Spain celebrated an important anniversary in 2005 as it was 400 years since Miguel Cervantes wrote and published the first part of the satirical romance novel "The Ingenious Gentleman, Don Quixote de la Mancha". It is a world famous book and Cervantes is said to have been equalled only by Shakespeare for his works, however it is also said that not many people have actually read the novel in full and that the greatest tribute you could pay to the writer this year is to read it!

In Spain Quixote is a national hero and many locals believe that he actually existed and that the book is not fictional but a true account of his life. Something that Cervantes clearly wanted to achieve when writing it.

This is the Edith Grossman translation into English which has been highly praised for capturing the humour and darkness of Quixote to a tee. The  book follows the first adventures of the knight errant as he sets off in search of wrongs to right, on his trusted steed "Rocinantes with his side kick "Sancho Panza". The satire is delightful throughout the whole book, even down to the setting of Quixote in the culturally void & barren Spanish province of La Mancha. Writing a book about a great knight from La Mancha is like having a great prince of Luton! The name of his horse translates into English as "an old nag before", before he had the prestigious title of the mount of Don Quixote that is, and the name of "Sancho Panza" refers to his trusted squires rather large belly.