled sailor, and well, pirate. He had a bit of a grudge against Catholic Spain—which along with Portugal essentially ruled the seas during the 1500s—and set out with Queen Elizabeth’s permission to sail around the world and attack any Spanish ships he encountered, stealing anything of value. So this was basically a state-sanctioned pirate mission. It turned out to be quite successful and therefore lucrative for Elizabeth’s rather impoverished country, and also for Drake personally.
It’s a cracking good story—covering Drake’s adventurous circumnavigation of the globe, his many encounters with previously unknown and exotic peoples, the daring raid on the the Spanish port of Cádiz, and his signal role in the world-altering English defeat of the Spanish Armada. Bergreen skillfully explains the historical import of these events, providing the political background needed to fully appreciate the tensions between Queen Elizabeth’s up-and-coming Protestant England and Philip’s powerful Spanish world empire.
Overall it’s a great story, but sometimes the writing gets somewhat choppy and repetitive. It feels like the final third of the book was slapped together in a final rush and would have benefited from further polishing. Nevertheless, it’s still a very enjoyable and educational read. His wonderful book about Magellan’s voyage, Over the Edge of the World was even better.
Thank you Keaton for the great gift!
Here are a couple of interesting passages:
“The defeat of the Spanish Armada marked a new phase in naval tactics. Smaller and more maneuverable, the English ships were better able to manage the weather. They could fire from windward, directly at the enemy's hull and rudder. English cannon made it possible to mutilate the enemy's vessels without putting men at risk by boarding. In addition, Spain's unwieldy tactics depended on coordinating the invasion fleet with Spanish soldiers on land. Bringing all these elements into alignment slowed the Spanish response and gave the advantage to English ships and cannon, despite England's smaller fleets. Of necessity, the English had transformed the technology and tactics of naval warfare.”
[p 353]
“Drake had always been a maverick throughout his career at sea, attacking whenever, wherever, and whomever he pleased, and despite his loyalty to the queen, keeping for himself whatever he wanted. Drake's apparent dereliction of duty was not as serious as it seemed, even though his peers expressed disapproval. Drake had always been the initiator, a rogue pirate, and so he remained. More important, the geopolitical movement that started with his circumnavigation had become a cause célèbre for England, an introduction to an empire to rival and ultimately overtake Spain's. Drake's contribution to the cause of a British Empire came together as a happy accident. His circumnavigation was simply the raid to end all raids on the Spanish rather than a grand geopolitical statement, although it came to seem that way in retrospect.”
[p 380]
It turns out that Drake wasn’t really a military leader at all—he was a highly skilled sailor, and well, pirate. He had a bit of a grudge against Catholic Spain—which along with Portugal essentially ruled the seas during the 1500s—and set out with Queen Elizabeth’s permission to sail around the world and attack any Spanish ships he encountered, stealing anything of value. So this was basically a state-sanctioned pirate mission. It turned out to be quite successful and therefore lucrative for Elizabeth’s rather impoverished country, and also for Drake personally.
It’s a cracking good story—covering Drake’s adventurous circumnavigation of the globe, his many encounters with previously unknown and exotic peoples, the daring raid on the the Spanish port of Cádiz, and his signal role in the world-altering English defeat of the Spanish Armada. Bergreen skillfully explains the historical import of these events, providing the political background needed to fully appreciate the tensions between Queen Elizabeth’s up-and-coming Protestant England and Philip’s powerful Spanish world empire.
Overall it’s a great story, but sometimes the writing gets somewhat choppy and repetitive. It feels like the final third of the book was slapped together in a final rush and would have benefited from further polishing. Nevertheless, it’s still a very enjoyable and educational read. His wonderful book about Magellan’s voyage, Over the Edge of the World was even better.
Thank you Keaton for the great gift!
