Trafalgar is the historical novel of the Battle of Trafalgar. The action is narrated in the first person by Gabriel de Araceli, a heroic character, mixing his romantic and often folkloric biography. Gabriel is presented as a rogue orphan from Cádiz, who at the age of 14 gets involved in the battle of Trafalgar as a servant of an old Navy officer in the reserve. The action takes place in October 1805 and narrates with a certain epic rhythm, the preparations, development and outcome of the battle, with the boy enlisted in the Santísima Trinidad, flagship of the Spanish Navy.

Benito Pérez Galdós (1843-1920) was a Spanish realist novelist. Some authorities consider him second only to Cervantes in stature as a Spanish novelist. He was the leading literary figure in 19th-century Spain. He remains popular in Spain, and is considered as equal to Dickens, Balzac and Tolstoy. While his plays are generally considered to be less successful than his novels, Realidad is important in the history of realism in the Spanish theatre.