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The Quest for El Dorado
Sir Walter Ralegh and the City of Gold
Brief Description
A new history of one the greatest feats of exploration – Walter Ralegh’s search for El Dorado, the legendary City of Gold.In 1594, English adventurer Sir Walter Ralegh heard the story of a lost city in South America from a Spanish conquistador. Setting out from Plymouth...
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See moreA compelling maritime story of shipwreck and plunder that breathes new life into one of the greatest quests in the history of exploration: the search for the legendary City of Gold
A compelling maritime story of shipwreck and plunder that breathes new life into one of the greatest quests in the history of exploration: the search for the legendary City of Gold
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Description
A new history of one the greatest feats of exploration – Walter Ralegh’s search for El Dorado, the legendary City of Gold.
In 1594, English adventurer Sir Walter Ralegh heard the story of a lost city in South America from a Spanish conquistador. Setting out from Plymouth in February 1595, Ralegh reached the mouth of the Orinoco River and travelled over 400 miles inland to find it. Along the way, he captured galleons full of treasure, fought the Spanish and befriended the indigenous peoples.
Hoping to win favour with Queen Elizabeth I, he was convinced that a ‘gold-rich empire more lucrative than Peru’ lay just beyond reach. He vowed to return once more, so he could finally earn fame and fortune. The book that he wrote about his voyage, Discoverie, reveals the worldview of Europeans on the cusp of the modern era and the enormous drive that the search for unimaginable riches gave men such as Ralegh during the Age of Exploration. But, after he was imprisoned by James I, with a death sentence hanging over him, his hopes were put on hold for years until he was finally granted a second chance to try again…
The Quest for El Dorado is a compelling new narrative of one of the most enduring myths in history. Based on contemporary sources and his own researches as a maritime archaeologist, David Gibbins tells a story of exploration and plunder, shedding new light on Ralegh’s famous voyages.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781526688941
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 21 May 2026
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 153.0mm
Height: 234.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 320
About the Author
David Gibbins is the internationally bestselling author of A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks as well as thirteen archaeological and historical novels. His books have sold more than three million copies and are published in thirty languages. After taking a PhD from Cambridge University, he taught archaeology in Britain and abroad, and is an leading authority on shipwrecks and maritime archaeology. He has led numerous expeditions to investigate underwater sites around the world.
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