He had no homeland and no king, only a handful of loyal men. They were not hungry for glory, only hungry. That is how a myth is born. That is how legend becomes history.

Exiled from the Kingdom of Castile and King Alfonso VI, Ruy Díaz offers his services, as well as those of his devoted warriors, to whoever pays the best. In this struggle for survival on hostile ground, his strength of character and extraordinary abilities will soon earn him the title of Cid Campeador, master of the battlefield.

In his inimitable style, Reverte draws us into the heart of the devastation in 11th-century Spain, an era of rival kings, blood-soaked conflicts, and unholy alliances between Christians and Moors. Against the simplistic, Manichean myth of the patriotic El Cid, Reverte reveals the astonishing portrait of an unmatched war leader, an inspiring motivator, a general with an unshakable sense of honor. This book is an epic, magnificent novel and, at the same time, a rare and truthful plunge into the heart of History.

“His refined style is combined with a superb command of the Spanish language. Pérez-Reverte is a master.” - La Stampa

“A splendid novel, a superb Reverte.” - El Mundo