Trafalgar

by Benito Pérez Galdós

"Trafalgar" by Benito Pérez Galdós is a novel published in 1873. This opening volume of the National Episodes series follows Gabriel de Araceli, a fourteen-year-old orphaned pícaresque character from Cádiz who becomes unexpectedly swept into the legendary Battle of Trafalgar in October 1805. Serving as a cabin boy aboard the Santísima Trinidad, the Spanish Armada's flagship, Gabriel witnesses the preparation, chaos, and aftermath of this historic naval confrontation. Through his youthful eyes, Galdós launches an epic chronicle of nineteenth-century Spanish history with remarkable narrative energy.