Here are a couple of interesting passages:
“The defeat of the Spanish Armada marked a new phase in naval tactics. Smaller and more maneuverable, the English ships were better able to manage the weather. They could fire from windward, directly at the enemy's hull and rudder. English cannon made it possible to mutilate the enemy's vessels without putting men at risk by boarding. In addition, Spain's unwieldy tactics depended on coordinating the invasion fleet with Spanish soldiers on land. Bringing all these elements into alignment slowed the Spanish response and gave the advantage to English ships and cannon, despite England's smaller fleets. Of necessity, the English had transformed the technology and tactics of naval warfare.”
[p 353]
“Drake had always been a maverick throughout his career at sea, attacking whenever, wherever, and whomever he pleased, and despite his loyalty to the queen, keeping for himself whatever he wanted. Drake's apparent dereliction of duty was not as serious as it seemed, even though his peers expressed disapproval. Drake had always been the initiator, a rogue pirate, and so he remained. More important, the geopolitical movement that started with his circumnavigation had become a cause célèbre for England, an introduction to an empire to rival and ultimately overtake Spain's. Drake's contribution to the cause of a British Empire came together as a happy accident. His circumnavigation was simply the raid to end all raids on the Spanish rather than a grand geopolitical statement, although it came to seem that way in retrospect.”
[p 380]
July 21, 2023
Laurence Bergreen provides something close to a dual biography in this volume, detailing the adult life of Francis Drake, as well as the corresponding time period in the life of Elizabeth I. Drake is presented as decisive, adventurous, and willing to take risks. These qualities, along with his navigational skills and greed, made him an excellent pirate. Elizabeth comes off as indecisive and flighty, while trying to run England on a shoestring budget. Fortunately, Drake appeared at the right time to fill Elizabeth's treasury with pilfered Spanish treasure, which not only rendered the country solvent, but provided the seed money that would, within two and a half centuries, make Great Britain the world's leading economy. Lest you think Bergreen is being hyperbolic in crediting Drake with putting Britain on the path to economic ascendancy, he quotes no less an authority than John Maynard Keynes on this matter.
As any viewer of British television shows on PBS knows, the hereditary English nobility has a sense of entitlement that makes the movie stars and professional athletes of egalitarian America appear as vales of humility in comparison. Apparently it was even worse in the late 16th century and Drake, who was not born with the Sir in front of his name, felt its impact. His naval contemporaries of superior birth found Drake insufferable because of his lowly origins and his professional competence. It was only Elizabeth who, realizing the extent to which her throne was supported by Drake's contribution of stolen valuables, kept Drake safe from the schemes of noble contemporaries to put him in his place.
This story is presented more or less chronologically, but there are digressions and clarifications that at times make you check the previous pages to find out exactly where you are.
As any viewer of British television shows on PBS knows, the hereditary English nobility has a sense of entitlement that makes the movie stars and professional athletes of egalitarian America appear as vales of humility in comparison. Apparently it was even worse in the late 16th century and Drake, who was not born with the Sir in front of his name, felt its impact. His naval contemporaries of superior birth found Drake insufferable because of his lowly origins and his professional competence. It was only Elizabeth who, realizing the extent to which her throne was supported by Drake's contribution of stolen valuables, kept Drake safe from the schemes of noble contemporaries to put him in his place.
This story is presented more or less chronologically, but there are digressions and clarifications that at times make you check the previous pages to find out exactly where you are.
April 5, 2021
I had high hopes for this book, but I found it tedious and repetitious, with occasional bursts of really great writing. There was a chance to do some really great stuff here but Bergreen failed to follow through.
More 2.5 stars than 3. Full review to come.
More 2.5 stars than 3. Full review to come.
July 25, 2022
Wonderful Book
I only knew a shallow version of this story and am so happy to know a lot more detail. It’s so interesting and I didn’t realize how financially unstable England was under Queen Elizabeth I. It was Francis Drake as a pirate who enriched England and created the concept that England could be an important empire. So amazing.
