Arturo Pérez-Reverte Gutiérrez is a renowned Spanish novelist and former journalist, best known for his historical fiction, mystery, and suspense novels. He is the author of the Captain Alatriste series, which has become his signature work. Pérez-Reverte was born in Cartagena, Spain, in November 1951 and dedicated himself exclusively to literature after spending 21 years as a reporter for various media outlets, covering international conflicts.
Before becoming a published novelist, Pérez-Reverte worked as a war correspondent for RTVE, covering conflicts and wars for 21 years. He began his journalistic career at the now-defunct newspaper Pueblo and later became a news reporter for TVE, Spanish national channel. His experience as a war journalist took him to several countries, where he covered many conflicts. He incorporated this experience into his book 'Territorio Comanche,' focusing on the years of Bosnian massacres.
Pérez-Reverte made his debut as a fiction writer in 1983 with 'El húsar,' a historical novella inspired by the Napoleonic era. However, it was not until 1988, with 'The Fencing Master,' that he established himself as a serious writer of historic novels. His breakthrough came in 1996 with the first book of his Captain Alatriste saga, which has been his most successful work to date. The series, set in the Spanish golden age, has seen seven volumes, where Pérez-Reverte presents historical events from Spanish history in the 16th century from his unique perspective.
In addition to the Captain Alatriste series, Pérez-Reverte has written other successful works such as 'Dumas Club' and 'Flanders Panel,' which have made him one of the most famous and bestselling authors of Spanish fiction of our time. He has received numerous literary awards and has been translated into more than 40 languages. Pérez-Reverte joined the prestigious Real Academia Española in 2003.