Westward Ho! Or, the Voyages and Adventures of Sir Amyas Leigh, Knight, of Burrough, in the County of Devon, in the Reign of Her Most Glorious Majesty Queen Elizabeth

Born on the wild coast of Devon in the age of Elizabeth, young Amyas Leigh catches the salt air and cannot rest until he has tasted the horizons that beckon beyond his father's fields. Inspired by the legendary voyages of Sir Francis Drake and burning to make his name against the Spanish crown, he sets sail for the Caribbean, the Amazon, and ultimately the great waters where the Armada gathers. Kingsley writes with the rollicking energy of a sea shanty, propelling his hero through shipwrecks and battles, encounters with pirates and cannibals, and a devastating love affair that haunts him across oceans. The novel pulses with Victorian muscular Christianity and unapologetic imperial swagger, capturing a moment when England dared to dream itself onto the world stage. It is a book of tremendous forward motion, where virtue is tested by fire and the promise of glory is paid in blood. For readers who want adventure that does not pause for breath.