The Cabots and the Discovery of America With a Brief Description and History of Brandon Hill, the Site of the Cabot Memorial Tower

This lively narrative opens in the bustling port of Bristol, where the towering spire of St Mary Redcliffe watches over a city that quietly shaped world history. The author invites listeners to step into the 15th‑century streets, meet the merchants and shipwrights who backed a daring venture, and discover how a modest vessel named the Matthew set sail toward an unknown continent. Through vivid details and a keen eye for the politics of the age, the story reveals why John Cabot’s 1497 voyage mattered far beyond the fame of later explorers.

Beyond the voyage itself, the book unravels the tangled legacy of the Cabot family, contrasting the celebrated achievements of the father with the self‑promoting tales of his son, Sebastian. Drawing on fresh archival research, it asks fresh questions about identity, citizenship, and how a city’s pride can both preserve and obscure the truth. Listeners will come away with a richer sense of how a single Bristol expedition helped redefine the English-speaking world.