Admiral John Benbow was an English naval hero; a fighting sailor of ruthless methods but indomitable courage. Benbow was a man to be reckoned with. In 1702; however; when Benbow engaged a French squadron off the Spanish main; other ships in his squadron failed to support him. His leg shattered by a cannon-ball; Benbow fought on - but to no avail: the French escaped and the stricken Benbow succumbed to his wounds. When the story of his 'Last Fight' reached England; there was an outcry. Two of the captains who had abandoned him were court-martialled and shot; 'Brave Benbow' was elevated from national hero to national legend; his valour immortalized in broadsheet and folksong: ships were named after him; Tennyson later fêted him in verse; in Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island; the tavern where Jim Hawkins and his mother live is called 'The Admiral Benbow'. For the very first time; Sam Willis tells the extraordinary story of Admiral Benbow through an age of dramatic change; from his birth under Cromwell's Commonwealth; to service under the restored Stuart monarchy; to the Glorious Revolution of 1688; to the French wars of Louis XIV; and finally to the bitter betrayal of 1702. The Admiral Benbow covers all aspects of seventeenth century naval life in richly vivid detail; from strategy and tactics to health and discipline. But Benbow also worked in the Royal Dockyards; lived in Samuel Evelyn's House; knew Peter the Great; helped to found the first naval hospital; and helped to build the first offshore lighthouse. The second volume in the Hearts of Oak trilogy; from one of Britain's most exciting young historians; The Admiral Benbow is a gripping and detailed account of the making of a naval legend.
#4953985 in Books 2012-01-31Original language:English 9.25 x 1.11 x 6.13l; .0 #File Name: 1848851863
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