I only knew a shallow version of this story and am so happy to know a lot more detail. It’s so interesting and I didn’t realize how financially unstable England was under Queen Elizabeth I. It was Francis Drake as a pirate who enriched England and created the concept that England could be an important empire. So amazing.
October 4, 2021
I was a bit embarrassed that I didn't know (or had forgotten) that Francis Drake was the first man to circumnavigate the globe (Magellan got killed in a petty spat, as you might know). For some reason I had associated him more with the Spanish Armada and Elizabethan court intrigues. But in strikingly clear and well-informed prose, Bergreen lays out the journey in all its glory (and there was plenty, as Drake had the uncanny ability to pick his spots and come out smelling sweet). Some of this stuff had to inspire Patrick O'Brian and his novels!
It's hard not to like Sir Francis Drake, though some revisionist historians have certainly tried. His feats were real, and truly had a deep impact on world history. The leg up that he gave England vis a vis Spain was real, and lasting. Think of how the globe would look today if that weren't so! And Bergreen's is some of the freshest historical writing I have read in a while. Looking at his oeuvre, I see that he has written a lot, on a wide variety of topics. He at times falls prey to chronological snobbery. At point he mentions how "people still believed in the devil back then," in my own words. Uhh, take a survey today, buddy--I guarantee more than 50% of people still do. Nevertheless, great stuff here.
It's hard not to like Sir Francis Drake, though some revisionist historians have certainly tried. His feats were real, and truly had a deep impact on world history. The leg up that he gave England vis a vis Spain was real, and lasting. Think of how the globe would look today if that weren't so! And Bergreen's is some of the freshest historical writing I have read in a while. Looking at his oeuvre, I see that he has written a lot, on a wide variety of topics. He at times falls prey to chronological snobbery. At point he mentions how "people still believed in the devil back then," in my own words. Uhh, take a survey today, buddy--I guarantee more than 50% of people still do. Nevertheless, great stuff here.
May 28, 2021
Large sections of this book are horribly written, basically just quotations from journals slapped together with little context or explanation. The result is tedious, repetitious and confusing. Altogether a lame effort by the author, his editor and the publisher. Even the New York Times dropped the ball with its gushing review. Seems like they reviewed the idea behind the book without actually reading it. And the idea was good, it's just that the execution was terrible for the most part.
November 25, 2022
Investors in the voyage got a 47x return. Disrupted the Spanish empire model. First unicorn.
July 27, 2021
While one searches in vain for a likable personality in the tale of Sir Francis Drake and his exploits, they surely make for a fascinating topic. Unfortunately, the author rather squandered some of the potential of his interesting material by rendering it into an unnecessarily longwinded, often repetitive account containing entirely too many lengthy quotations that could (and should) have been condensed into shorter summaries in order to avoid boring the reader half to death.
January 31, 2021
I won this book in the giveaway. I am a huge fan of historical fiction and was excited to get a chance to read In Search of a Kingdom. Laurence Bergreen is a fantastic writer that will pull any interested reader deeper into the story than they would have believed possible.
March 27, 2024
I learned so much about this era of history. In spite of Drake being a pirate and a very successful one at that, I really started liking the guy’s better qualities. Also gave quite a bit of insight into Queen Elizabeth I, who was never married.
There was an exciting chapter on the battle with the Spanish Armada and the England’s war ships, which were smaller, faster and more maneuverable. But most of the battle was due to the weather which destroyed the Armada.
There was an exciting chapter on the battle with the Spanish Armada and the England’s war ships, which were smaller, faster and more maneuverable. But most of the battle was due to the weather which destroyed the Armada.
January 20, 2023
Did not finish. I love these characters and this era, but Bergreen tries to cover way too much ground, and has no feeling for language or for the personalities of the people involved. Next!
