Las aventuras del capitán Alatriste Series by Arturo Pérez-Reverte, Carlota Pérez-Reverte

It is the height of Spain's celebrated golden century - but beyond the walls of the Royal Palace there is little on the streets of Madrid that glitters. The Invincible Armada has been defeated. The shadow of the Inquisition looms large. And the Thirty Years' War rages on in Flanders. When a courageous soldier of this war, Captain Diego Alatriste, is forced to retire after being wounded in battle, he returns home to live the comparatively tame - though hardly quiet - life of a swordsman-for-hire... moreIt is the height of Spain's celebrated golden century - but beyond the walls of the Royal Palace there is little on the streets of Madrid that glitters. The Invincible Armada has been defeated. The shadow of the Inquisition looms large. And the Thirty Years' War rages on in Flanders. When a courageous soldier of this war, Captain Diego Alatriste, is forced to retire after being wounded in battle, he returns home to live the comparatively tame - though hardly quiet - life of a swordsman-for-hire. In this dangerous city where a thrust of steel settles all matters, there is no stronger blade than Alatriste's." The captain is approached with an offer of work that involves giving a scare to some strangers soon to arrive in Madrid. But on the night of the attack, it becomes clear that these aren't ordinary travelers - and that someone is out for their blood. What happens next is the first in a series of riveting twists, with implications that will reverberate throughout the courts of Europe less

The second swashbuckling adventure in the internationally acclaimed Captain Alatriste series Captain Alatriste, Madrid’s most charismatic swashbuckler, returns in Perez-Reverte’s acclaimed international bestseller. The fearless Alatriste is hired to infiltrate a convent and rescue a young girl forced to serve as a powerful priest’s concubine... moreThe second swashbuckling adventure in the internationally acclaimed Captain Alatriste series Captain Alatriste, Madrid’s most charismatic swashbuckler, returns in Perez-Reverte’s acclaimed international bestseller. The fearless Alatriste is hired to infiltrate a convent and rescue a young girl forced to serve as a powerful priest’s concubine. The girl’s father is barred from legal recourse as the priest threatens to reveal that the man’s family is “not of pure blood” and is, in fact, of Jewish descent—which will all but destroy the family name. As Alatriste struggles to save the young hostage from being burned at the stake, he soon finds himself drawn deeper and deeper into a conspiracy that leads all the way to the heart of the Spanish Inquisition. A literary thriller that delivers adventure and rich historical detail, Purity of Blood captivates to the final page. less

The era of glorious captains, glorious attacks, and glorious booty was now long past, and the conflict had become a kind of long and tedious chess game in which strongholds were besieged, changed hands, and were besieged again, bravery often counting for less than patience... moreThe era of glorious captains, glorious attacks, and glorious booty was now long past, and the conflict had become a kind of long and tedious chess game in which strongholds were besieged, changed hands, and were besieged again, bravery often counting for less than patience.So begins The Sun Over Breda, a gloriously dramatic novel of war and honor that marks the return of international bestseller Arturo Péerez-Reverte's most beloved character, Captan Diego Alatriste, the seventeenth-century sword-for-hire who leads his formidable band of soldiers in the name of King Philip IV of Spain against the Dutch in the battle for Flanders.Narrated by young Íñigo Balboa, Alatriste's faithful, soulful mochilero, The Sun Over Breda follows the throbbing pulse of combat fought on increasingly uncertain terms by an army growing more and more disenchanted with its king, and therefore less and less willing to risk life and limb for the cause. As Spanish blood spills into the Flemish canals, and the lethal flash of swordplay drains the men of their thirst for victory, unrest grows among the troops. With no promise of payment from the king, Alatriste is caught in the impassioned throes of mutiny, torn between fealty to the material needs of his men and his pledge to a crown for which he holds no love.The Sun Over Breda is both a literary feast and a swashbuckling adventure that captures the tumultuous descent from the Spanish Golden Age, the bedlam of the Thirty Years' War, and the passion and valor of Captain Alatriste, a hero for the ages. less

