Don Quixote: Introduction by A. J. Close Hardcover - 1991

Miguel De Cervantes (1547-1616) was born to a poor family in the town of Alcal de Henares in Spain. After being educated in Madrid (where he was his schoolmaster's 'most beloved pupil') he went to Italy where it was not long before he volunteered for the army. Cervantes took part in the great naval battle of Lepanto (1571), when the Christian powers led by the Venetians defeated the Turks in the eastern Mediterranean. As a result he was wounded in the left hand which rendered it useless and earned him the title 'El Manco de Lepanto'. In 1575, while returning to Spain from another military expedition, he was captured by pirates and taken to Algiers as a prisoner. His captivity lasted for five long years during which he made repeated efforts to escape, firmly believing that 'one should risk one's life for honour and liberty'. When Cervantes was finally ransomed he returned to Spain, not to a hero's welcome as he expected, but to find himself with no money and apparently no future. He turned to writing for his livelihood, drawing on his experiences in prison and as a soldier for his stories and plays. His early works brought neither wealth nor fame but when the first part of Don Quixote was published in 1605 it proved to be an instant success. Translated into English in 1612 it has been one of the world's most popular and influential books ever since. Even with this, however, and the second part which was published in 1614, Cervantes did not become a rich man, but he did obtain for himself a patron and was thereafter able to devote himself fully to his writings.
______ Miguel De Cervantes (1547-1616) naci en el seno de una familia pobre en el pueblo de Alcal de Henares, en Espaa. Tras ser educado en Madrid (donde fue el pupilo preferido de su profesor) parti a Italia, donde pronto se enlist de manera voluntaria en la armada. Cervantes particip en la gran batalla naval de Lepanto (1571), cuando los Cristianos lidereados por los venecianos derrotaron a los turcos al este del Mediterrneo. Esta batalla le dej una mano herida que nunca recuper total movilidad, por lo que Cervantes obtuvo el mote de 'El Manco de Lepanto'. En 1575, al volver a Espaa tras otra expedicin militar, fue capturado por piratas y llevado a Algeria como prisionero. Permaneci en cautiverio durante cinco largos aos, tiempo en el que intent escapar varias veces con la ferviente creencia de que "uno debiera arriesgar la vida por el honor y la libertad". Cuando finalmente fue rescatado, Cervantes volvi a Espaa no como para ser recibido como hroe, sino a enfrentarse a una vida sin dinero y, aparentemente, sin futuro. Se volc a la escritura para poder sobrevivir, convirtiendo sus experiencias en el ejrcito y prisin en relatos y obras de teatro. Sus primeras obras no le trajeron fama ni fortuna, pero cuando la primera parte de Don Quijote fue publicada en 1605, obtuvo un xito inmediato. Traducida al ingls en 1612, el Quijote ha sido uno de los libros ms populares e icnnicos en el mundo. A pesar del xito, y de la publicacin de la segunda parte de la novela en 1614, Cervantes no se convirti en un hombre rico, pero s logr conseguir un mecenas que le permit dedicar su vida a la escritura.