Tudor Adventurers
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- $18.99
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- $18.99
Publisher Description
In the spring of 1553, three ships sailed north-east from London into uncharted waters. The scale of their ambition was breathtaking. Drawing on the latest navigational science and the new spirit of enterprise and discovery sweeping the Tudor capital, they sought a northern passage to Asia and its riches. The success of the expedition depended on its two leaders: Sir Hugh Willoughby, a brave gentleman soldier, and Richard Chancellor, a brilliant young scientist and practical man of the sea. When their ships became separated in a storm, each had to fend for himself. Their fates were sharply divided. One returned to England, to recount extraordinary tales of the imperial court of Tsar Ivan the Terrible. The tragic, mysterious story of the other two ships has had to be pieced together through the surviving captain’s log book, after he and his crew became lost and trapped by the advancing Arctic winter. This exceptional endeavour was one of the boldest in British history, and its impact was profound. Although the “merchant adventurers” failed to reach China as they had hoped, their achievements would lay the foundations for England’s expansion on a global stage. As James Evans’ vivid account shows, their voyage also makes for a moving story of daring, discovery, tragedy, and adventure.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Evans gives a rich account of a lesser known voyage that had a profound impact on England's age of exploration. In the early 16th century, England fell behind its European peers in the discovery of oceanic trade routes as Spain and Portugal reached new lands in Asia and the Americas. Seeking a shorter trade route to Asia by heading northeast from Britain, and after years of planning, three ships "organized by Sebastian Cabot and led by Sir Hugh Willoughby and Richard Chancellor" sailed from London. Evans shows how this voyage of 1553, although unsuccessful (the ships made it to Russia, where they met the court of Ivan the Terrible), was a "turning point in English economic and cultural history." Of the three ships that set sail, only one returned with Richard Chancellor on board. Russian fishermen found the other two vessels in the Varzina estuary, east of northern Finland, with both crews dead for reasons now called into question. Though focused primarily on the voyages themselves, Evans contextualizes the political atmosphere of England and how royal meddling affected English expansion. Balanced and stimulating, Evans has produced a work suited to history buffs and general-interest readers alike. Photos & map.
