Drake

In 1588, the Spanish Armada confidently set sail for what became one of the most crushing defeats in history, due in part to the efforts of Sir Francis Drake. Motivated as much by his intense hatred of Catholic Spain as he was by his devotion to plunder and to his Protestant queen, Drake etched a name for himself in the annals of naval history. Wade Dudley's penetrating look at this complex man serves as an introduction to Drake's life and provides a concise account of the religious and dynastic disputes that would affect Europe for the next three centuries.