This is a biography of the great English explorer, soldier, statesman, and sailor, Sir Walter Raleigh, (1552- 1618) Unlike many biographies of Raleigh, this concentrates very much on his personal life, rather than the events with which he is most associated - for example The Spanish Armada. The book is extremely well documented and researched.

In 'Three French Moralists and The Gallantry of France', Edmund Gosse explores the origins of the spirit of gallantry that inspired young French officers at the beginning of World War I. Through his essays, Gosse aims to shed light on the many different strains of the French soul and to understand the source of their idealism. In this book he examines the historical context of the war, through exploring the ideas of the moralists La Rochefoucauld, La Bruyère, and Vauvenargues.