304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1,2004
It is interesting. I was expecting to find a comprehensive narration about such an important battle, and I came across a great story of an impressive battle.
From the beginning, it focuses on the operations that took place, deviating only slightly with small narrations based on memories or references of the characters. What might seem to leave little context, due to its focus on the battle, is exactly what is necessary to present the best of both worlds; understanding how we got there, what happened, and a slight refresher on what it represented.
It was so good that it gave me a huge desire to resume an old video game where I controlled a galleon like those in the narration. Fortunately, I couldn't find the game that my memory was referring to; otherwise, I would have lost a good ten hours getting into the narration of Cape Trafalgar, hahaha.
The article is quite entertaining. However, it seems that the author expends more effort in showcasing how much they know about nautical terminology rather than narrating the story. This focus on terminology can sometimes overshadow the actual narrative flow. While it is interesting to learn about the various nautical terms, it might be more engaging if the author balanced this with a stronger emphasis on telling the story in a more captivating way.
Perhaps the author could have used the nautical terms more sparingly and integrated them more seamlessly into the narrative. This would allow the reader to better understand and appreciate the story without getting bogged down in a barrage of technical jargon. Additionally, the author could have added more details and descriptions to bring the story to life and make it more vivid for the reader.
Overall, the article has potential, but with a few adjustments, it could be even more engaging and enjoyable to read.
Very disappointing. It's only 2 stars because the research is good. So those stars go to Perez-Reverte's research team and friends who provided the information.
The narrative, however, is truly terrible. He is extremely repetitive, constantly using the same ideas and phrases over and over again. Moreover, he attempts to write the whole book using cheap jokes and colloquial vocabulary that was used in Spain in the year it was written. The book is full of parentheses with people talking in English or French but with a forced Spanish accent. For example, "a les anfant de la patri" or "no espiting inglis". I mean, really? For such an important battle? What a joke! I can't imagine how #alfaguara allowed this trash to be published. It's a real shame that the good research is overshadowed by the poor narrative.
This book had the potential to be a great read, but unfortunately, it fails to deliver on many levels. The author should have focused more on presenting the historical facts in a clear and engaging way, rather than relying on these gimmicks. I would not recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a serious and well-written account of the battle.