314 Drake goes Bowling

As the Armada sailed serenely up the Channel, the English tried desperately to&nbsp;make some impression before it reached Flanders. But Medina Sidonia had worries of his&nbsp;own...<hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target=' ... Show More

The defeat of the Armada feels in retrospect like a watershed in Elizabeth's reign; many of her closest advisers and companions died, and for the remainder of her reign England would be at war. Much of that war was fought on land, contrary to the normal story.<hr><p style='color: ... Show More

Henry IV of France, regarded as one of France's greatest leaders, looks for way to bring peace and unity to his divided country, while England and Spain trade blows. And the story of&nbsp;Grainne Ni Mhaille, aka Grace O'Malley.<hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted ... Show More

<p>In July 1588 the Spanish Armada set sail to conquer England. Three weeks later a fierce naval battle foiled the planned invasion. Many myths surround these events. The "genius" of Sir Francis Drake is exalted, while Spain’s efforts are belittled. But what really happened du ... Show More

The defeat of the Spanish Armada by the English navy is often recounted as a ‘David and Goliath’ tale in which one tiny country overcame a huge and formidable empire. It secured the continuance of Protestant rule in England and was a defining moment in the reign of Queen Elizabet ... Show More

<p>Dan tells swashbuckling tales of Francis Drake on the Spanish Main. Francis Drake was England's first imperial warrior forged in the crucible of the 16th-century naval engagements against Spain. This episode covers Drake's early life, his transformation from a passionate Prote ... Show More

What did English merchants and mariners do when a Spanish invasion fleet menaced the South Coast in 1588? Well, as today’s long read written by Robert Blackmore reveals, they simply boarded their ships and carried on trading. HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles f ... Show More

Seven thousand ships depart Britain. The King intervenes to prevent Churchill from personally crossing the Channel. On board, soldiers prepare themselves in whatever ways they can - fevered prayers, photos of loved ones, slap-up meals. As dawn breaks, the first Allied landing cra ... Show More

In the 15th century, Admiral Zheng He, on the orders of the Emperor of China, embarked upon a series of extraordinary voyages of exploration. These voyages were undertaken in fleets of up to 300 colossal ships, with tens of thousands of men, at great cost to the court of the Ming ... Show More

Who was Captain Morgan, and why is a spiced rum named after him? How did a Welsh buccaneer lead an attack on the heart of Spain’s empire in Panama? How did Elizabeth I fund Francis Drake’s first slaving voyage? William and Anita are joined once again by historian and archaeologis ... Show More

December 1, 1564. Spanish vessels left a secret port in Mexico about two weeks ago. Their goal: to sail across the Pacific and back, charting a new route for international trade, and giving Spain an edge against its chief colonial rival, Portugal. But today, when a storm hits, th ... Show More

2/3. Thomas Cochrane and his crew of the HMS Imperieuse embark on their greatest and most audacious scheme yet; Cochrane leads a flotilla of burning vessels and exploding bomb ships piled high with gunpowder into a fleet of Napoleon's forces off the coast of Biscay. The Battle of ... Show More