If in the XVI century England was an ordinary island kingdom, then after two centuries it turned into a vast maritime empire, over which the sun never set. The heroes of this book stand in a long row of outstanding travelers and adventurers who plowed the vastness of the oceans, discovered distant lands and asserted the power of the English crown. These are the famous English sailors - Sir Walter Raleigh, a royal pirate who spent a lot of effort in search of the legendary country of El Dorado, William Dampier, who made three trips around the world, William Bly, captain of the legendary Bounty ship.