author
Walter Raleigh
d. 1618
A soldier, courtier, explorer, and poet, he became one of the most vivid figures of Elizabethan England. His life mixed ambition, literary talent, colonial ventures, imprisonment, and a dramatic end on the scaffold in 1618.
2 Audiobooks
The Last Fight of the Revenge
by Walter Raleigh
The Discovery of Guiana
by Walter Raleigh
About the author
Born in Devon around 1552 or 1554, Walter Raleigh rose to prominence at the court of Queen Elizabeth I, where he earned fame as a favorite of the queen and a symbol of the Elizabethan age. He was active as a soldier in Ireland, took part in efforts tied to English expansion overseas, and became closely associated with early colonizing ventures in North America, especially the Roanoke expeditions.
Raleigh was more than a courtier and adventurer: he was also an accomplished writer. He wrote poetry, prose, and the ambitious unfinished History of the World, much of it during periods of confinement. That mix of action and intellect helps explain why he has remained such a compelling historical figure.
After Elizabeth's death, his fortunes changed under James I. Accused of treason, he spent many years imprisoned in the Tower of London, briefly returned to expeditionary life, and was ultimately executed on October 29, 1618. His reputation has endured as a blend of brilliance, daring, vanity, and literary skill.