Books by Miguel De Cervantes Saavedra

As a young man, Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra served in the military for several years. In 1571 he fought with the Spanish forces in the decisive battle of Lepanto against the Turks, where a wound maimed his left hand. He spent five years as a prisoner in Algiers; despite many daring escape attempts, he remained there until he was ransomed by his friends and family. Cervantes struggled to earn a living for most of his life and only turned to writing as a career in his later years. His misfortunes landed him in prison more than once, where according to legend, he wrote the first part of his greatest work "Don Quixote", the publication of which in 1605 finally brought him fame.