Prisoner of the Indies

Miles Philips is but a lad of thirteen when he sets sail aboard the Jesus of Lubeck from Plymouth on the second day of October, 1567. An eager youth willing to learn, he is ready to be of service to Mr. John Hawkins, renowned privateer, adventurer, transporter of African slaves, and general of the fleet of six vessels. But treachery and ambush await them across the ocean in New Spain, and Miles watches in horror as the ship dies bravely in battle at San Juan de Ulua. Forced to make a choice between almost-certain starvation aboard the lone, crippled vessel and taking his chances on land, Miles chooses the latter—setting out on an extraordinary adventure that will test his courage and his wiles as he attempts to find his way back home.

Based firmly in history, Geoffrey Household’s classic adventure brings a sixteenth-century world of discovery and danger to breathtaking life. A riveting and evocative tale brimming with action and color, Prisoner of the Indies is a magnificent journey back in time that readers of all ages will find impossible to put down.

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Miles Philips, at thirteen, signed on as cabin boy aboard the Jesus of Lubeck, hoping to see the world and make his fortune. He did not know then how difficult it would be to obey the orders of Mr. John Hawkins, General of Her Majesty's Fleet: "Serve God daily, love one another, preserve our victuals and beware of fire."

From the day of departure, October 2, 1567, the Jesus of Lubeck seemed destined for disaster. En route to New Spain she foundered in heavy seas; the food ran out; and the fleet was attacked by Spaniards. At San Juan de Ulúa, Miles and a number of his comrades chose to be put ashore to trust to their own wits and the mercy of the Spanish, rather than die on the voyage back to England.

There were few mercies in the New World and many perils: fever, hunger, torture, the Inquisition. Though under the circumstances it was difficult to serve God and retain a love for his fellowmen, Miles endured imprisonment and slavery while he planned his escape from the Indies.

First recorded in Principle Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of the English Nation, published in 1589 by Richard Hakluyt, the adventures of Miles Philips are a testament to one boy's will to survive, and his ability to watch and learn from his Spanish captors. These qualities. brought Miles Philips to manhood and freedom fifteen years after he sailed from England.

Geoffrey Household is an acknowledged master of suspense novels here and in England. In Prisoner of the Indies, Mr. Household combines his formidable talent for suspense with deep respect for historical fact and appreciation for the Spanish civilization in the New World. The result is an unforgettable reading experience and a welcome tribute to the fortitude of Miles Philips.

—from the dust jacket

This is a Junior Literary Guild selection, chosen as an outstanding book for older readers (C Group).