The Admiral Benbow: The Life and Times of a Naval Legend (Hearts of Oak Trilogy) - Softcover

Sam Willis

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1849160376 ISBN 13: 9781849160377

Publisher: Quercus Publishing Plc, 2011

Synopsis

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 feted 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.

About this title

Review:

'Willis is a magnificent describer of the realities of fighting ships at sea' Sunday Times. --Review.

From the Back Cover:

Admiral John Benbow was an English naval hero, a fighting sailor of ruthless methods and indomitable courage. In 1702, however, when Benbow engaged a French squadron off the Spanish main, other ships in his squadron failed to support him. Grievously injured, Benbow fought on - but the French escaped and he succumbed to his wounds. When the story of his 'Last Fight' reached England, 'Brave Benbow' was elevated from national hero to national legend, his valour immortalized in broadsheet and folksong. Ships were named after him and Tennyson later feted him in verse. 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. All aspects of seventeenth-century naval life are covered in vivid detail, from strategy and tactics to health and discipline. The second volume in the Hearts of Oaks 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.

About this edition

• Publisher: Quercus Publishing Plc
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 1849160376
• ISBN 13: 9781849160377
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 352