This is a book whoring diary. The book in question is The Secret Voyage of Sir Francis Drake and was written by Sam Bawlf. I know Sam and had the opportunity to proofread the annotated version (for the historians) before it was published. The book has received good reviews from both historians and literary critics, and has been picked up by the History Channel as the subject of one of their productions, so I don't feel like I'm foisting off some otherwise unreadable crud.
I have always found history to be much more fascinating than most fiction, for the usual reason that nobody could make up that stuff. This book has it all; Queen Bess, Drake the pirate, a race for the Northwest Passage, the Spanish Inquisition, international politics, incredible sailing skills, and a solution to the 400 year old mystery of Drake's Voyage. It's worth the read, people, and I rarely say that.
The full review is here, with excerpts and comments below the fold.
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