May 21, 2023
The only thing that kept me going is wanting more information than a Wikipedia page on Drake and Elizabeth. I think I've been spoiled by the likes of Barbara Tuchman who is by far a better writer and storyteller. Utterly run-of-the-mill and unexceptional, laden with overuses of direct quotes that ran on for way too long. It seemed like half the book is just quotes followed by his take on them. Every layman's history book is going to be opinionated but this one is just laughable and stopped me from taking him seriously. Painfully obvious anglophile who tried poorly but doggedly to portray Spain as Nazi Germany or the Empire from Star Wars. Of course England is portrayed as a forward thinking, progressive, righteous exemplar as a direct opposite to the Spanish empire. The rebel alliance and Francis Drake a mixture of Luke and Han Solo. Indeed there were countless atrocities and genocides perpetrated by Spain under Phillip II's rule. However to say Elizabeth, England, and Drake didn't do arguably the same and in some regards worse is juvenile and ridiculous in the extreme bordering on a complex, perhaps he seems himself as a descendant of the great legacy that Drake and Britain left since I assume Bergreen is an English name. Another thing is his backtracking and crapping on the protagonist of his last book, Magellan, and taking every opportunity to show how in his opinion Drake is superior in every way, especially morally. Basically written by a clear England and Drake fanboy who conveniently downplays the evils of his heroes and exaggerates those of their enemies. FYI England had slaves and slave trade long before AND after Drake, they continued to commit genocide, rape, murder etc for hundreds of years after all over the world. Indian Raj, Afghanistan, Egypt, Sudan, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, etc etc etc
August 27, 2021
In Search of a Kingdom takes interesting subject matter and beats it to a pulp. Honestly I feel the book deserves two stars, but the content is so interesting that I bore through it.
I sincerely think that there was no editor for this book. Paragraphs seem jumbled and disjointed; as if the author wrote all of them independently and then placed them in approximate order. The author explains things over and over again that they just mentioned three pages ago, and they make far too much use of quotes from historical figure's journals/letters.
Don't get me wrong, quotes are fantastic to give a glimpse into a figure's mind. But reading pages and pages of Elizabethan era english gets really old really fast, since they, like the author, tend to repeat themselves ad infinitum
I sincerely think that there was no editor for this book. Paragraphs seem jumbled and disjointed; as if the author wrote all of them independently and then placed them in approximate order. The author explains things over and over again that they just mentioned three pages ago, and they make far too much use of quotes from historical figure's journals/letters.
Don't get me wrong, quotes are fantastic to give a glimpse into a figure's mind. But reading pages and pages of Elizabethan era english gets really old really fast, since they, like the author, tend to repeat themselves ad infinitum
March 1, 2021
History at his best.
This is not only the amazing story of Francis Drake but also the story of how Queen Elizabeth I, “illegitimate” child of Henry VIII, steered impoverished England out of the claws of France and Spain and founded a new world empire.
Very interesting and “easy” read.
This is not only the amazing story of Francis Drake but also the story of how Queen Elizabeth I, “illegitimate” child of Henry VIII, steered impoverished England out of the claws of France and Spain and founded a new world empire.
Very interesting and “easy” read.
May 5, 2025
Read this book for the information rather than the prose, so going to refrain from commenting on the writing (lacklustre). I was told that this was a biased perspective but didn’t put much stock into it until it started getting a bit detached from reality, i.e…
“as a colonial ruler, Spain was known for cruelty and exploration rather than brilliance or innovation. A British empire would be considered the lesser of two evils…the English visitors would form partnerships w locals rather than indulging in outright confiscation. It would be an open system rather than closed”
Like look, I’m pro-British empire, but let’s just be for real here. Drake was a saviour yet a pirate, Elizabeth an icon but a heretic, Phillip a leader but a hermit. History is written by the victors, but every man’s victor is another man’s villain. England stole from Spain, who stole from the natives, who stole from each other, and on it goes.
Two stars because if you’re not going to write well, at least present a good intellectual debate to ponder. Only win out of this, the waiter at the cafe I frequent to read has taken a vested interest in my book choices, and now brings me “my regular” (chai tea and a freshly baked cookie).
