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Sir Francis Drake
In this comprehensive and astute biography of the great sailor hero, Sugden portrays a complex man of fascinating contradictions. Ambitious, vainglorious and sometimes vindictive, he was also a loyal friend and a warrior of surprising humanity and courtesy.
368 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
76 people are currently reading
955 people want to read
About the author
John Sugden
48 books27 followersAn independent scholar and a former associate editor of Oxford University Press's American National Biography project, John Sugden holds degrees from the Universities of Leeds, Lancaster and Sheffield.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
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October 10, 2025dnf.
the author's style just keeps rubbing my two remaining braincells in a way that me no likey so im finally out.
(come to think of it, that magellan's author also wrote a book on drake, so i should have picked up that one instead.)
the author's style just keeps rubbing my two remaining braincells in a way that me no likey so im finally out.
(come to think of it, that magellan's author also wrote a book on drake, so i should have picked up that one instead.)
November 28, 2016
Great book, great detail. Very engaging.
July 2, 2019
I started to read this book after I finished all the Uncharted video games. In those games, you play a descendant of Sir Francis Drake.
This biography proved to be a passionating read for anyone seeking adventure and inspiration from the life of Drake.
On top of the life of Drake, this book depicts the inner of the English navy of the 16th century and the complexities of the relationship between Europeans rulers.
I wouldn't qualify this biography as a page-turner since sometimes lots of details clutter the narration. I can't blame the author for all those details since it is, first of all, a biography, and not a fiction.
For people in search of similar books, I would recommend Arabia Felix: The Danish Expedition of 1761-1767 which, on top of providing an exhaustive and accurate historical content is a real page-turner.
This biography proved to be a passionating read for anyone seeking adventure and inspiration from the life of Drake.
On top of the life of Drake, this book depicts the inner of the English navy of the 16th century and the complexities of the relationship between Europeans rulers.
I wouldn't qualify this biography as a page-turner since sometimes lots of details clutter the narration. I can't blame the author for all those details since it is, first of all, a biography, and not a fiction.
For people in search of similar books, I would recommend Arabia Felix: The Danish Expedition of 1761-1767 which, on top of providing an exhaustive and accurate historical content is a real page-turner.
July 27, 2013
Sir Francis Drake by John Sugden is a wonderfully detailed and documented story of a multifaceted hero of his age. From common stock he rose to the epitome of British society. He was a corsair who was the plague of Spain's western colonies and their treasure ships carrying vast amounts of silver to fill the coffers of King Phillip. An audacious warrior, his overweening inclination was to attack. He was the hero that turned back the Spanish Armada, and also a member of Parliament, a favorite of the Queen, and a highly successful businessman. When he set sail for what was to by his last voyage, thousands of Spanish along the coast of Spain moved landward from the coast at the name of El Draque! The book is a study of great proportion and detail while remaining engaging and entertaining.
March 22, 2020
An engaging an informative biography of the famous Elizabethan navigator and freebooter. The book is not without its flaws; for example, the author sometimes resorts to ending sentences with exclamation points, which detracts from its gravitas. The author also insists on blowing his own horn by telling the reader when something has not previously appeared in print. On the whole, though, the book is a worthwhile and interesting read.
December 19, 2015
He was quite a character and a go getter in his youth. This is a good history of his life and is neither an homage nor a critique. Drake's reputation has been lauded as a saviour of England and founder of the navy and has been demonised as a slaver, pirate and murderer. He was a bit of all these things which makes him such a remarkable figure.
September 24, 2020
A dense, but well-written work. Sympathetic, but balanced. At times, you can feel the author's excitement seeping from the pages, making it an enthralling read.
December 29, 2024
This is a history - but the 'Whig' version - of a man who has been much mythologized,and has entered the grand parade of English national heroes. Sugden gives us a reasonably balanced account, and is at pains to point out any accusation against Drake as a pirate and an opportunist are mitigated by his seamanship,his ability to move quickly in battle, and his concern for fair treatment of captives.
But this is a biography of a figure who the National Trust characterizes "a slave trader" ( https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/who-...) based on the fact that he accompanied his cousin John Hawkins on at least one of his voyages. Hawkins was an unrepentant slave trader, capturing slaves from the West African coast, profiteering from human traffic.
