Trafalgar (1873) is a novel by Benito Pérez Galdós. Published toward
the beginning of Pérez Galdós' career, Trafalgar is the first in of 46
historical novels in the author's monumental, career spanning series of
National Episodes. Set during the bloody naval battle of Trafalgar in
1805, Pérez Galdós' novel is a story of heroism, growth, and adventure
that manages to find humanity in history. "Always eager to mimic the
greater world around us, we boys too had our squadrons of little ships,
roughly hewn in wood, with sails of paper or of rag, which we navigated
with the greatest deliberation and gravity in the pools of Puntales or
La Caleta." At fourteen, the young orphan Gabriel de Araceli gets the
chance to leave boyhood games behind when his master, a retired naval
officer, receives a letter requesting his return to service. Together,
Gabriel and Don Alonso set out to join a Spanish Armada preparing to
enter into battle with the British Royal Navy. Painstakingly researched
by its author, Trafalgar is a detailed fictional retelling of one
history's most iconic conflicts. With a beautifully designed cover and
professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Benito Pérez Galdós's
Trafalgar is a classic of Spanish literature reimagined for modern
readers.