Sir Walter Raleigh-soldier, explorer, adventurer, lover of Queen Elizabeth-emerges from the pages of history and myth, full-blooded, passionate, and profoundly human. After unjustly languishing for years in the Tower, Raleigh undertakes one final voyage in search of gold. On his doomed quest he contends with Spanish forces, mutiny, pirates, court intrigue, and disease, all under the shadow of the executioner"s blade awaiting him back home. Along the way, he also recounts his storied rise from humble origins into the Virgin Queen"s favor and court-and ultimately her bed. This powerful and action packed novel breathes life into the most dazzling yet most enigmatic of Elizabethans.