Ralegh's Last Journey : A Tale of Madness, Vanity and Treachery

by Paul Hyland

This title is a study in vanity and ambition, madness and resignation. Sir Walter Raleigh was one of the greatest courtiers of his day, Elizabeth's favourite, dashing, brilliant, wily and powerful. This book book takes as its subject his extraordinary last months, during the summer of 1618 when, his last voyage a failure and under great suspicion from James I, he was escorted back to London by Sir Lewis Stucley; the tragi-comic story of this journey, from Plymouth to the scaffold, of Raleigh's grotesque behaviour along the way, of the web of deceit and counter-treachery woven between him and his reviled and much misunderstood betrayer "Judas" Stucley, and of their travelling companion the French physician and double agent Dr Manourie. Around this last journey will be linked the other players in the drama: Bess, Raleigh's handsome, resourceful and distracted wife; Carew, their 13-year-old son; and Samuel King, privateering captain and link with past glories. On countless occasions Raleigh has the opportunity to escape, and refuses it; then, when he at last opts for freedom (in a false beard), he finds himself betrayed again.

Genres: History

242 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Pete daPixie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading this one. Would like to find a full biography of Sir Walter Ralegh. 'Ralegh's Last Journey' tells a similar story to that of fellow Elizabethan sea dog Drake, and therefore the man's best years are not recounted in this book.
Paul Hyland's 2003 tale of madness, vanity and treachery covers Walt's final voyage to the Orinoco River on his dream boat escapade search for El Dorado in 1617. Returning a year later to face arrest and finally execution on the 29th October 1618.
Hyland has written a detailed and well researched account that shows the madness, vanity and treachery in large part emanated from King James I. "It was a catalytic moment for the Puritan revolution. Richard Polwhele, an eighteenth-century West Country historian wrote, 'I shall only hint, that the execution of this great man, whom James was advised to sacrifice to the advancement of peace with Spain, hath left an indelible stain on the memory of that misguided monarch.' As the twentieth-century historian G.M.Trevelyan commented, 'the ghost of Ralegh pursued the House of Stuart to the scaffold'.
The reader can only concur with the above opinions. Sir Walter, (or, Sir Water, as Elizabeth I nick-named him, in gentle mockery of his Devon brogue) in 1618 was 'old, limping, grey-haired, weakened and desperate but still damnably proud. Water, the man legally dead but risen again from the waves.'
...and no, he didn't introduce tobacco into England.

[Stuart Haining · Rating 2 out of 5]

4/10 1% FPHB A bit heavy going in places but not a bad read as history books go and certainly taught me facts I didn’t know which don’t tend to agree with folk-law about this famous naval hero. I have no idea how or why but the book has been autographed for my mother in law and yet wasn’t published till after she died….its almost as much of a mystery as some of his voyages!

[Anne Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

Found this hard to follow. Too many historical characters and events which with I wasn't familiar. Read the first few chapters and the last few... that was sufficient.

[Todd Van Meter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very engaging historical novel about the last few weeks of Sir Walter Ralegh's life and the surreal circumstances leading to its end.