The fairness is a 3.5 out of 5.

It is a technical novel, nice, fun but very raw.

It locates the reader very well in that naval battle of Spaniards and French against the British.

This novel offers an interesting perspective on the historical event.

The detailed descriptions of the battle scenes make the reader feel as if they are right there in the thick of the action.

The characters are well-developed and their personalities add depth to the story.

However, the crudeness of the language and some of the descriptions may not be to everyone's taste.

Overall, it is an engaging read that provides a unique look at a significant moment in history.

Original Article: The importance of exercise cannot be overemphasized. It helps maintain a healthy body and mind. Regular exercise can improve cardiovascular health, increase muscle strength, and boost the immune system. It also helps reduce stress and anxiety. In addition, exercise can improve sleep quality and enhance overall well-being.

Expanded Article: The importance of exercise simply cannot be overemphasized. It plays a crucial role in maintaining both a healthy body and a sound mind.

Regular exercise offers numerous benefits. It significantly improves cardiovascular health, making the heart stronger and more efficient. This, in turn, reduces the risk of various heart diseases.

Additionally, it increases muscle strength, allowing for better physical performance and a more active lifestyle.

Another important aspect is that it boosts the immune system, making the body more resilient to diseases and infections.

Exercise is also a great stress and anxiety reliever. It helps to calm the mind and release endorphins, which are natural mood boosters.

Moreover, it can improve sleep quality, ensuring a more restful and rejuvenating sleep.

Overall, incorporating regular exercise into one's routine is essential for enhancing overall well-being and leading a healthy and fulfilling life.

The Battle of Trafalgar was a significant event in history, and this article provides an excellent and objective narration of what took place.

It offers a fantastic perspective, seen through the eyes of some of the crew members from different ships. The author does a great job of explaining the situation and the state of the ships of the Spanish Armada.

It also delves into the causes that led to the senseless confrontation. What makes this article even more remarkable is its unique language and register.

The way it is written adds an extra layer of interest and authenticity to the account. I would highly recommend this article to anyone interested in learning about the Battle of Trafalgar.

I give it 5 stars because truly, I have learned a great deal from reading it. It is a must-read for history enthusiasts.

7/10. Reverte usually gets very good grades from my side, but in this naval novel, I couldn't get hooked on either the narration or the characters.

It is indeed a fraud filled to the brim with naval terms. And also with naval tactics and details of ships.

This naval novel seems to be overly focused on technical jargon and details, which may be interesting to some, but for me, it detracted from the overall enjoyment of the story. The lack of engaging characters and a captivating narration made it difficult for me to stay interested.

Perhaps if the author had balanced the technical aspects with more developed characters and a more compelling plot, I would have had a different opinion. As it stands, however, this novel just didn't do it for me.

Overall, while the use of naval terms and details may add authenticity to the story, it also seems to have overshadowed the more important elements of a good novel. I hope that in future works, Reverte will find a better balance between these aspects to create a more engaging and enjoyable reading experience.