Sugden points to the fact that Drake's record of treatment of slaves was good in these early voyages.
However, when later attacking mule-trains of Spanish gold in Panama it was politically expedient of Drake to make alliance against Spain with over 3000 escaped slaves known as cimarrónes -who Drake described as “certaine valiant Negros fled from their cruel masters the Spaniards”.
Elsewhere Sugden has decried what he sees as smear tactics by those who point to his connections with slave trade: https://sfdrakefoundation.org/drake-d....
It is important to see Drake as a man of his time: slavery had not yet taken off in terms of numbers (see
https://www.slavevoyages.org/assessme...), but nevertheless he continued his association with Hawkins.
Many of Drakes's expeditions helped to enrich future founders of the early East India Company, and lined the pockets of many 'joint -stock' investors who financed his voyages (who received a return of some 5,000 percent on his circumnavigation of the world for example).
On the back of his buccaneering, Drake became a significant land owner in the West Country and pillar of the establishment.
But this is a biography of a figure who the National Trust characterizes "a slave trader" ( https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/who-...) based on the fact that he accompanied his cousin John Hawkins on at least one of his voyages. Hawkins was an unrepentant slave trader, capturing slaves from the West African coast, profiteering from human traffic.
Sugden points to the fact that Drake's record of treatment of slaves was good in these early voyages.
However, when later attacking mule-trains of Spanish gold in Panama it was politically expedient of Drake to make alliance against Spain with over 3000 escaped slaves known as cimarrónes -who Drake described as “certaine valiant Negros fled from their cruel masters the Spaniards”.
Elsewhere Sugden has decried what he sees as smear tactics by those who point to his connections with slave trade: https://sfdrakefoundation.org/drake-d....
It is important to see Drake as a man of his time: slavery had not yet taken off in terms of numbers (see
https://www.slavevoyages.org/assessme...), but nevertheless he continued his association with Hawkins.
Many of Drakes's expeditions helped to enrich future founders of the early East India Company, and lined the pockets of many 'joint -stock' investors who financed his voyages (who received a return of some 5,000 percent on his circumnavigation of the world for example).
On the back of his buccaneering, Drake became a significant land owner in the West Country and pillar of the establishment.
March 17, 2019
Coming on the heels of the book I read earlier this year about the Spanish Armada this biography enlightened me further on the Armada campaign and one of its leading personalities, Sir Francis Drake.
I've always been fascinated by the "singeing of the King's beard", Drake's forays into the ports of the Iberian peninsula to hinder the build-up of Philip II's Armada. The importance of the loss of such a simple thing as seasoned timber, used to make barrel staves which were a key ingredient in transporting victuals, was one of the accomplishments of these raids. Drake's skills as a mariner are described not only in the context of defeating the Armada but in his voyage of circumnavigation 1577-1580. I've never read of such a voyage that was achieved without the maladies that afflicted so many others. I think that was due to Drake's dedication to preparedness. It was also interesting to note Drake's dalliance on the California coast near San Francisco before heading west across the Pacific Ocean.
Also his raids on the Spanish Main, where he acted as both "admiral" and "general", were successful in catching the Spanish off guard and additional success came at his ability to create "alliances" with escaped slaves, the Cimarrones.
As in the earlier book I read, the Elizabethan navy was plagued by disease, lack of supplies and money.
Elizabeth I was a "penny pincher" but you can't spend what you don't have. Many naval efforts were hindered by these factors much to Drake's chagrin. That he succeeded with what he and his fellows like Hawkins and Frobisher had to work with is fascinating.
A worthy read about a remarkable sailor at the dawn of the Age of Sail.
(This book was a survivor of the August flood in Gettysburg 2018)
I've always been fascinated by the "singeing of the King's beard", Drake's forays into the ports of the Iberian peninsula to hinder the build-up of Philip II's Armada. The importance of the loss of such a simple thing as seasoned timber, used to make barrel staves which were a key ingredient in transporting victuals, was one of the accomplishments of these raids. Drake's skills as a mariner are described not only in the context of defeating the Armada but in his voyage of circumnavigation 1577-1580. I've never read of such a voyage that was achieved without the maladies that afflicted so many others. I think that was due to Drake's dedication to preparedness. It was also interesting to note Drake's dalliance on the California coast near San Francisco before heading west across the Pacific Ocean.
