The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English

Richard HakluytProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 4.3
Word count
521K words
Chapters
53

Tags

English Originals World HistoryTravel Historical DocumentsDiscoveryTrade ExchangeOcean VoyageMaritime ExplorationSpirit of Courage16th CenturyWorld OrderAge of ExplorationExotic Culture

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the EnglishAuthor: Hakluyt, Richard, 1552?-1616,Language: English, Class: G: Geography, Anthropology, Recreation, Release Date: May 1, 2005

Editor's review

This compilation of maritime documents edited by Richard Hakluyt is a treasure trove of primary sources for understanding the early history of English overseas expansion. It is not a narrative history in the modern sense but a collection of ships' logs, trade records, diplomatic papers, and exploration reports, showing how the English of the Elizabethan age advanced step by step onto the seas. The book preserves the original language and observational perspective of the mariners of the time, offering direct records of geographical discovery, cross-cultural contact, trade routes, and the details of early colonization; its historical value far exceeds that of popular works. Reading requires some historical background and patience, as the organization is loose and early modern English expressions are frequent, but precisely for this reason it brings readers close to the thinking and tone of that era. It is suitable as supplementary text for research on English maritime history, the Age of Discovery, or imperial history, and for deep readers who prefer original documents. Reading alongside maps and annotated editions is recommended; there is no need to read it through, and one may select by route or region.

Who it's for

A good fit for

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Reading tips

  1. Read the introduction or preface first to understand the compilation background and overall structure, then select specific route chapters of interest.
  2. Read alongside modern or historical maps, marking routes and place names to reduce difficulties posed by old place names.
  3. When encountering early modern spelling and syntax, do not struggle over every word; grasp the people, places, goods, and events.
  4. Read in modules by region or theme, focusing on one voyage or trade area at a time to avoid fatigue from reading straight through.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

Contents

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12
  13. 13
  14. 14
  15. 15
  16. 16
  17. 17
  18. 18
  19. 19
  20. 20
  21. 21
  22. 22
  23. 23
  24. 24
  25. 25
  26. 26
  27. 27
  28. 28
  29. 29
  30. 30
  31. 31
  32. 32
  33. 33
  34. 34
  35. 35
  36. 36
  37. 37
  38. 38
  39. 39
  40. 40
  41. 41
  42. 42
  43. 43
  44. 44
  45. 45
  46. 46
  47. 47
  48. 48
  49. 49
  50. 50
  51. 51
  52. 52
  53. 53

FAQ

Is this book a complete narrative maritime history? No. It is a compilation of documents, including ships' logs, reports, letters, and trade records—primary materials with a loose organization that requires readers to trace the threads themselves. It is better suited as a source reference than as a history book that tells a story from beginning to end.
What language background is needed to read this book? The original is in early modern English, with spelling and syntax that differ from modern English. Good English reading ability is sufficient, but patience is needed to adapt to archaic expressions; if you only want to understand the content, you can consult modern annotations or related scholarly works.
Is it suitable as a college course reader? It is suitable as supplementary source material for courses in English history, maritime history, or imperial history, but not as the sole textbook. Instructors usually need to select specific chapters and provide background explanation for students to use the primary records effectively.

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About the author

Richard Hakluyt Author · English · 1552–1616

Richard Hakluyt (1552?–1616) was an English geographer and clergyman, born in London and educated at Christ Church, Oxford. He devoted his life to collecting records of voyages and travels, compiling The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of the English Nation, first published in 1589; our collection holds 18 of his works. The book draws on first-hand ships' logs, sailors' oral accounts and official documents, arranged by voyage and region in plain, practical prose, preserving extensive detail and geographical knowledge of Tudor-era ocean travel. Hakluyt advocated English colonization of North America and is regarded as a key promoter of Elizabethan overseas expansion; his editorial method and documentary care deeply influenced later compilations of maritime literature. Beyond the outlines of his life, public information about him is limited.