A portrait of a colourful Elizabethan slaver; merchant and admiral. Although his cousin Sir Francis Drake is more famous; Sir John Hawkins (1532-1595) was a more successful seaman and played a pivotal role in the history of England and the emergence of the global slave trade. Born into a family of wealthy pirates; Hawkins became fascinated by tales of the riches of foreign lands. Early in his career he led an illegal expedition in which he captured three hundred slaves in Sierra Leone and transported them to the West Indies. There he traded them for pearls; hides and sugar; thus giving birth to the British slave trade. His voyages were so lucrative that Queen Elizabeth herself sponsored subsequent missions. Discouraged from his career as a pirate by a near-fatal encounter with angry Spanish troops; Hawkins spent much of his later life in England at the service of the queen. Although he committed treason; murder and adultery at various points in his career; he was nonetheless knighted in 1588 for his role in defeating the Spanish Armada. In this work; Harry Kelsey; biographer of Sir Francis Drake; tells the story of this extraordinary man.
#525841 in Books 1998-11-10Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.89 x .85 x 5.90l; 1.02 #File Name: 0300076592336 pages
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. A fascinating look inside a religious sub-cultureBy Jonathan AndersenSt. Jude is the patron saint of hopeless causes; and the cult of devotion surrounding him was first established in a Mexican-American church in Chicago during 1929. Orsi's Thank You; St. Jude draws upon extensive knowledge in the fields of religious; social; cultural; and scientific history in order to relay the unique story of women's devotion to this unique saint. Orsi's work begins with the cult's establishment and traces stories of women's relationship with Jude as they navigated a rapidly shifting culture in the United States; turbulent economic situations; familial problems; and more. These stories are largely taken from letters sent to St. Jude; devotional publications; and personal interviews. Orsi weaves them in thematic chapters while providing analysis along the way.Orsi's main arguments center on the many dialectics regarding women's devotion to St. Jude. These dialectics include how St. Jude shaped the culture and lives of the women who gave him devotion even as their devotion shaped how he was imagined by the Church in the United States. Another of Orsi's arguments is that St. Jude; who was often turned to in deep despair and loneliness; transformed women's lives by connecting them with other sympathetic women and provided healing by giving them hope; a voice; and a new way to imagine their medical situations. Finally; Orsi believes that embedded in all of St. Jude's service to women was the reality that St. Jude needs them for his preservation just as much as they have needed him throughout history.The material culture sources that Orsi engages and weaves throughout the book provide for a fascinating look inside a religious sub-culture of the United States that few regularly enter into. Devotees' narrative stories move the book's arguments forward in engaging ways; and Orsi's multi-faceted knowledge of history provides for sharp analysis. At times; Orsi employed too many examples from his sources and left me wondering how this history proved relevant to my life. Even so; his work revealed how one could write an engaging book on such a specific topic.9 of 16 people found the following review helpful. Detailed history of St.Jude's popularity beginning in theUSABy A CustomerThis book offers the reader a detailed acccount of St.Jude's history and popularity in America. The author interviewed countless women in Chicago to learn of their common themes that brought them to honor St.Jude. As a devout friend of St.Jude I found this book to be fascinating.2 of 10 people found the following review helpful. My Grandmother from Chicago and in her 90's is enjoying this bookBy Shellie D. NunnI have not read this book myself but I sent it to my grandmother because she is a follower of St. Jude. She is 92 yeaers old; and prays to him daily. She is enjoying it and says it is a "stroll down memory lane" for her since she is from the area and was a child and a young adult during and around the time the book is set.