Also his raids on the Spanish Main, where he acted as both "admiral" and "general", were successful in catching the Spanish off guard and additional success came at his ability to create "alliances" with escaped slaves, the Cimarrones.
As in the earlier book I read, the Elizabethan navy was plagued by disease, lack of supplies and money.
Elizabeth I was a "penny pincher" but you can't spend what you don't have. Many naval efforts were hindered by these factors much to Drake's chagrin. That he succeeded with what he and his fellows like Hawkins and Frobisher had to work with is fascinating.
A worthy read about a remarkable sailor at the dawn of the Age of Sail.
(This book was a survivor of the August flood in Gettysburg 2018)
February 24, 2019
I loved the part in this book where Sugden talks about the legends and myths that Drake inspired with later generations because that is exactly what drew me to this book, and--in consequence--my eventual history major. When my 8th grade history teacher taught about Drake, the man’s exploits seemed so daring, so outrageous, so exciting, I was in awe that such a person might have existed.
Well, he didn’t. At least, not in the way my history teacher described it. I don’t know if my history teacher was deliberately making stuff up or he had a sketchy memory, but Drake didn’t stop the Armada by putting a chain up across the English Channel (laughable, now that my adult mind considers even attempting such a feat--though something similar was semi-successfully done against Drake on a much smaller scale than the English Channel!). Nor did he do any number of the other, silly things that my teacher proposed. But my teacher did pique my interest. And, as an 8th grader, I decided that I needed to learn more about this amazing man.
So I went to the library, found this book, and was sucked in by stories that may not have held the extravagance of the tall tales my teacher told, but at least did boast the gritty, inspiring impressiveness of reality. I found that I enjoyed the whole picture of the real Drake even better than the made up portions of the fictional one. Then I kept on reading other stuff because, wow, history can be super cool. My history major can pretty much find its beginnings with my 8th grade history teacher’s lies!
Fast forward a couple of dozen years. I was invited to give a talk tied into seeking treasure to a group of youth and I thought the stories of Drake might be a perfect foundation. I had bought this book long before when this one website appeared on the internet that offered pretty much any book for sale that you could want. Skeptical, I typed in this title and author and found it. I ordered it immediately. I guess there might be something to this new “Amazon” website, I thought to myself at the time. Anyway, since I was doing this talk, I felt I should revisit a specific instance in Drake’s career and, to avoid embellishing the facts (á la 8th Grade History Teacher), I picked up this long-ago-purchased book and cracked it open. Little did I know the draw of Drake’s fantastic feats. I read what I needed to and then immediately started from the beginning and barely slowed down until the end.
I feel that I have a new perspective on Sugden’s book now, having read plenty of historical biographies, academic reviews, scholarly articles, and primary documents, ad nauseum, since that time. But the general takeaway still holds true. Drake is magnetic, and his boldness, ingenuity, and passion are points of inspiration to this day. I was struck by his piousness and civility--easy things to overlook when you’re dealing with someone who was essentially (though not in character!) a pirate for many of his adventures. I was amazed by his cleverness, not just in attacks (though those are the most obvious manifestations) but in dealing with issues with crew and politics of the court. I love his audacity in basically declaring war against the most powerful empire in the world--a simple sailor from Devon--and landing some solid punches while helping to tip the scales in England’s favor for centuries to come. I marveled at his seamanship in daringly venturing into waters that had barely been visited by Europeans into the far corners of the world--often times without even maps--and remarkably and skillfully pulling through with hardly any mishaps. I cringed at moments of barbarity, though taken in context they marked someone who was truly ahead of his time in his lack of excessive, unwarranted violence. I saddened as his sharpness and innovation declined following the battles with the Armada, losing the strength of his small, focused attacks as he allowed too many people to curtail his brilliance with demands of policy, and attempting to manage far too grand a scale of ships, men, and purpose. Overall, I admired the still-veiled character of a man who demonstrated that with the right passion, purpose, determination, and boldness, the extraordinary and remote are suddenly within reach.
