I would like to recommend this book to anyone interested in history and it’s local heroes. An in depth look at his life at sea and his wars against enemy forces is covered in great detail by the author.t

An amazing biography of the Elizabethan courtier, soldier, and scholar who started the Roanoke Colony and tried to usurp James I.

Sir Walter Ralegh
by John Winton
Pub Date 05 Feb 2023 | Archive Date 04 Mar 2023
Sapere Books
Biographies & Memoirs | History


Sapere Books and Netgalley have provided me with a copy of Sir Walter Ralegh for review.



Sir Walter Ralegh was a sailor, soldier, explorer, poet, parliamentarian, courtier, patron of the arts, falconer, historian, war reporter, and antiquarian.



Elizabeth I's court was dazzled by him, but he was imprisoned and later beheaded by her successor, James I.
What caused this mercurial figure to fall from grace? How does his legacy continue to influence citizens in both the Old World and the New World today?


In this engaging biography, John Winton explores the life of this Renaissance statesman and explorer, from his early years in Devonshire to his years fighting the Catholics in France, Ireland, and the Low Countries before exploring Ralegh's attempts to colonize the New World. Winton's exquisitely written book discusses Ralegh's glorious rise to prominence before the Spanish Armada, and his equally swift fall during the reign of James I, utilizing a variety of sources.


I give Sir Walter Ralegh five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

I'm going through this period of learning about people who've interested me in some form of another, lately it's been renaissance men and also former world leaders.
This was most definitely an insight into SWR and his time.
What a time to be alive, when the world was seen through a much more disrorted lense.

So fascinating that I read it in one sitting. Raleigh’s role in his time and in history is just fascinating and this book truly captures the level of detail needed to fully understand this. Well researched and written, this book adds a great deal to anyone’s understanding of the era.