Sir Francis Drake is one of the great heroes of British exploration. Early in his career, he engaged in piracy and illegal slave trading. In 1577, he was recruited to lead an expedition around the southern tip of South America through the Strait of Magellan, and helped open new trade routes that allowed Great Britain to compete effectively with the much larger Spanish Navy and the Spanish colonies that dominated the Atlantic coast of South America. He continued across the Pacific Ocean and around the tip of Africa and home to England, becoming the first Englishman to sail around the world....

A military genius worshiped for his courage; a fierce politician admired for his shrewdness and mercy; a brilliant writer and speaker. It's no wonder that in his lifetime, Julius Caesar held the positions of military tribune, praetor, consul, pro-consul, and dictator. But even his astounding ambition could not make him emperor, though it did achieve the conquest of Cleopatra, ruler of the most fabulous kingdom in all of known civilization. In this biography of Caesar, Bradford steers away from the cliches and legends to cut right to the heart of whom Caesar really was--a man who based his...

Long before he made his fateful crossing of the Atlantic, Christopher Columbus learned his seamanship as a young man in the Mediterranean and then in the service of the King of Portugal. But soon his eyes turned to the ocean and what lay beyond. Opposition to his idea of finding the East by sailing west was based on differing ideas of the size and shape of the world. To the end of his days, Columbus insisted that where his ship came aground was in the Indies, even when it became clear to his contemporaries that they were in fact in an area of the world previously unknown to Europeans....

A thrilling, cinematic account of the siege of Malta as it's never been told before

Suleiman the Magnificent, the most powerful ruler in the world, was determined to conquer Europe. Only one thing stood in his way: a dot of an island in the Mediterranean called Malta, occupied by the Knights of St. John, the cream of the warriors of the Holy Roman Empire. A clash of civilizations the likes of which had not been seen since Persia invaded Greece was shaping up. Determined to capture Malta and use its port to launch operations against Europe, Suleiman sent an armada and an...

Few historians immersed themselves in their topics like bestselling, noted author Ernle Bradford. Specializing in the Mediterranean world and naval topics, Bradford was an enthusiastic sailor himself and spent almost thirty years sailing the Mediterranean, where many of his acclaimed books are set. He served in the Royal Navy during World War II, finishing as the first lieutenant of a destroyer, and afterward worked as an editor and correspondent for the BBC.

Now, his engaging series of military histories is available to a new generation of readers. Constantinople, jewel of the...

Few historians immersed themselves in their topics like bestselling, noted author Ernle Bradford. Specializing in the Mediterranean world and naval topics, Bradford was an enthusiastic sailor himself and spent almost thirty years sailing the Mediterranean, where many of his acclaimed books are set. He served in the Royal Navy during World War II, finishing as the first lieutenant of a destroyer, and afterward worked as an editor and correspondent for the BBC.

Now, his engaging series of military histories is available to a new generation of readers.

"It was the most...

What were the life experiences that turned Bradford from a conventional job holder into a traveler and adventurer? It started with a quote that Bradford and his wife took very much to heart: "Life does not come again; if you have not lived during the days that were given to you, once only, then write it down as lost . . . " It was those profound words of Anton Chekhov that convinced Bradford and his wife to quit their jobs, sell their home, and sail off to France in the Mother Goose, a ten-ton Dutch cutter. The Journeying Moon chronicles their adventures as they travel through...

The life of the great military commander of ancient Carthage from the bestselling author of Thermopylae and Gibraltar.

Born in Carthage in 247 BC, Hannibal Barca is considered one of the greatest military commanders of all time. Following the example set by his father, Hamilcar, he dedicated his life to the defeat of Rome. At the outbreak of the Second Punic War, Hannibal famously led an army across the Pyrenees and the Alps to victory against the Romans at the Battle of Trebia. In the years that followed, Hannibal led the Carthaginian war on Rome through...

Few historians immersed themselves in their topics like bestselling, noted author Ernle Bradford. Specializing in the Mediterranean world and naval topics, Bradford was an enthusiastic sailor himself and spent almost thirty years sailing the Mediterranean, where many of his acclaimed books are set. He served in the Royal Navy during World War II, finishing as the first lieutenant of a destroyer, and afterward worked as an editor and correspondent for the BBC.
Now, his engaging series of military histories is available to a new generation of readers. Bradford brings you the storied...

Continuing the seafaring adventure launched in The Journeying Moon, Bradford and his wife are now voyaging around the island of Sicily, where the couple basks in the captivating history of the land. Home to numerous important archeological sites and Mount Etna, the only active volcano in Europe, Sicily provides the perfect backdrop for this tale of exploration and wonder. In a model travel narrative, Bradford perfectly encapsulates the sights and sounds in his captivating and deeply personal portrayal of an ancient and extraordinary island.