Sugden’s best contribution to this is careful presenting of Drake’s incredible career without getting in the way and in a manner that allows us better access to the driving forces behind such a captivating figure. Sugden makes his case for his biography, and he keeps a level-head about him as he sifts through mounds of documents to give us the most likely story connected to Drake. He relies on the scholarship of a lot of other historians in many instances (though there are also plenty of primary documents as well), but he is not sloppy or lazy. Sugden knows his stuff and where there are competing ideas, he makes it known why he arrived at the specific outcome he presented. Other than that, his voice is subdued but present as he capably guides the audience through the years of El Draque’s accomplishments.
I was struck by some of the sparcity of sources on some level in regards to Drake’s beginnings or even some of his most famous events, such as the last third of his most dazzling feat: the circumnavigation. The sixteenth century in England just did not make some details very accessible (the only part that really allowed an in-depth description of the time were the details of a pre-meditated murder--connected only to Drake because it happened in Plymouth when Drake would’ve been there). Sugden works past these gaps as best he can.
As meticulous and thorough as Sugden’s work is, it does not have the touch of a master storyteller historian, who can piece it all together and delve it out in a way that captures the essence of the character, time period, and culture. Those kinds of histories, however, are rare. So I can settle for Sugden’s excellent job of giving a straight-forward, accurate, and interesting narrative of one of England’s most engrossing figures.
I think it is telling that about halfway through the book, I changed plans for my talk and dropped the Drake portion completely … but that did nothing to lessen my resolve in reading the rest. That is the magic of Drake, and as I would come to learn, history in general, and that is a credit to Sugden for allowing the magic of Drake happen to me … again.
Well, he didn’t. At least, not in the way my history teacher described it. I don’t know if my history teacher was deliberately making stuff up or he had a sketchy memory, but Drake didn’t stop the Armada by putting a chain up across the English Channel (laughable, now that my adult mind considers even attempting such a feat--though something similar was semi-successfully done against Drake on a much smaller scale than the English Channel!). Nor did he do any number of the other, silly things that my teacher proposed. But my teacher did pique my interest. And, as an 8th grader, I decided that I needed to learn more about this amazing man.
So I went to the library, found this book, and was sucked in by stories that may not have held the extravagance of the tall tales my teacher told, but at least did boast the gritty, inspiring impressiveness of reality. I found that I enjoyed the whole picture of the real Drake even better than the made up portions of the fictional one. Then I kept on reading other stuff because, wow, history can be super cool. My history major can pretty much find its beginnings with my 8th grade history teacher’s lies!
Fast forward a couple of dozen years. I was invited to give a talk tied into seeking treasure to a group of youth and I thought the stories of Drake might be a perfect foundation. I had bought this book long before when this one website appeared on the internet that offered pretty much any book for sale that you could want. Skeptical, I typed in this title and author and found it. I ordered it immediately. I guess there might be something to this new “Amazon” website, I thought to myself at the time. Anyway, since I was doing this talk, I felt I should revisit a specific instance in Drake’s career and, to avoid embellishing the facts (á la 8th Grade History Teacher), I picked up this long-ago-purchased book and cracked it open. Little did I know the draw of Drake’s fantastic feats. I read what I needed to and then immediately started from the beginning and barely slowed down until the end.
