Historical Fiction Author Paul Jariabek Headshot
Night battle scene between English and Spanish galleons during the 1588 Spanish Armada, painted in dramatic Baroque style—wooden ships with towering sterns, cannon fire, and burning sails light the stormy sea—perfect for readers of historical fiction fans of great books to read about maritime warfare.

Historical Fiction Series Adventures of Francis Drake by Paul Jariabek

What circumstances and conditions create someone like Sir Francis Drake? What motivates him to risk his life in faraway seas and lands? Was it ambition, lust for power and riches? Or was it personal hate and vengefulness against a foe?
Portrait of Sir Francis Drake

In this heavily researched exploration, I try to fill in gaps and details while keeping history and technology as accurate as possible. I hope you enjoy the stories that attempt to breathe life into history, put passion into thoughts, and color the actions.

So, sign the muster book and climb aboard a 16th century armed merchantman. Feel the strain of the running rigging. Hear the wind snapping the sails and feel the heaving of the waves. Load and run out the guns and prepare the ship for action.

Discover… Drake.

Books in the Series

Cover of Sic Parvis Magna

Sic Parvis Magna

Discover Sic Parvis Magna, an historical fiction novel of Francis Drake's youth.

Cover of Retribution

Retribution

In Retribution, young Francis Drake joins a cut-out raid in 1557, shaping his path to piracy. Read this vivid naval historical fiction tale.

Cover of First Blood

First Blood

A historical fiction novel of Francis Drake's daring raids and the vengeful persosnal war against the Spanish crown.

Series Vision

The four books in the Adventures of Francis Drake historical fiction series trace the arc from small beginnings to greatness—from a farmer's boy to the man who would infamously "singe Philip's beard." Through meticulous research and a little creative license, I aim to uncover the man behind the legend.

Each book reveals a new stage in Drake's transformation: from the devout son of a Devon shearsman and prayer reader, to a profit-driven sea captain, and ultimately, an Elizabethan sea dog who laid the keel of a naval superpower.

I invite you to come back in time and step onto the deck of a wooden galleon fearlessly charging into the storm-lashed seas of the 16th century.