3 h 53 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 3 h 53 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if a voyage into a maze of rivers is also an argument for claiming an empire?
In The Discovery of Guiana, Walter Raleigh recounts his 1595 journey up the Orinoco River, in what is now Venezuela. From Spanish-held Trinidad, he heads toward the mainland with men crowded into small boats. River channels divide and twist, while stories of Manoa, a golden city, draw him onward.
Raleigh wants more than a record of exploration. He wants England and Queen Elizabeth to believe his account and support his plans. His conversations with Topiawari, the leader of Aromaia, sit beside reports of wealth and arguments against Spain. The stakes reach beyond the river: this is travel writing meant to win backing for a claim.
What you’ll discover
- A river like a maze Follow Raleigh into the branching Orinoco, where crowded boats make exploration a physical test.
- Conversations with Topiawari Meet the leader whose knowledge gives Raleigh much to discuss and report.
- The lure of Manoa Explore how tales of a golden city give the voyage its powerful promise.
- An explorer making his case Watch Raleigh turn descriptions of land and wealth into a plea for English support.
- Between sight and story Consider the difference between what Raleigh sees and the marvels he hears about.
Who will love it
Readers who love true adventure, river voyages and Elizabethan England will enjoy it. It suits anyone curious about England and Spain, early exploration and lost cities.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A voyage seeks a second chance
- Gold samples become a disputed promise
- Raleigh wins ground and hides distance
- Manoa rests on other people's accounts
- Spanish failures suggest another approach
- The river becomes the main opponent
- Allies matter more than a raid
- The journey becomes an imperial proposal
- Hope colors the evidence of discovery
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet or computer, once the book texts are online.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, once the book texts are online.
- Audiobook
- Read by Lucas Linden, complete. It opens once the recording is online.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 14 minutes, to read today.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout. The eBook and the audiobook open when the book texts go online.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then USD 0.14 a day in your first year on the yearly plan and USD 0.27 a day after, or USD 0.66 a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook, audiobook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
The Discovery of Guiana
by Walter Raleigh · 1596
Sir Walter Raleigh rows four hundred miles up the Orinoco in open boats, chasing the golden city of Manoa.
Challenging2–5 hours to readEnglish
Learn a language with challenging classicsSpanishFrenchGermanItalianJapanesePortugueseEnglishHow we measure levels
Excellent
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeFree for 3 months, then USD 0.14 a dayCancel anytimeHow it works
- Read or listen
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
In short
What would you do to win back a queen's favor? Sir Walter Raleigh, once close to Queen Elizabeth and now out of grace, sails from England in February 1595 with a bold answer.
The Discovery of Guiana at a glance
- Reading time
- About 2 h 15 min1 h 45 min fast, 2 h 40 min slow
- Length
- 32,100 words
- Library level
- Challenging long sentences, a rich vocabulary
- First published
- 1596by Walter Raleigh
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Raleigh writes to win back royal favor
The book opens with two letters, and they tell you why it exists. Raleigh writes to Lord Admiral Charles Howard and Sir Robert Cecil, two powerful men at court. He says he has come home a beggar, worn out by hunger, heat and sickness, and he asks them to defend his work against enemies.
Raleigh had fallen from favor, and rumors followed him. He answers that his voyage was real, that he spent nearly all he had left, and that he sought no plunder.
Free for 3 months · Cancel anytime
You looked at
Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 14 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1596
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 2 h 30 min
- Level
- Challenging
Cite this edition
Raleigh, Walter. The Discovery of Guiana. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-discovery-of-guiana.
Raleigh, W. (2026). The discovery of Guiana. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-discovery-of-guiana (Original work published 1596)
Raleigh, Walter. The Discovery of Guiana. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-discovery-of-guiana.
@book{raleigh2026discovery,
author = {Raleigh, Walter},
title = {The Discovery of Guiana},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-discovery-of-guiana},
note = {First published 1596}
}
Free gifts
USD 580 in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
USD 170FREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
USD 120FREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
USD 60FREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
USD 60FREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
USD 170FREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about The Discovery of Guiana
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What is The Discovery of Guiana about?
It is Raleigh's account of his 1595 voyage from England to Trinidad and up the Orinoco River in search of the golden city of Manoa, also called El Dorado, written to persuade Queen Elizabeth to claim the region.
Who or what is El Dorado in Raleigh's book?
El Dorado is the Spanish name for Manoa, the supposed capital of Guiana. Raleigh says Juan Martinez gave it that name after seeing drinkers coated in gold dust at the emperor's feasts.
Is The Discovery of Guiana a true story?
It is Raleigh's own report of a real voyage, printed in 1596. He describes places and people he saw, but he also repeats rumors about gold and unusual peoples, and writes to win royal support.
The author
Walter Raleigh
1552–1618 · English explorer and writer
English statesman, soldier and writer.
More like this
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