Terrible follow up to my last book. Retelling of the Spanish Armada wasn’t even exciting. Guess you can’t win em all though…
“as a colonial ruler, Spain was known for cruelty and exploration rather than brilliance or innovation. A British empire would be considered the lesser of two evils…the English visitors would form partnerships w locals rather than indulging in outright confiscation. It would be an open system rather than closed”
Like look, I’m pro-British empire, but let’s just be for real here. Drake was a saviour yet a pirate, Elizabeth an icon but a heretic, Phillip a leader but a hermit. History is written by the victors, but every man’s victor is another man’s villain. England stole from Spain, who stole from the natives, who stole from each other, and on it goes.
Two stars because if you’re not going to write well, at least present a good intellectual debate to ponder. Only win out of this, the waiter at the cafe I frequent to read has taken a vested interest in my book choices, and now brings me “my regular” (chai tea and a freshly baked cookie).
Terrible follow up to my last book. Retelling of the Spanish Armada wasn’t even exciting. Guess you can’t win em all though…
December 2, 2022
It never ceases to amaze me that anyone could be brave enough to go on one of these early voyages of discovery. In Drake's circumnavigation of the world his men died from disease, shipwreck, fighting with the Spanish, fighting with the Portuguese, and fighting with South American natives. Two were cut apart, piece by piece, while they were still alive, and eaten. One had his head chopped off for mutiny. And yet, as Bergreen makes clear, Drake's voyage went far, far better than Magellan's had (and Bergreen should know since he wrote an excellent book about Magellan).
This book is an adventure story, most of it covering Drake's voyage around the world, the strange new sights he saw on that voyage, and all the Spanish treasure he stole with such skill and intrepid audacity. It also covers Drake's raid on Cadiz and his efforts against the Armada. It's a fun action-adventure type of history book. I enjoyed it.
This book is an adventure story, most of it covering Drake's voyage around the world, the strange new sights he saw on that voyage, and all the Spanish treasure he stole with such skill and intrepid audacity. It also covers Drake's raid on Cadiz and his efforts against the Armada. It's a fun action-adventure type of history book. I enjoyed it.
August 31, 2021
Every child who grew up as I did in the San Francisco Bay Area knows something about Sir Francis Drake and the Golden Hind, if only that he sailed that ship from Europe to our part of the world and left a plaque commemorating his visit. I thoroughly enjoyed getting the "rest of the story" from Laurence Bergreen's superlative history of the imposing pirate and daring sea captain. The relationship to Elizabeth I and the opening of the beginning of the British empire is a new wrinkle for me in the story of Francis Drake. I am glad to have expanded my knowledge of Drake, Elizabeth and the future empire, but this book also revealed to me the greatness of the Spanish empire which preceded that of Great Britain, of which I had previously known very little. A tremendous telling of history, I highly recommend this book.
June 1, 2022
5-star subject matter with 1-star writing. In Search of a Kingdom highlights the little-known first successful circumnavigation of the globe by Francis Drake (Magellan died en route); little-known because it was a voyage of state-sponsored piracy against Spain that was covered up. Drake continued to play a key role in the defense of England against the Spanish Armada.
Bergreen covers this story, and the intrigues and politics of Queen Elizabeth's court and events in Spain in exhausting detail. The detail is one of the problems with the writing. Bergreen never summarizes anything. He provides a full first-hand account of every one of Drake's innumerable encounters with indigenous people. Rather than summarize the cargo of a ship Drake captures, Bergreen reads the inventory. If an event is documented by a letter, he reads the whole letter. Another problem is the repetition. We hear over and over about Drake's red hair and how he was a "former slaver." There's more repetition because Bergreen constantly backtracks weeks, months and years, explaining one part of the history and then going back in time and reciting another part, often repeating some of the same information. It's both confusing because the chronology is muddled and annoying to hear the same information multiple times within the span of a few pages. This would have been a much more interesting read had it lightened up on quotes from primary sources, reduced repetition, and organized the chronology better.
