Captain Alatriste [Paperback]

'The arrival of a new Alatriste book is always a joy... it's one to be devoured with passion... Highly recommended.' (HAM & HIGH (30/6/06) )

'The cult of the renegade swordsman seems poised to increase... Ought to tickle the fancy of anyone who enjoys having their swashes buckled.' (GUARDIAN (8/7/06) ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

'The arrival of a new Alatriste book is always a joy... it's one to be devoured with passion... Highly recommended.' --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

'Perez-Reverte is very good at evoking the atmosphere of a teeming, corrupt and jaded Madrid...He is also superb at the precisely choreographed sword fights...' --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

'A powerful cross between Zorro and D'Artagnan...this should be massive'. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

'If it's swashbuckling escapism that you crave lounging beside the pool, Captain Alatriste is your man. A hired blade in 17th- century Spain, he cuts between an underworld peopled by pirates, assassins and smugglers, and a Royal Court that's abuzz with perilous plots. Trailing him is Inigo Balboa, his page and our narrator, who relates with relish the captain's sword-slinging adventures. ' --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

'There are all the elements required for a stirring and elegantly written adventure, including a lively collection of characters whom I look forward to meeting again.' --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

'Splendid swashbuckler set in 1620 Madrid...Rousing adventure recounted with relish by young Inigo, the captain's page, whose knowledge of troubles yet to come gives his narrative both depth and poignancy. Alatriste's adventures have already sold millions on the Continent and this is the first of five to be published here. Warmly recommended. Escapism to stir the heart.' --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

'A tale as timeless as an Errol Flynn movie.' --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Perez-Reverte wrote the Captain Alatriste seies as a homage to the adventure books that had been his own initiation into the world of reading as a boy - books such as Dumas's The Three Musketeers. Captain Alatriste is a swordsman for hire in Spain in the 1620s - a time when Court intrigue is high and the decadent young king has dragged the country into a series of disastrous wars. As a hired 'blade', Alatriste becomes involved in many political plots and must live by his wits. He comes face to face with hired assassins, court players, political moles, smugglers, pirates and of course, the infamous Spanish Inquisition... All the stories are told by Inigo Balboa, Alatriste's young page. The cast of characters also includes Quevedo, an irrepressible subversive poet who likes to start fights in the local tavern, the kind-hearted innkeeper and ex-prostitute who shares Alatriste's bed, the elegant Count of Guadalmedina, the beautiful but deadly Angelica de Alquezar, and a whole host of underworld figures. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Arturo Perez-Reverte lives near Madrid. Originally a war correspondent, he now writes fiction full-time. His novels include The Flanders Panel, The Club Dumas, The Fencing Master, The Nautical Chart, and The Queen of the South. In 2002, he was elected to the Spanish Royal Academy. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.