Sir Francis Drake: The Construction of a Hero

摘要

This is a new look at a well-worn subject. However, it is not about the life of Drake but a careful review of the image of Drake as continually constructed and reconstructed by successive generations of his countrymen to reflect the needs and anxieties of each new era-often to justify the existing order. There is Drake the self-made man, explorer, slaver, circumnavigator, pious churchgoer, hero of the Spanish Armada battles, supporter of the Crown, warrior founder of British sea power, leader of commercial enterprise, forefather of Nelson and The Grand Fleet, political leader in the West Country and Parliament, and civic benefactor who brought good water to Plymouth-all true to a greater or lesser degree, all seen through different lenses over time.