Bergreen covers this story, and the intrigues and politics of Queen Elizabeth's court and events in Spain in exhausting detail. The detail is one of the problems with the writing. Bergreen never summarizes anything. He provides a full first-hand account of every one of Drake's innumerable encounters with indigenous people. Rather than summarize the cargo of a ship Drake captures, Bergreen reads the inventory. If an event is documented by a letter, he reads the whole letter. Another problem is the repetition. We hear over and over about Drake's red hair and how he was a "former slaver." There's more repetition because Bergreen constantly backtracks weeks, months and years, explaining one part of the history and then going back in time and reciting another part, often repeating some of the same information. It's both confusing because the chronology is muddled and annoying to hear the same information multiple times within the span of a few pages. This would have been a much more interesting read had it lightened up on quotes from primary sources, reduced repetition, and organized the chronology better.
June 1, 2021
Filling Out the Story of Sir Francis Drake and His Times
Many readers, myself included, may have only a smattering of knowledge of the destruction of the Spanish Armada as it attempted an invasion of England in 1588, and the role of Sir Francis Drake in the defeat. Most likely, we remember the legend that he was playing bowls when the Spanish fleet was first sighted and cooly elected to finish the game. It’s also likely that those who read about the event remember that it was primarily a storm that destroyed the Spanish fleet, although the English proved to be better sailors, with better ships, and thus contributed to the destruction.
But Drake was much more than the man with a major role in defeating the Armada.
Author Laurence Bergreen provides a much fuller account of Drake’s extraordinary life. Sailing for Queen Elizabeth, he was a seminal figure in the Age of Exploration, which is generally attributed to those sailing for Spain and Portugal.
Drake in 1580 was the first sea captain who circumnavigated the globe. (Ferdinand Magellan, whose crew was the first to circumnavigate the world, was killed in the Philippines and thus made it only halfway round.) Furthermore, in the course of his voyage, Drake successfully plundered Spanish ships and Spanish outposts along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of South America, delivering an extraordinary haul of riches back to England. After setting aside much of the wealth for himself, he shared the riches with Queen Elizabeth who tacitly backed his piracy.
Queen Elizabeth’s Spanish counterpart, King Philip II, was vacillating and weak. The magnitude of Spain’s wealth at the time is jaw dropping, and it is astonishing how little Spain invested in defending the ships laden with gold and treasure or the ports in the New World from which they embarked. This meant easy pickings for Drake.
In his chronicle of the shift in balance of power arising from Drake’s around the world voyage, Bergreen makes a number of assertions that are debatable. The author says that Elizabeth’s kingdom was so in debt that without the stolen treasure that Drake brought back, her reign could not have survived, England would have been annexed by Spain, and the Protestant Revolution would have floundered. “Spain would make short work of England, returning English Catholics to the fold. Spanish forces could overrun England in a matter of days and England would be a Protestant aberration and a footnote to history.”
This seems an oversimplification and an effort to make Drake’s voyage the fulcrum of the decline of the Spanish and rise of the British empires over the next 150 years. The gulf between Spain’s wealth vs. that of England in the late 16th Century is not in dispute, however.
In discussing the clash of Spanish and English ships as the invasion force neared, Bergreen observes that the English won because they had more maneuverable ships and better tactics for which Drake can be given credit. Half the Spanish fleet was also assigned to support a landing force being readied in Holland, which split the fighting force that had to meet the English fleet.
But most readers will find hard to follow the author’s description of the maneuvers of the fleets on each side. The maps of fleet maneuvers are similarly unhelpful.
Apart from the circumnavigation and the defeat of the Spanish Armada, Bergreen provides an assessment of the character of Drake.
Early on, Drake was engaged in the slave trade, but he determined that piracy was a more lucrative profession and that he was very good at it. According to the author, Drake was appalled at the treatment of native people under Spanish colonial control. Thus Drake, who had great success raiding Spanish colonial settlements, treated indigenous people well and even treated the Spanish from whom he stole with a degree of humanity unusual for the times. He took their money but spared their lives when he had a choice.
