The Spanish Armada's attack on Britain may not be one of the most well-known areas of history but it is far from unheard of. What is less well-known is that part of the Armada was swept to Ireland by severe storms, and that a Spanish ship captain, Francisco de Cuellar, kept an account of his travails through Ireland. Paul Hemenway Altocchi and Julia Cooley Altrocchi have taken that account and transformed it into a gripping tale of one man's attempt to survive while traveling through late 16th Century Ireland. From the moment he sets foot on the shores of Ireland, de Cuellar's life is in danger, not only from being attacked by Irishmen but also from being found by English soldiers.

     That he survives is a wonder in itself, since he manages to live not only through a naval battle with the English fleet, but also through storms, a shipwreck and a violent attack during the first minutes in Ireland. What amazed me even more was how he survived. Part of it, as with everything in history, was a matter of luck; de Cuellar could so easily have been one of the men who died before making it back to Spain. Luck alone wouldn't make an intriguing story, however, and the authors make a point of showing his skill as well, so the readers understand that de Cuellar would have needed every ounce of intelligence he had to return home.

     This book entranced me from the very first page. It's wonderfully researched, but it doesn't read like a history book that happens to have dialogue and some characterization. I was drawn into de Cuellar's world which felt rich and vibrant, even though it's separated from mine by several centuries. The characters presented, though all either historical or extrapolations of what people would have been like then, felt alive and real. I haven't read a historical fiction novel like this before and I'd heartily recommend it.