Includes bibliographical references (pages 205-257) and index.

This book is a gripping tale of shipwreck and survival that changed the fate of the colonies and enriched our literary legacy. In 1609 William Strachey, an English gentleman with literary aspirations but failing means, set sail aboard the Sea Venture, the flagship of the fleet of nine vessels bound for the fledgling colony of Jamestown, Virginia. The voyage was intended to inspire the writing and establish the social connections that would finally bring Strachey literary acclaim. Stocked with provisions to revive the struggling Jamestown, the fleet carried men and women of all classes -- from aristocratic governors to craftsmen and servants -- charged with strengthening the settlement and securing England's foothold in the New World. More than halfway across the Atlantic disaster struck: a punishing hurricane separated the Sea Venture from its fleet and ran it aground on uninhabited Bermuda. Miraculously, all 153 people on board survived and were able to settle on this unexpectedly bountiful island for nearly a year, and during the wilderness, the uncertainty of their future, the threat of mutiny, and even murder. Drawing from the meticulous records Strachey kept of the castaways' life on Bermuda, and of their eventual arrival in Jamestown, Hobson Woodward brings to life a pivotal episode in colonial history as seen through the eyes of an ordinary man. - Jacket flap.

A gripping tale of shipwreck and survival, "A Brave Vessel" is the fascinating account of a near-miss in the settling of Virginia, the true story behind Shakespeare's "The Tempest," and the tragedy of the man who failed as an author but who contributed to the creation of a masterpiece.

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