Pérez-Reverte, a former war correspondent, continues his popular Captain Alatriste series with a fourth swashbuckling volume (following The Sun over Breda). Diego Alatriste, a wily veteran of many 17th-century military campaigns, and his sidekick, Inigo Balboa-who narrates-have returned to Seville after fighting in the siege of Breda. With funds short, Alatriste accepts a dangerous mission to intercept a load of smuggled gold and deposit it in the royal coffers... morePérez-Reverte, a former war correspondent, continues his popular Captain Alatriste series with a fourth swashbuckling volume (following The Sun over Breda). Diego Alatriste, a wily veteran of many 17th-century military campaigns, and his sidekick, Inigo Balboa-who narrates-have returned to Seville after fighting in the siege of Breda. With funds short, Alatriste accepts a dangerous mission to intercept a load of smuggled gold and deposit it in the royal coffers. Trolling the criminal underworld of Seville, Alatriste recruits a band of ruffians, and disguised as pirates, they prepare to slip aboard the ship transporting the gold, surprise and subdue the crew and beach the vessel. What Alatriste doesn't expect to find on board is his old adversary Gualterio Malatesta and a large contingent of mercenaries. Fans of the series have come to expect historical authenticity, crisp prose, complex characters, exotic settings and plenty of sanguinary action. They won't be disappointed. less

From the acclaimed and bestselling author comes the fifth adventure of Captain Alatriste, "the brooding, charismatic hero of his wildly successful Spanish swashbuckling novels" (The New York Times). In the cosmopolitan world of seventeenth-century Madrid, with its posh theaters and gleaming palaces, Captain Alatriste and his protégé, Íñigo, are fish out of water. But the king and court are keeping Alatriste on retainer-he has proved useful in the past... moreFrom the acclaimed and bestselling author comes the fifth adventure of Captain Alatriste, "the brooding, charismatic hero of his wildly successful Spanish swashbuckling novels" (The New York Times). In the cosmopolitan world of seventeenth-century Madrid, with its posh theaters and gleaming palaces, Captain Alatriste and his protégé, Íñigo, are fish out of water. But the king and court are keeping Alatriste on retainer-he has proved useful in the past. As a veteran with no other source of income, Alatriste chooses to remain, even as his "employment" brings him uncomfortably close to old enemies. Íñigo, now a young man and veteran of the Hundred Years War, chooses to remain with his master and press his ill-fated romance with the beautiful but sinister Angélica de Alquézar. Alatriste, for his part, begins an affair with the famous-and famously beautiful- actress María de Castro, and discovers that the competition for her favors may be much more dangerous than he'd bargained for, especially when Alatriste and Íñigo become unwilling participants in a court conspiracy that could lead them both to the gallows. less

This was a time when Spain was revered, feared, and hated in the easterly seas; when the devil had no color, no name, and no flag; and when the only thing needed to summon hell on earth (or sea) was a Spaniard and his sword. Accompanied by his faithful foster son, Íñigo, Captain Alatriste accepts a job as a mercenary aboard a Spanish galleon... moreThis was a time when Spain was revered, feared, and hated in the easterly seas; when the devil had no color, no name, and no flag; and when the only thing needed to summon hell on earth (or sea) was a Spaniard and his sword. Accompanied by his faithful foster son, Íñigo, Captain Alatriste accepts a job as a mercenary aboard a Spanish galleon. The ship sets sail from Naples on a journey that will take them to some of the most remote-and wretched-outposts of the empire: Morocco, Algeria, and finally to Malta for a stunning and bloody battle on the high seas that will challenge even the battle-hardened Alatriste's resolve. Now seventeen, Íñigo is almost ready to leave Alatriste, his foster father and fellow soldier. But will age and experience bring wisdom, or is he likely to repeat many of his mentor's mistakes? less