“… O sea, que genio del mar, sin duda. A menudo vencedor, quizás. Imbatible, ni de coña.” (Cap. 6 “La insignia blanca”. Refiriéndose a Nelson) This is an excellent recreation of the Battle of Trafalgar. With that humoristic and somewhat grumpy style, full of the characteristic stubbornness of the author: “… Del humor negro, claro. A ver qué otro humor se puede tener siendo español, gallego y marino.” (Capítulo 9. “La toldilla”). Or being Spanish, from Cartagena and a war correspondent like Pérez Reverte, in this case it's the same. The abuse of colloquial expressions (“yogurcito”,”Okey,Mackey”) and some intentional anachronisms (La Traviata, Rocío Jurado) deviate from the historicity of the events, but in return, they make them more accessible and intense. As is usual with the author, he develops the dichotomy existing in wars between the grand concepts handled in military schools and official offices, and the daily reality of the combatant: “...hombres a quienes el rey y la patria importan en este preciso instante una puñetera mierda (él mismo se sorprende de sentir algo parecido, o casi; patria es una palabra desprovista de sentido en aquel desmadre), se están batiendo sin otro motivo que devolver ojo por ojo, diente por diente, a quienes los martirizan a cañonazos. A menos que en ese momento la patria se circunscriba a la propia piel, a la vida que alienta en el corazón y la cabeza, a los camaradas que caen al lado gritando su estupor, su locura y su rabia. Al lugar remoto, alejadísimo hoy, donde alguien los aguarda.”(Capítulo 10 “El alcázar”). It is advisable to know, in general terms, how the battle developed and the character and personality of some of the Spanish sailors who were the protagonists, in order to appreciate how well-documented the novel is despite the impression that the casual narration may cause. And Pérez Reverte knows how to condense in just a few lines what the Battle of Trafalgar meant for the Spanish fleet and for Spain in the concert of nations: “… La bandera, observa (nunca había visto una tan de cerca), tiene una corona, un castillo a la izquierda, y a la derecha un león de pie y con un palmo de lengua fuera, el hijoputa. Tan asfixiao como ellos. Pero al león y al castillo y a la corona les van a dar mucho por saco, porque no consiguen izarlos. La driza se ha salido de su roldana, arriba en la cofa, y no hay nada que hacer. La bandera se queda abajo como España se queda sin barcos….” (Capítulo 11 “La bandera”).

I'm not exactly what you'd call a fan of Pérez-Reverte, I'll say that right from the start. But the truth is that this little book isn't bad, it's quite curious. I say little book because it's short, its theme is limited (the description of the battle that gives it its title), and its literary level is... original. And I say 'original' in a positive way, because although it's shocking, it's refreshing to put expressions typical of our days in the mouths of characters from the beginning of the 19th century; a funny linguistic anachronism, really. The style is fresh not only in this, but also in the use of French or English expressions in a'spanicized' way (of the type 'fildelagranputén'). All this makes the reading enjoyable.

As for the content... well, it's a detailed account of the battle from the perspective of a few sailors of various ranks. And the truth is that it manages to make you feel as if you were on board one of those ships in the middle of the battle. Entertaining, really. And that's something that can't always be said of this irregular author, from my point of view.

Two weeks ago, I went fishing in the open sea and for the first time, I vomited in the sea. This situation severely hit my "maritime self-esteem." I, someone who has always loved the idea of the sea in literature and in life, with a playlist of "Maritime Songs," and as nausea took hold of my faculties, I recited Espronceda and Masefield to see if that would get rid of it. Plot twist: it didn't.

The sea is not very merciful to our sense of balance when it's choppy, that was the lesson learned. And one must get used to it and go out more than once a month to acquire "maritime lupine qualities." Well, the above comes into play because I read "Cabo Trafalgar" by Pérez Reverte outside of my reading schedule and I really liked the experience. Especially because I've always liked everything related to the Napoleonic Wars at sea. The movie "Master and Commander" is one of my all-time favorites, and I highly esteem the Hornblower books by Forrester and the Aubrey-Maturin books by O'Brian (from where the movie comes).

Pérez-Reverte's narration initially seeks to put the finishing touch on the horrors of the legendary battle. Those naval battles of infernal heat, of clouds of gunpowder, deafening noise, cannon fire, shrapnel, and splinters turning sailors and officers alike into a mess. Peter Weir's movie portrays all that, but for some reason, it's much cruder to read it.

Both Forrester and O'Brian focus on maneuvers, technical aspects, the portrayal of an era, and the formation of a competent and capable officer, with his British stoicism in between. In these novels, there are difficulties, the enemies put the protagonists in tight spots (and sometimes they win), but on the English side, there is no sense of impotence and fury for a game stacked against them. On the English side, there was professionalism. On the other side, not so much. At least in terms of the strategic management of the matter at a high level.

Thus, Reverte paints a new brushstroke in the Napoleonic nautical novel: the vision of the defeated. And of course, true to his style, he takes a shot at the current rulers of the Kingdom. The idea that permeates the entire novel is that despite the stupidity of the admiralty and the government, the people gave their all in an unequal and lost battle. Which, despite the guts, is still a romanticization and glorification of violence. This effect is perhaps the most curious that Pérez Reverte presents to us: a novel that presents the crudeness and uselessness of the conflict while at the same time glorifying the senseless sacrifice of the people. For the sake of the fatherland. And what's even more curious is the climax of the book: a passage that seems like "Les Misérables" or the propagandistic photo of Iwo Jima, but saving a flag that a significant number of his own people seem to detest. In this sense, Reverte is Reverte and he goes so far as to give a big "up yours" to those who don't share his views.

