I was first introduced to Tony Riches when I read his Tudor Trilogy, about the founding and growth of the Tudor family. With his latest series – the Elizabethans – he populates the Elizabethan court with some of the outstanding characters of the day. The first book had the reader sailing with Sir Francis Drake, the second in the middle of rebellion with Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex. In this book, the reader accompanies Sir Walter Raleigh (or Rawley as he was earlier called) from his days as an impoverished law student to the lively and glittering court of Elizabeth I. He doesn’t dance or joust, doesn’t come from a noble family, nor marry into one. He just has an overweening ambition to be a courtier, to wear the rich clothes, and to have the ear of the Queen.
Raleigh is an adventurer from the start, taking part in the religious civil wars in France in his late teens, then in the suppression of a rebellion in Ireland. Raleigh proceeds to finish his education in the Inns of the Court and then is admitted to Middle Temple, which is one of the four Inns of the Court exclusively entitling him as a member of the English Bar as a barrister. He has absolutely no interest in the law and decides he can most easily attain his goals by adventure and piracy. With financial backing from his family – his cousin Sir Richard Grenville and a younger half-brother Sir Humphrey Gilbert – he opts for sea-going adventures to fill his coffers with Spain’s gold, along with those of the Queen, in an attempt to get her attention. He is successful enough to become one of the principal landowners and colonists in Munster, Ireland, for seventeen years. His Irish estates ran into difficulties that contributed to a decline in his fortunes, but he finally becomes a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I because of his efforts at increasing the Protestant Church in Ireland. In 1585, Raleigh is knighted by Queen Elizabeth, whose ear he did have from time to time. She grants Raleigh a royal charter authorizing him to explore, colonize and rule any heathen lands in the New World, in return for one-fifth of all the gold and silver that might be mined there
Most of us know the story of Raleigh in the New World and the lost colonists of Roanoke. No gold and silver are found by the expeditions he funded, but he himself leads expeditions to the Orinoco river basin in South America in search of the golden city of El Dorado, which he never finds.
The author has done an amazing amount of research to bring the people in Raleigh’s circle to life and to let the reader experience the highs and lows of his time at court, and his longer time away from it. Raleigh loved Queen Elizabeth and his choice of his life’s paths are always made with her in mind, to the detriment of himself and his family. Riches introduces such notable nobles as Sir Francis Walsingham and the poet Edmund Spenser, and sets the years of Raleigh’s life against an authentic backdrop of the Court, its unending intrigues, and the history of the time. The clothing, food, and customs do not elude the author’s attention, so the reader becomes embedded in the times.
The book ends with the death of Elizabeth, and perhaps that is for the best because the remaining years of Raleigh’s life under the rule of James I were unfortunate. The reader is left with the image of a man who seeks adventure – who, despite or perhaps because of his lowly origins, is determined and focused in his pursuit of wealth and a courtier’s life – and who is also in love with his Queen.
I highly recommend yet another well-written and richly ornamented book by Tony Riches.
About the author:
Tony Riches was born in Pembrokeshire, West Wales, and spent part of his childhood in Kenya. He gained a BA degree in Psychology and an MBA from Cardiff University and worked as a Management Consultant, followed by senior roles in the Welsh NHS and Local Government.
After writing several successful non-fiction books, Tony decided to turn to novel writing. His real interest is in the history of the fifteenth century, and now his focus is on writing historical fiction about the lives of key figures of the period.
Today Tony lives in Pembrokeshire, West Wales, an area full of inspiration for his writing. He is a specialist in the lives of the Tudors. He also runs the popular ‘Stories of the Tudors’ podcast, and posts book reviews, author interviews, and guest posts at his blog, ‘The Writing Desk’. In his spare time, he enjoys sailing and sea kayaking.
Visit Tony
At his website: www.tonyriches.co.uk,
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tony.riches.9
And on Twitter: @tonyriches.
You can find Raleigh – Tudor Adventurer on Amazon
A fascinating and complex character. My previous knowledge of Raleigh came from a couple of books I read at junior school – seems there’s more to the man than I remember…
There’s a lot more, Alex. He was a complicated character, flawed but admirable. Thanks for stopping by!
I only know him from high school history classes. What a complex person.
Absolutely. What we get in school is just the tip of the iceberg! Thanks, Wendy!
Thank you Noelle.
Wow. Noelle. Can you imagine just deciding to be a pirate? Or to go off and search for a city of gold? Raleigh’s life seems… well… larger than life. An interesting connection to Elizabeth I, which made me very curious. Thanks for the wonderful review and congrats to Riches on what sounds like a meticulously researched and entertaining book.
Thanks, Diana. All his books are. I contacted him a few years ago for advice on The Last Pilgrim. He was in the Tower of London, some part that the tourists don’t get to see!
Isn’t that cool. Clearly he gave you some great advice, because your book turned out wonderful. I got a private tour of a building for one of my books. It was a hoot even though it was nothing quite as glamorous as the Tower of London.
This sounds like it must be right up your alley, Noelle. It reminds me of the type of books you like to right (e.g., The Last Pilgrim) filled with historical reserach.
Yup, historical fiction is right up there with mysteries. I’m going to begin the research for my next historical book this summer. But I don’t think I can rival Tony Riches – he is amazing!