I feel that I have a new perspective on Sugden’s book now, having read plenty of historical biographies, academic reviews, scholarly articles, and primary documents, ad nauseum, since that time. But the general takeaway still holds true. Drake is magnetic, and his boldness, ingenuity, and passion are points of inspiration to this day. I was struck by his piousness and civility--easy things to overlook when you’re dealing with someone who was essentially (though not in character!) a pirate for many of his adventures. I was amazed by his cleverness, not just in attacks (though those are the most obvious manifestations) but in dealing with issues with crew and politics of the court. I love his audacity in basically declaring war against the most powerful empire in the world--a simple sailor from Devon--and landing some solid punches while helping to tip the scales in England’s favor for centuries to come. I marveled at his seamanship in daringly venturing into waters that had barely been visited by Europeans into the far corners of the world--often times without even maps--and remarkably and skillfully pulling through with hardly any mishaps. I cringed at moments of barbarity, though taken in context they marked someone who was truly ahead of his time in his lack of excessive, unwarranted violence. I saddened as his sharpness and innovation declined following the battles with the Armada, losing the strength of his small, focused attacks as he allowed too many people to curtail his brilliance with demands of policy, and attempting to manage far too grand a scale of ships, men, and purpose. Overall, I admired the still-veiled character of a man who demonstrated that with the right passion, purpose, determination, and boldness, the extraordinary and remote are suddenly within reach.
Sugden’s best contribution to this is careful presenting of Drake’s incredible career without getting in the way and in a manner that allows us better access to the driving forces behind such a captivating figure. Sugden makes his case for his biography, and he keeps a level-head about him as he sifts through mounds of documents to give us the most likely story connected to Drake. He relies on the scholarship of a lot of other historians in many instances (though there are also plenty of primary documents as well), but he is not sloppy or lazy. Sugden knows his stuff and where there are competing ideas, he makes it known why he arrived at the specific outcome he presented. Other than that, his voice is subdued but present as he capably guides the audience through the years of El Draque’s accomplishments.
I was struck by some of the sparcity of sources on some level in regards to Drake’s beginnings or even some of his most famous events, such as the last third of his most dazzling feat: the circumnavigation. The sixteenth century in England just did not make some details very accessible (the only part that really allowed an in-depth description of the time were the details of a pre-meditated murder--connected only to Drake because it happened in Plymouth when Drake would’ve been there). Sugden works past these gaps as best he can.
As meticulous and thorough as Sugden’s work is, it does not have the touch of a master storyteller historian, who can piece it all together and delve it out in a way that captures the essence of the character, time period, and culture. Those kinds of histories, however, are rare. So I can settle for Sugden’s excellent job of giving a straight-forward, accurate, and interesting narrative of one of England’s most engrossing figures.
I think it is telling that about halfway through the book, I changed plans for my talk and dropped the Drake portion completely … but that did nothing to lessen my resolve in reading the rest. That is the magic of Drake, and as I would come to learn, history in general, and that is a credit to Sugden for allowing the magic of Drake happen to me … again.
April 14, 2021
Easy to read and very informative.
The author obviously has a high regard for Drake, presenting him as an intelligent, charismatic leader who changed English naval history as we know it.
It was very sympathetic towards him and at times I did tire of the critiques on other authors who had written about Drake in a negative manner.
All in all, I found it hard to find a full biography of Drake and I'm very happy that I found this one. It gave me a in depth picture of a man I only knew the basics about and would definitely recommend.
The author obviously has a high regard for Drake, presenting him as an intelligent, charismatic leader who changed English naval history as we know it.
It was very sympathetic towards him and at times I did tire of the critiques on other authors who had written about Drake in a negative manner.
All in all, I found it hard to find a full biography of Drake and I'm very happy that I found this one. It gave me a in depth picture of a man I only knew the basics about and would definitely recommend.
December 31, 2017
I read John Sugden's two volume biography of Nelson which was a terrific read and this is no different. He does a great job of balancing the telling of a story with historical accuracy. The books are very readable and a great way to learn not just about the person but also the politics and customs of the eras they cover.
October 8, 2018
I read this bio up for background color for a concert we were producing about the musicians (the then-famous town band of Norwich) who travelled with Drake. As such it was a more detailed account than I needed, but nevertheless an enjoyable read. The author clearly has real affection for his subject (possibly leaning into bias).
May 8, 2020
Boring as hell. One of the dullest and flattest stories I've ever read. It's just a linear narration of episodes without any kind of passion and enthusiasm. I couldn't finish it actually.
It's sad because the character and its adventures might be elating if were properly told.
Don't waste your time.
It's sad because the character and its adventures might be elating if were properly told.
Don't waste your time.
