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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 fêted 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.
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 fêted 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.
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Reviews
'A must-read account of the life of a man who embodies a forgotten and undervalued period in Britain's maritime history' Dan Snow.
'Willis is a magnificent describer of the realities of fighting ships at sea' Sunday Times.
'Fascinating ... One of the best naval biographies to appear for many years' BBC History Magazine.
'A fascinating biography ... Willis has done a tremendous job of reassessing this neglected period in our rich naval history' Mail on Sunday.
'a vibrant picture of life in the British Navy in the century or so leading up to the great age of Nelson' Mail on Sunday.
