Although his cousin Sir Francis Drake is more famous, Sir John Hawkins (1532–1595) was a more successful seaman and played a pivotal role in the history of England and the emergence of the global slave trade. Born into a family of wealthy pirates, Hawkins became fascinated by tales of the riches of foreign lands. Early in his career he led an illegal expedition in which he captured three hundred slaves in Sierra Leone and transported them to the West Indies. There he traded them for pearls, hides, and sugar--thus giving birth to the British slave trade. His voyages were so lucrative that Queen Elizabeth herself sponsored subsequent missions. Discouraged from his career as a pirate by a near-fatal encounter with angry Spanish troops, Hawkins spent much of his later life in England at the service of the queen. Although he committed treason, murder, and adultery at various points in his career, he was nonetheless knighted in 1588 for his role in defeating the Spanish Armada. In this riveting book, Harry Kelsey, biographer of Sir Francis Drake, tells the story of this extraordinary man.

Sir John Hawkins

Biographies & Memoirs

Kelsey, Harry

Historical

Yale University Press

Prior histories of the first Spanish mariners to circumnavigate the globe in the sixteenth century have focused on Ferdinand Magellan and the other illustrious leaders of these daring expeditions. Harry Kelsey’s masterfully researched study is the first to concentrate on the hitherto anonymous sailors, slaves, adventurers, and soldiers who manned the ships. The author contends that these initial transglobal voyages occurred by chance, beginning with the launch of Magellan’s armada in 1519, when the crews dispatched by the king of Spain to claim the Spice Islands in the western Pacific were forced to seek a longer way home, resulting in bitter confrontations with rival Portuguese. Kelsey’s enthralling history, based on more than thirty years of research in European and American archives, offers fascinating stories of treachery, greed, murder, desertion, sickness, and starvation but also of courage, dogged persistence, leadership, and loyalty.

The First Circumnavigators: Unsung Heroes of the Age of Discovery

This biography traces Cabrillo's rise from a ragged childhood on the streets of Seville to a position of power and wealth as one of the richest landholders and most intrepid adventurers in the New World.

Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo

Travelers & Explorers

Huntington Library Pr

Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo brought the first European explorers to the west coast of the United States more than four centuries ago. This biography traces Cabrillo's rise from a ragged childhood in the streets of Seville to a position of power and wealth as one of the richest landholders and most intrepid adventurers in the New World. There have been many biographical essays, but this is the first full-scale biography of Cabrillo based on original research. Working from the earliest published accounts, through thousands of pages of unpublished documents—especially the rich collections of the Huntington Library—Kelsey presents us with a vivid account of Cabrillo's life and times.

Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo (The Huntington Library Classics)

Huntington Library Press

Newly revised and updated, this book provides the first complete story of one of California’s most important historical and archaeological sites. It explores the story of the Mission and its people starting with the pre-European era, followed by the arrival of the Spanish and the start of the mission era, through secularization, decay, and then rebuilding. The book features over 70 historic photos, maps, and drawings, many previously unpublished.This is the engaging story of what is arguably the finest mission church in California, retaining most of the features that it had when it was finished nearly two centuries ago. As the author notes, “There are not half a dozen buildings in the state with that sort of history.”

Mission San Luis Rey: An Illustrated History

Religion & Spirituality

Liber Apertus Press

Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo brought the first European explorers to the west coast of the United States 475 years ago. This compact book traces Cabrillo's historic voyage north from Mexico in 1542, sent into unknown and unmapped waters in search of the Spice Islands and a fabled river said to flow from the Rocky Mountains into the Pacific Ocean. He failed to reach his goals, but in the process he and his crew became the first Europeans to encounter the peoples and lands of present day California, from San Diego and the Channel Islands north as far as Point Reyes and Point Arena.
In this updated edition, historian Harry Kelsey cuts through the myths that have shrouded Cabrillo and his voyage, and presents the truth of his discoveries. The story culminates with his death due to a tragic accident while his fleet was wintering in California, cutting his life short before he could return to Spain and report on the new lands he had encountered. 
Written in an accessible style suited to all readers, this short book will appeal to anyone interested in European explorers or California history. The text is complemented by twenty maps and illustrations, which bring the story to life.

Discovering Cabrillo

This book engages readers with a quick and complete overview of the “king” of the California missions. The narrative encompasses 200 years of mission history, and features a complete tour guide of the mission buildings and grounds—plus over two dozen historic photos, maps and illustrations, bringing the story to life. Written in an accessible style well suited to young readers as well as adults, this short book will appeal to anyone interested in early California history.

Mission San Luis Rey: A Pocket History

History

Americas

The Spanish Armada conjures up images of age-old rivalries, bravery and treachery. However the same Spanish monarch who sent the Armada to invade England in 1588 was, just a few years previously, the King of England and husband of Mary Tudor. This important new book sheds new light on Philip II of Spain, England's forgotten sovereign. Previous accounts of Mary's brief reign have focused on the martyrdom of Protestant dissenters, the loss of English territory, as well as Mary's infamous personality, meaning that her husband Philip has remained in the shadows. In this book, Harry Kelsey uncovers Philip's life - from his childhood and education in Spain, to his marriage to Mary and the political manoeuvrings involved in the marriage contract, to the tumultuous aftermath of Mary's death which ultimately led to hostile relations between Queen Elizabeth and Philip, culminating in the Armada. Focusing especially on the period of Philip's marriage to Mary, Kelsey shows that Philip was, in fact, an active King of England and took a keen interest in the rule of his wife's kingdom.Casting fresh light on both Mary and Philip, as well as European history more generally, this book will be essential reading for anyone interested in the Tudor era.

Philip of Spain, King of England: The Forgotten Sovereign

I.B.Tauris

Sir Francis Drake: El Pirata De LA Reina (Spanish Edition)

Ariel

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Books by Kelsey, Harry