En el 25.º aniversario de la creación del capitán Alatriste, este magnífico estuche reúne las siete novelas que componen la aclamada serie. «No era el hombre más honesto ni el más piadoso, pero era un hombre valiente...» Con esta frase ya legendaria, Arturo Pérez-Reverte daba comienzo en 1996 a la primera de las novelas protagonizadas por el capitán Alatriste, un soldado veterano de los tercios de Flandes que malvive como espadachín en el Madrid del siglo XVII... moreEn el 25.º aniversario de la creación del capitán Alatriste, este magnífico estuche reúne las siete novelas que componen la aclamada serie. «No era el hombre más honesto ni el más piadoso, pero era un hombre valiente...» Con esta frase ya legendaria, Arturo Pérez-Reverte daba comienzo en 1996 a la primera de las novelas protagonizadas por el capitán Alatriste, un soldado veterano de los tercios de Flandes que malvive como espadachín en el Madrid del siglo XVII. La serie se fue completando con otras seis entregas, que se encuentran reunidas en el presente estuche: El capitán Alatriste , Limpieza de sangre , El sol de Breda , El oro del rey , El caballero del jubón amarillo , Corsarios de Levante y El puente de los Asesinos . Las aventuras de este personaje único en la literatura española contemporánea constituyen uno de los grandes hitos de la historia editorial reciente en nuestra lengua: las novelas no solo han vendido millones de ejemplares en todo el mundo, sino que además han inspirado cómics, películas, obras de teatro, series televisivas y juegos de rol, y con ella han crecido miles de jóvenes lectores. La crítica ha dicho sobre la serie:«Arturo Pérez-Reverte [...] ha creado Alatriste con un afecto evidente. El autor comparte con el espadachín un indudable talento. El capitán Alatriste está escrito con brillantez y un contagioso entusiasmo hacia el género que intenta revivir...»Janet Maslin, The New York Times «Una novela fascinante, que agarra nada más empezar y sujeta hasta su última página. [...] La novela me ha subyugado con tanta fuerza que la vista se adelantaba al texto porque el corazón estaba en suspenso o se aceleraba a causa de los azarosos sucesos que pasaban en el papel.»Santos Sanz Villanueva, El Mundo «Digámoslo claro: nunca se agradecerá lo bastante a Reverte haber hecho entrar a tantos lectores en esa literatura y esa historia cautivándolos conunas narraciones apasionantes y, por la fascinación que produce el héroe, implicándolos como coprotagonistas.»Francisco Rico «Excepcional. Demuestra lo entretenida y excitante que puede resultar una aventura histórica.»Daily Express «Nos hace disfrutar de un juego inteligente entre historia y ficción.»The Times «El escritor con agallas ha conseguido un doble milagro. Que lospersonajes hablen como nosotros y nosotros leamos como ellos hablaban. Larga vida al capitán Alatriste.»Manuel Rivas, El País «El estilo recrea la lengua del Siglo de Oro, con su léxico, modismos y frases hechas, numerosos versos e incluso algunas voces de germanía, todo ello bien integrado en un texto de suma eficacia narrativa.»Ángel Basanta «Su sabiduría narrativa, tan bien construida siempre, tan exhaustivamente detallada, documentada y estructurada, hasta el punto que, frente a todo ello, la historia real resulta endeble y a veces hasta tópica.»Rafael Conte «Al capitán Alatriste le cabe el honor de ser una de esas criaturas de ficción que han ingresado en el selecto club de los mitos literarios, aquellos personajes que gozan en el imaginario colectivo de una personalidad propia y de una vigencia intemporal. Todo un mérito, si tenemos en cuenta que a este club de élite pertenece solo otra media docena de miembros españoles, nada menos que de la influencia histórica y el prestigio cultural del Cid, la Celestina, don Juan o don Quijote.»Alberto Montaner less