No Ordinary Man: The Life and Times of Miguel de Cervantes"A fascinating story."—Choice "A remarkable achievement."—Sunday Herald For the general reader, as well as students and historians, this absorbing study chronicles the life and work of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1547–1616). World-renowned as the author of Don Quixote, the "Spanish Shakespeare" led an adventurous and fruitful life that encompassed widely disparate roles—spy, lover, soldier, hostage, tax collector, poet, playwright, and, most notably, creator of the first European novel. This biography is based on new original research, and incorporates previously unpublished material on Cervantes' long period of captivity in Algiers; also, his involvement with piracy in the Mediterranean and with espionage and the Spanish Armada; and his work as an agent of the Spanish government. Containing significant details never before available in English, it is an important contribution to the understanding of a unique literary figure. |
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Alcalá de Henares Algiers Ana Franca Andalusia Antonio Armada Astrana Marín biographers brother Canavaggio Captive's Tale captives Castile Catalina Cervantes family Cervantes Saavedra Christian Church claims clearly Córdoba court daughter death debts Despite document Documentos de Miguel Don John Don Quixote ducats Duke of Lerma edition Erasmus escape Esquivias Exemplary Novels fact father fiction Francisco Galatea Galleys Granada Habsburg Spain Hasan Pasha Isabel Isunza Juan de Cervantes Juan de Urbina king knew knight known La Galatea later Leonor Lepanto literary literature Lope de Vega Luis de Molina Madrid Magdalena maravedís marriage Miguel de Cervantes monarch months Moriscos Naples official Persiles and Sigismunda Philip II Philip II's play poetry poets Portugal prison prologue proved published ransom readers Rodrigo royal Seville sixteenth century Society in Habsburg soldier Spaniards Spanish success theatre Toledo town University Press Valladolid Vassberg Voyage to Parnassus writing