The noted English historian describes the growth of England as a great sea power, explaining how the English Navy ruled the waves and could spread the English race over the globe. This series of lectures has become a standard source on Hawkins, Drake and seamen of the Armada days. Froude's lectures, originally delivered in 1893-4, cover: The Sea Cradle of the Reformation; John Hawkins and the African Slave Trade; Sir John Hawkins and Philip the Second; Drake's Voyage Around the World; Parties in the State; The Great Expedition to the West Indies; Attack on Cadiz; Sailing of the Armada; and Defeat of the Armada. James Anthony Froude (1818-1894) was Late Regius Professor of Modern History in The University of Oxford. He was a renowned writer and historian, and a close friend and disciple of Thomas Carlyle. He was a controversial figure during his lifetime, and brought down upon himself the wrath of the high church; this did not stop the crowds from attending his lectures, as he was a compelling speaker. This was Froude's last book, published shortly after his death. As a writer of English prose he has few equals in the nineteenth century.