Few historians immersed themselves in their topics like bestselling, noted author Ernle Bradford. Specializing in the Mediterranean world and naval topics, Bradford was an enthusiastic sailor himself and spent almost thirty years sailing the Mediterranean, where many of his acclaimed books are set. He served in the Royal Navy during World War II, finishing as the first lieutenant of a destroyer, and afterward worked as an editor and correspondent...

History has it that when Hannibal was a young boy, his father, ruler of Carthage, held his son over a fire and made him swear eternal enmity toward Rome. It was not necessary: The fire already burned in Hannibal's breast. In time, that flame would destroy the flower of the Roman legions. In an almost unbelievable feat of courage and endurance, Hannibal led his army over the Pyrenees and Alps to challenge Rome's hegemony. And he succeeded against astonishing...

Before Columbus, before Vespucci, before Drake, there was Henry the Navigator. Pirate hunter, intrepid explorer, ship designer, and much more, Henry was one of the great innovators in the age of discovery. Yet the scope of his contribution to our world is often overshadowed by other figures. But Bradford brings the gripping tale of this pioneer to light, putting into perspective the work of Henry the Navigator. In his lifetime, Henry helped break...

Continuing the seafaring adventure launched in The Journeying Moon, Bradford and his wife are now voyaging around the island of Sicily, where the couple basks in the captivating history of the land. Home to numerous important archeological sites and Mount Etna, the only active volcano in Europe, Sicily provides the perfect backdrop for this tale of exploration and wonder. In a model travel narrative, Bradford perfectly encapsulates the sights and...

Sir Francis Drake is one of the great heroes of British exploration. Early in his career, he engaged in piracy and illegal slave trading. In 1577, he was recruited to lead an expedition around the southern tip of South America through the Strait of Magellan, and helped open new trade routes that allowed Great Britain to compete effectively with the much larger Spanish Navy and the Spanish colonies that dominated the Atlantic coast of South America....

Since ships first set sail in the Mediterranean, The Rock has been the gate of Fortress Europe. In ancient times, it was known as one of the Pillars of Hercules, and a glance at its formidable mass suggests that it may well have been created by the gods. Sought after by every nation with territorial ambitions in Europe, Asia, and Africa, Gibraltar was possessed by the Arabs, the Spanish, and ultimately the British, who captured it in the early 1700s...

Few historians immersed themselves in their topics like bestselling, noted author Ernle Bradford. Specializing in the Mediterranean world and naval topics, Bradford was an enthusiastic sailor himself and spent almost thirty years sailing the Mediterranean, where many of his acclaimed books are set. He served in the Royal Navy during World War II, finishing as the first lieutenant of a destroyer, and afterward worked as an editor and correspondent...

Few historians immersed themselves in their topics like bestselling, noted author Ernle Bradford. Specializing in the Mediterranean world and naval topics, Bradford was an enthusiastic sailor himself and spent almost thirty years sailing the Mediterranean, where many of his acclaimed books are set. He served in the Royal Navy during World War II, finishing as the first lieutenant of a destroyer, and afterward worked as an editor and correspondent...