The one exception was Drake’s decision during the circumnavigation to have an English aristocrat on the voyage beheaded on suspicion of preparing to lead a mutiny. This caused Drake to fall under suspicion upon return to England and never to be fully accepted by the members of Elizabeth’s court. Drake, although among the wealthiest men of his time, never fully participated in English society and seemed be most at home on the sea — where he died in 1595.
Bergreen also addresses the unfortunate lot of ordinary seamen of the time. Drake needed the loyalty of his sailors during perilous parts of the voyage around the world, and in times of duress made extravagant promises of sharing wealth. Once home, he never paid them. Neither Elizabeth nor Drake fulfilled promises to the seamen who helped defeat the Spanish fleet. Indeed, according to the author, plague struck the ships engaged in the battle and once it was over sailors were kept on board the ships and allowed to die so they wouldn’t have to be paid.
Seamen weren’t the only ones stiffed. According to Bergreen, as the Spanish fleet approached, Elizabeth promised James VI of Scotland a dukedom and 5,000 pounds a year to retain his loyalty. She reneged when the crisis passed.
Other histories are better written but Bergreen has chosen to chronicle a period that positioned England to build an Empire, and he profiles a man whose story is dramatic and intriguing. Readers who have not read a great deal about Sir Francis Drake will find the tale adds to their knowledge of the times.
Many readers, myself included, may have only a smattering of knowledge of the destruction of the Spanish Armada as it attempted an invasion of England in 1588, and the role of Sir Francis Drake in the defeat. Most likely, we remember the legend that he was playing bowls when the Spanish fleet was first sighted and cooly elected to finish the game. It’s also likely that those who read about the event remember that it was primarily a storm that destroyed the Spanish fleet, although the English proved to be better sailors, with better ships, and thus contributed to the destruction.
But Drake was much more than the man with a major role in defeating the Armada.
Author Laurence Bergreen provides a much fuller account of Drake’s extraordinary life. Sailing for Queen Elizabeth, he was a seminal figure in the Age of Exploration, which is generally attributed to those sailing for Spain and Portugal.
Drake in 1580 was the first sea captain who circumnavigated the globe. (Ferdinand Magellan, whose crew was the first to circumnavigate the world, was killed in the Philippines and thus made it only halfway round.) Furthermore, in the course of his voyage, Drake successfully plundered Spanish ships and Spanish outposts along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of South America, delivering an extraordinary haul of riches back to England. After setting aside much of the wealth for himself, he shared the riches with Queen Elizabeth who tacitly backed his piracy.
Queen Elizabeth’s Spanish counterpart, King Philip II, was vacillating and weak. The magnitude of Spain’s wealth at the time is jaw dropping, and it is astonishing how little Spain invested in defending the ships laden with gold and treasure or the ports in the New World from which they embarked. This meant easy pickings for Drake.
In his chronicle of the shift in balance of power arising from Drake’s around the world voyage, Bergreen makes a number of assertions that are debatable. The author says that Elizabeth’s kingdom was so in debt that without the stolen treasure that Drake brought back, her reign could not have survived, England would have been annexed by Spain, and the Protestant Revolution would have floundered. “Spain would make short work of England, returning English Catholics to the fold. Spanish forces could overrun England in a matter of days and England would be a Protestant aberration and a footnote to history.”
This seems an oversimplification and an effort to make Drake’s voyage the fulcrum of the decline of the Spanish and rise of the British empires over the next 150 years. The gulf between Spain’s wealth vs. that of England in the late 16th Century is not in dispute, however.
In discussing the clash of Spanish and English ships as the invasion force neared, Bergreen observes that the English won because they had more maneuverable ships and better tactics for which Drake can be given credit. Half the Spanish fleet was also assigned to support a landing force being readied in Holland, which split the fighting force that had to meet the English fleet.
