However, he had been studying source materials and documentation since the summer of 1872, when he met a veteran sailor who had participated in the Battle of Trafalgar while staying in Santander.

[note 1] As in most of the episodes of this first series, the action is narrated in the first person by Gabriel de Araceli,[2] a heroic character who will evolve throughout it, blending his romantic and often melodramatic biography[3] with the most significant chapters of Spain's history between 1805 and 1875.

Various authors throughout the 20th century, from Rafael Altamira to Pedro Ortiz-Armengol, have highlighted Galdós's narrative genius in this beginning of his monumental chronicle of 19th-century Spanish history.

[4] [5] In this first episode, Gabriel is introduced as an orphaned rascal from Cádiz who, at the age of 14, becomes involved in the Battle of Trafalgar as a servant to an old officer of the Navy in reserve.

The action takes place in October 1805 and narrates, with a certain epic rhythm, the preparations, development, and outcome of the battle, with Gabriel enlisted on the Santísima Trinidad, flagship of the Spanish Navy.