Sir Francis Drake

Sir Francis Drake rose from humble beginnings on an English farm to become one of the country's most widely acclaimed heroes.

As a result of his early exploits at what amounted to piracy in the Caribbean, he acquired great wealth and fame.

He became a confidant of Queen Elizabeth I, a terror to the king of Spain, and an admiral in the navy that defeated the mighty Spanish Armada.

As an explorer, Drake was the first Englishman to circumnavigate the world - the second ever to do so after Magellan - and his voyages uncovered much about the western coast of the Americas, the Pacific Northwest, the Pacific Ocean, and Cape Horn.

Read in ""Sir Francis Drake"" how this man's career opened the way for more exploration by the English and was part of the foundation of British naval power.