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Spirited and adventurous, Sir Rupert Holmes lived a life rich with escapades. Embarking on one of the strangest and most romantic episodes in naval history, he accompanied the exiled Prince Rupert on a cruise to Portugal, the Mediterranean, West Africa, and the West Indies. And, after the Restoration, Holmes--in perhaps the most successful single feat of arms of the century--succeeded in destroying a great part of the Dutch Merchant Marine. In a biography that overflows with as much excitement, intrigue, and vitality as its hero, all Holmes's contributions to England's seagoing supremacy--as well as the gusto of the Restoration period--shine forth. "A first-class account written with a nice mixture of humor, observation, and narrative skill."--C.V. Wedgwood.