“Don Quixote, a lanky scarecrow of a man with his withered face and lantern jaw, dons his rusty armour and mounts his ramshackle steed, Rozinante. With lance couched he still rides through our lives, followed by his potbellied squire Sancho Panza.”

 

With these words, Walter Starkie launches the introduction to his highly esteemed translation and abridgment of Cervantes’s great classic—a book that has enchanted generations of readers throughout the world.


Brimming with humor, rich in idealism and earthy common sense, vivid in its characterizations of men and women from every walk of life—nobles, priests, impassioned damsels, simple country girls, rogues, and romantics—Don Quixote, in this zestful translation, will win many new friends.

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra was born in Spain in 1547. He read the classics of Latin, Italian, and Spanish literature; knew mythology well; and was a clever poet. Before his literary career, from 1571 to 1575, Cervantes fought with the Spanish fleet and served in garrisons in Italy. He was captured by the Turks on his way back home and was held for ransom in Algiers for five years. Upon his return to Spain, he held various government posts but faced constant financial hardships and served two terms in prison. His fame was secured with the publication of Don Quixote in 1605 and its sequel ten years later. View titles by Miguel De Cervantes Saavedra
“What a unique monument is this book!...How its creative genius, critical, free and human, soars above its age!”—Thomas Mann

About

“Don Quixote, a lanky scarecrow of a man with his withered face and lantern jaw, dons his rusty armour and mounts his ramshackle steed, Rozinante. With lance couched he still rides through our lives, followed by his potbellied squire Sancho Panza.”

 

With these words, Walter Starkie launches the introduction to his highly esteemed translation and abridgment of Cervantes’s great classic—a book that has enchanted generations of readers throughout the world.


Brimming with humor, rich in idealism and earthy common sense, vivid in its characterizations of men and women from every walk of life—nobles, priests, impassioned damsels, simple country girls, rogues, and romantics—Don Quixote, in this zestful translation, will win many new friends.

Author

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra was born in Spain in 1547. He read the classics of Latin, Italian, and Spanish literature; knew mythology well; and was a clever poet. Before his literary career, from 1571 to 1575, Cervantes fought with the Spanish fleet and served in garrisons in Italy. He was captured by the Turks on his way back home and was held for ransom in Algiers for five years. Upon his return to Spain, he held various government posts but faced constant financial hardships and served two terms in prison. His fame was secured with the publication of Don Quixote in 1605 and its sequel ten years later. View titles by Miguel De Cervantes Saavedra

Praise

“What a unique monument is this book!...How its creative genius, critical, free and human, soars above its age!”—Thomas Mann

Books for Women’s History Month

In honor of Women’s History Month in March, we are sharing books by women who have shaped history and have fought for their communities. Our list includes books about women who fought for racial justice, abortion rights, equality in the workplace, and ranges in topics from women in politics and prominent women in history to

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