Enormously popular when published, Westward Ho! is the saga of Elizabethan sailors from the Devonshire coast who sail off into the unknown to found an empire for their queen. Moving at a breathless pace from start to finish, the story of the sailors' adventures and conflicts with the Spanish make it an exhilarating read.

"Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II has reigned through more seismic social change than any monarch since 1066. Yet she is not merely hanging on. She is a 21st century global phenomenon commanding unrivalled respect and affection. And now she is preparing for an event without parallel since the reign of Louis XIV: her Platinum Jubilee. On February 6th, 2022, she marks 70 years on the Throne. Robert Hardman wraps up the full story of one of the...

In the tradition of Antonia Fraser, David Starkey, and Alison Weir, prize-winning historian Helen Castor delivers a compelling, eye-opening examination of women and power in England, witnessed through the lives of six women who exercised power against all odds-and one who never got the chance. Exploring the narratives of the Empress Matilda, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Isabella of France, Margaret of Anjou, and other "she-wolves," as well as that of the...

Dubbed the "pirate queen" by the Vatican and Philip II of Spain, Elizabeth I was feared and admired by her enemies. Extravagant, whimsical, and hot-tempered, she was the epitome of power. Her visionary accomplishments were made possible by her daring merchants, gifted rapscallion adventurers, astronomer philosophers, and her stalwart Privy Council. All these men contributed their genius, power, greed, and expertise to the advancement of England. Historian...