And as (almost) always happens in football, guts and courage can give courage to the one who doesn't have the strategy on his side and make life difficult for the one who does. But generally, that's not enough to beat the strategy. The underdog hardly wins.

The most important Naval Battle of the 19th century from within.

As you turn the pages of this novel, you can smell the smoke, the gunpowder, the blood, and the putrefying entrails of death.

Pérez-Reverte combines historical rigor and fiction in an addictive novel that is, however, difficult to read due to the large number of naval and nautical technicalities.

This story takes you deep into the heart of the battle, allowing you to experience the chaos, the fear, and the courage of the sailors.

The detailed descriptions of the ships, the weapons, and the tactics used add a layer of authenticity to the narrative.

Despite the challenges posed by the technical language, the novel is a captivating read that offers a unique perspective on a significant event in history.

It is a must-read for anyone interested in naval history, military fiction, or simply a good story.

I read this book a few months ago and I remember that although I liked it, it didn't excite me as much as some of the author's other works.

I believe Pérez-Reverte has better books than this one. However, it is also true that it was exactly what I was looking for: a well-written novel with Pérez-Reverte's typical style about the historical events of the extremely famous Battle of Trafalgar.

In summary, it is only suitable for lovers of historical and military literature, especially if, like me, you are a fan of Arturo Pérez-Reverte. If you fall into that category, you will love the book. If not, it is better to choose another one.

It's important to note that everyone has different tastes in literature. What might be a great read for one person may not be as appealing to another.

Even though this book didn't completely wow me, it still had its merits. The author's attention to detail and his ability to bring the historical setting to life were quite impressive.

Overall, it's a decent addition to the genre, but it may not be a must-read for everyone.

Entretenidísima versión de este combate épico de la historia de España.

Reverte se centra básicamente en la batalla naval. Sin embargo, no ahonda mucho en los antecedentes que llevaron a ella y sus consecuencias. A pesar de ello, el resultado es una novela muy amena donde nada sobra. No hay paja, lo que significa que no hay partes innecesarias o aburridas. Tampoco hay capítulos de transición para alargar la historia de manera artificial. De hecho, no hay lugar para aburrirse en esta novela.

La recomiendo fervientemente. Si estás buscando una lectura emocionante y entretenida que te sumerja en una batalla naval épica, esta novela es una excelente opción. No te arrepentirás de leerla.

This is the story of the Battle of Trafalgar. In this battle, Admiral Nelson, leading the British Navy, destroys the Napoleonic Navy, which is under the command of Admiral Villeneuve.

The Napoleonic Navy was composed of the French and Spanish fleets. The Battle of Trafalgar was lost before it even began. The Spanish Navy had experienced commanders, but their morale was low. They did not have an adequate crew (many were forcibly enlisted in the ports) and the career sailors were poorly and late paid.

On the other hand, the French, in better economic condition and with a better qualified crew, were led by incompetent commanders with little leadership ability. The story transports you to the battle to give you a sense of the anguish and suffering that could have been lived through in the battle.

It was a crucial battle that had a significant impact on the course of history. The victory of the British Navy not only ensured the dominance of the seas for Great Britain but also dealt a heavy blow to Napoleon's ambitions. The Battle of Trafalgar is remembered as a heroic and decisive moment in naval history.

I didn't like it. Perhaps I didn't have the maturity to read this book. I became a bit obsessed with it and I think I was wrong. I must know how to choose better. And from Reverte, I still have to choose some more to give him a second chance.

This experience has taught me that not every book will resonate with me immediately. It's important to be patient and not rush to judgment. Maybe with time and more reading, I will be able to appreciate the works of Reverte and other authors in a different light.

I will continue to explore different books and genres, and I'm sure that eventually, I will find those that truly speak to my heart and mind. In the meantime, I'll keep learning and growing as a reader.