June 19, 2023
Parts of this book read like a fiction novel. Drake accomplished some very cool things. It was very nice to have Sugden try to give appropriate note to Drake’s Protestant faith and try to help the reader understand the religious atmosphere of the time.
Not quite on par with Kon Tikki and Endurance, but close.
Not quite on par with Kon Tikki and Endurance, but close.
May 26, 2024
I read this because I realized I knew very little about one of Britain’s most famous mariners other than his name and connections with Queen Elizabeth. It’s am excellent work that covers his life and achievements and sets them in clear historical context.
December 31, 2017
Very informative and interesting. Really enjoyed it.
February 27, 2018
Good but dry.
September 19, 2018
Buy, Borrow or Burn: Buy.
Probably the best account on Drake who is one of my favourite historical figures of all time. His life is a journey like no other. Rags to riches.
One Word: Drake.
Probably the best account on Drake who is one of my favourite historical figures of all time. His life is a journey like no other. Rags to riches.
One Word: Drake.
February 21, 2019
Wil je weten of Francis Drake nou een opportunistische zeerover was of een engelse zeeheld? Sugden geeft hier in een nauwgezette biografie antwoord op. Drake was allebei!
March 22, 2020
This was so dry and boring I couldn't finish it.
August 8, 2021
After reading Kelsey drivel this was a great read about drake
November 8, 2021
Can’t say how much I enjoyed it. The research that went into writing it, is phenomenal. It’s great to get a sense of what Drake may have been like as a person.
May 4, 2023
Fascinating but dense
March 14, 2024
Sudgen provides a detailed account of the life of sir francis drake, with mentions of other seafarers, and creates an immersive insight into Drake’s life. Great read
March 14, 2024
Excellent bio of a fascinating figure. Heavy use of primary sources, including Spanish, add to entertaining descriptions of Drake's exploits, particularly against the Spanish Armada.
December 28, 2015
Excellent book about an English hero. I thought the author was very balanced; while clearly admiring his subject he is also able to see his flaws. I would have liked more detail about Sir Francis' home life, but John Sudden mentions in the post-script that there is little information available.
There is plenty of detail about the many missions which Drake leads, very often to chase down treasure-laden Spanish ships, to make this as good a read as many novels. Drake, in the prime of his life, is quite a character, and even his enemies (the Spanish) grudgingly admire him and recognise something of the 'likeable rogue' about him.
There is no doubt that he was a man of his times, fanatically protestant, deeply patriotic and he continues to be an inspiring national hero who possibly deserves to be better known.
There is plenty of detail about the many missions which Drake leads, very often to chase down treasure-laden Spanish ships, to make this as good a read as many novels. Drake, in the prime of his life, is quite a character, and even his enemies (the Spanish) grudgingly admire him and recognise something of the 'likeable rogue' about him.
There is no doubt that he was a man of his times, fanatically protestant, deeply patriotic and he continues to be an inspiring national hero who possibly deserves to be better known.
January 5, 2016
John Sugden did an amazing job bringing Sir Francis Drake to life without making the horrible mistake of weaving fantasy with good historical research. I don't necessarily agree with his analysis of Drake's last voyage though. He was saying that over the years Drake had lost his edge, but I wonder if Drake wasn't just an incredible commander of a few ships bent upon piracy. It seems to me that his bold, ambitious moves during the first few voyages were born of necessity. The later fleets he commanded had enough fire power and men that he started to hit the Spaniards with a hammer where he once brilliantly wielded a scalpel.
August 5, 2014
John Sugden's book on Drake is both readable and scholarly. Aside from passages where the author gets caught in a storm of superficial details--much of Drake's activities on land are known but dimly--the book reads as well as a novel. Sugden is thorough in presenting Drake's life from early childhood to his death at sea. His thorough knowledge of secondary and primary sources is evident throughout.
February 14, 2016
Probably the definitive biography of this amazing man, The Queen's Pirate. This guy pulled off some crazy feats as this Admiral of the English navy; sailed around the Caribean, the Atlantic and even completely around the world stealing from the Spanish what the Spanish had stolen from someone else. He should have been dead many times over, but his courage and planning pulled him through. Pure balls is what saved him mostly. Remarkable fellow.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews