In 1577, Francis Drake takes command of a voyage so secret that even his captains sail under false orders — and not less than the Queen’s seal hides a mission aimed at Spain’s lifeblood—its dominance over the treasure routes that span two oceans and colonial strongholds that bring her fabulous wealth.

Three ships slip from England under the guise of trade, but in the halls of Vallodolid, alarm bells ring. Spain’s agents in London and Lisbon work frantically to uncover the fleet’s real purpose, and the ever-prudent Philip dispatches warnings and warships to protect Spain’s global maritime empire, to intercept and sink Drake before he can strike.

Through storms, mutiny, and the public beheading of Thomas Doughty, Drake bursts into the Pacific, a sea Spain claims as its own. There, he drives a merciless campaign—burning ports, seizing treasure ships, and tearing at Spain’s grip on the Americas. But behind the gun smoke lies the voyage’s deeper aim: to push north in search of the fabled Northern Passage, a prize that could destroy Spain’s monopoly over two oceans.

When the Golden Hind completes her circumnavigation, it is more than a feat of seamanship—it is a gauntlet flung at Philip’s feet, a challenge Spain cannot ignore.

Drake would have it no other way.

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