ARTURO PÉREZ REVERTE

1. ARTURO PÉREZ REVERTE • Laura Fernández López, 3º B.

2. BIOGRAPHY • Arturo Pérez Reverte was born in Cartagena, Murcia (España) on november 24th , 1951, in a sailor family. • In his grandfather´s library , Arturo read the classics of the adventures literature as Alejandro Dumas, Emilio Salgari, Joseph Conrad or Robert L. Stevenson. • After finishing his secundary studies, Pérez Reverte studied Politics Sciences and Journalism, working in press, radio and television. • He worked for the Diary “Pueblo” and, for a long time, in TVE as a war correspondent, in Sahara, Nicaragua, el Salvador or Bosnia. He presented a tv programme called “Código Uno”, too. • In the eighties he started his literary trajectory. He published “El Húsar” (1986). After “Territorio Comanche” (1994) he gave up journalism, except for writing in “El Semanal”; now his job is writer. • In 2003 he is elected Member of de Spanish Language Academy of the “capital letter T”.

3. PLAYS • The hussar” (1986) : set in the napoleonic period. • “The fencing master” (1988) : novel of adventures but also a detective story set in Madrid in 1868. • “The Flandes´ Panel” (1990) : a thriller based on chess about the Europe history. • “The club Dumas” (1993) : a thriller protagonized by Lucas Corso, who has to discover the secret of a strange book. • “The eagle´s shadow” (1993) : based on a real fact occurred in Rusia in 1812. • “Comanche territory” (1994) : about his memories in war of ex –Yugoslavia. • “Cachito (A matter of honour)” (1995) : short tale about fayries and pirates. • “Breve work” (1995) : a compilation of short tales with a prologue by Rafael Conte.

4. PLAYS • “The Seville Communion” (1995) : a thriller set in Seville, about a hacker. • “Captain Alatriste” (1996): the story of a veteran soldier of Fnades who makes his living as a swordman for hire. • “Purity of blood” (1997: whose protagonist is Diego Alatriste. • “Corsican Patent” (1998) : a selection of texts published in “El Semanal”. • “The sun over Breda” (1998): the third part of Captain Alatriste. • “The king´s gold” (2000) : the fourth part of Captain Alatriste´s adventures. • “The nautical chart” (2000): it is the story of a sailor without a ship. • “With the intention of offending” (2001): another compilation of his articles. • “The queen of the south” (2002) : it is the story of Teresa Mendoza. • “The yellow jerkin knight” (2003) : the fifth part of Alatriste.

5. PLAYS • “Cape Trafalgar” (2004): it tells the story of a ship that participated in that battle. • “The painter of battles” (2006) : a story about a dreamer. • “The vengance of Alquézar” (2006) : the last Alatriste´s adventure. • “You won´t take me alive” (2006) : compilation of articles published between 2001 and 2005. • “An anger day” (2007) : about the facts that took place on second may, 1812. • “Blue eyes” : about the American Conquest, unpublished.

6. Films based on his novels and original screenplays. • “Quart: the man from Rome” (2007) : a t.v. Serial based on the novel “The Seville Communion”. Int. José María Pou, Roberto Enriquez. • “The nautical chart” (2007) : Dir. Imanol Uribe. Int. Aitana Sánchez- Gijón, Enrico Lo Verso. • “Alatriste” (2006) : Dir. Agustín Díaz- Yanes. Int. Viggo Mortensen, Unax Ugalde, Elena Anaya. • “Gipsy” (2000) : original screenplay by Pérez Reverte. Dir. Manuel Palacios. Int. Pilar Bardén, Marta Belaustegui, Joaquin Cortés. • “The road to Santiago” (1999): a t,v, serial with original screenplay by Pérez Reverte. Dir. Robert Young. Int. Juan Echanove, Anabel Alonso, Anthony Queen, Robert Wagner, Charlton Heston. • “The ninth gate” (1999) : based on the novel “The Club Dumas”. Dir. Roman Polanski. Int. Johnny Deep. Frank Langella.