But most readers will find hard to follow the author’s description of the maneuvers of the fleets on each side. The maps of fleet maneuvers are similarly unhelpful.
Apart from the circumnavigation and the defeat of the Spanish Armada, Bergreen provides an assessment of the character of Drake.
Early on, Drake was engaged in the slave trade, but he determined that piracy was a more lucrative profession and that he was very good at it. According to the author, Drake was appalled at the treatment of native people under Spanish colonial control. Thus Drake, who had great success raiding Spanish colonial settlements, treated indigenous people well and even treated the Spanish from whom he stole with a degree of humanity unusual for the times. He took their money but spared their lives when he had a choice.
The one exception was Drake’s decision during the circumnavigation to have an English aristocrat on the voyage beheaded on suspicion of preparing to lead a mutiny. This caused Drake to fall under suspicion upon return to England and never to be fully accepted by the members of Elizabeth’s court. Drake, although among the wealthiest men of his time, never fully participated in English society and seemed be most at home on the sea — where he died in 1595.
Bergreen also addresses the unfortunate lot of ordinary seamen of the time. Drake needed the loyalty of his sailors during perilous parts of the voyage around the world, and in times of duress made extravagant promises of sharing wealth. Once home, he never paid them. Neither Elizabeth nor Drake fulfilled promises to the seamen who helped defeat the Spanish fleet. Indeed, according to the author, plague struck the ships engaged in the battle and once it was over sailors were kept on board the ships and allowed to die so they wouldn’t have to be paid.
Seamen weren’t the only ones stiffed. According to Bergreen, as the Spanish fleet approached, Elizabeth promised James VI of Scotland a dukedom and 5,000 pounds a year to retain his loyalty. She reneged when the crisis passed.
Other histories are better written but Bergreen has chosen to chronicle a period that positioned England to build an Empire, and he profiles a man whose story is dramatic and intriguing. Readers who have not read a great deal about Sir Francis Drake will find the tale adds to their knowledge of the times.
June 14, 2023
Disappointing. Drake was a subject of Elizabethan history I wanted to know more about. Unfortunately, while the book had some interesting takes on Drake's role in establishing the British Empire by circumnavigating the globe and helping beat back the ill-fated invasion of England by the Spanish Armada, the narrative was long-winded, often tedious and frequently repetitive. I'll have to keep looking for a more engaging history of Drake and his times. If anyone out there has a suggestion, please let me know.
August 6, 2025
Francis Drake would have been famous enough if he had just been the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe. He follows Magellan’s path, but he does so more successfully and manages to bring millions of dollars of treasure plundered from Spanish ships and colonies.
But then, for his second act, he becomes one of the main English captains defending England from the Spanish Armada.
Being a top explorer, a top pirate, _and_ a top war captain? Unpossible!! But he did it.
Very interesting book which balances exploration with Elizabethan politics. Recommended.
But then, for his second act, he becomes one of the main English captains defending England from the Spanish Armada.
Being a top explorer, a top pirate, _and_ a top war captain? Unpossible!! But he did it.
Very interesting book which balances exploration with Elizabethan politics. Recommended.
September 2, 2021
Fascinating audiobook with excellent British narration. Almost as good as Bergreen's "Over the Edge of the World," which is one of my favorites. The author has written a long list of books and I'm sure I will read more.
September 12, 2021
Crisp, concise history & biography. A passing familiarity with the Tudor ages does help, but there is more than enough explanation here to introduce rookies to the era. It doesn't waste words, yet manages to spin its tale with intrigue and information. It never gets bogged down in minutiae.
August 29, 2023
Detailed account of Francis Drake's adventures in the 1500s during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1. Some gory details and harsh exploration experiences especially with the Spanish. Interesting.
February 4, 2025
I started this book in 2024 and then dropped it. I picked it back up last month and really got into it. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It can be a bit repetitive at times, but I still liked the flow and the storytelling type narrative. It was good.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 218 reviews