In these two novels Galdós faithfully records the turbulent times in Spain under the shadow of Napoleon. His hero, Gabriel Araceli, an orphan from Cadiz, witnesses the Battle of Trafalgar as a boy on Spain's mightiest ship, the Santisima Trinidad. He survives the battle and subsequent shipwreck to continue his adventures which lead him to the Battle of Salamanca in 1812, after which he finally secures both the hand of his beloved Ines and the approval of Wellington. On the centenary of Galdós's death in 1920, this new translation offers English language readers an opportunity to appreciate a Spanish view of two great events in British military history. His account is full of incident and well-drawn characters who mingle happily with historical persons and events.

Edited and translated by: Rick Morgan