7. Films based on his novel and original screenplays • “Comanche territory” (1997): Dir. Gerardo Herrero. Int. Imanol Arias, Carmelo Gómez, Cecilia Dopazo. • “Cachito” (1995) : Dir. Enrique Urbizu. Int. Amara Carmona, Sancho Gracia, Jorge Perrugorria. • “The Flandes´ panel” (1994) : Original title “Uncovered”. Dir. Jim Mcbride. Int. Kate Beckinsale, John Wood, Peter Wingfield. • “The fencing master” (1992) : Dir. Pedro Olea. Int. Omero Antonutti, _Assunpta Serna, Joaquim de Almedia.

8. Awards • 1992 : Premio Goya to the best adapted screenplay by“The fencing master”. • 1993 : Grand Prix of detective literature of France by “The club Dumas”. • 1993 : Premio Asturias of journalim for his work as war correspondent during the ex – Yugoslavia war. • 1993 : Premio Ondas for his work in RNE. • 1993 : “The Flandes´panel” is awarded with the Swedish Academy Award to the best translation of Detective novel. • 1994 : Premio Palle Rosenkranz to the “The club Dumas” by the Danish Criminilogy Academy. • 1995 : “The Seville communion” obtains the Elle Award. • 1996 : Pérez Reverte is awarded with the Premio del Día Mundial del Turismo de la ciudad de Sevilla for his work “The Seville communion”. • 1997: “The Seville communion”, Jean Monnet of European Literature award.

9. Awards • 1997 : Pérez Reverte is awarded with the Premio Grupo Correo for his human values, his profesional labour and his social projection. • 1998 : He is named “Knight of the Order of Words and Arts of Fance by the president of the French Republic. • 1999 : Premio Leader of Freedom , by La Albuera (Badajoz). • 2000 : Premio by the Cadena Cope – Cadena Cien of Vizcaya. • 2001 : Mediterranean Prize to the best foraign novel published in that year in France for “The nautical chart” by the Goncourt Academy. • 2002 : Medal of the French Navy Academy for “The nautical chart”. • 2003 : Member of the Spanish Royal Academy. • 2004 : He is named Doctor Honoris Causa by the Universidad Politécnica of Cartagena. • 2004 : XXIX Prize González Ruano of Journalism. • 2004 : V Premio Joaquin Romero Murube.

10. Captain Alatriste • It is an adventure novel set in the early 17th century in Spain – atime when the mighty Empire was beginning to crumble as a result of disaatrous wars and the rule of the inept and decadent Felipe IV. After being wounded in Flandes, captain Alatriste returns to Madrid to make his livings as a swordman for hire. Alatriste is a t once brave, forthright and learned- but also a something of a womaniser, a heavy drinker and an assassin. • It was written with his daughter Carlota Pérez Reverte (Madrid, 1983). • Main characters: Diego Alatriste, Iñigo Balboa, Fray Emilio Bocanegra, Gualterio Malatesta, Luis de Alquezar and Angélica de Alquezar. • Themes: The spanish society and the style of life in the 17th century, the language, the politic and religious intrigues, the soldier life conditions, the friendship, the love...

11. Captain Alatriste

12. Curiosities • He defines himself as “a sailor and a reader who became a writer by chance”. • According to him, “if I am in the RAE is because of Alatriste. He took me there”. • What he hates most is “ the studipity and the ignorance allied to power”. • In his free time, he likes having a coffee in his natal land, we can see him anyday having a coffee at Mayor Street of Cartagena or at the Trapería Street of Murcia. In summer, he likes visiting Cabo de Palos. • His books have been published in more than fifty countries and translated to more than thirtyfour languages. • He was the only one candidate for the Capital T letter sofa of the RAE. • In 1994 he read the Proclamation for the Carthaginians and Romans Feasts, in his natal city, Cartagena. • On november, 2002, it appeared a stamp based on captain Alatriste. And there is a board game and a role game based on the character.