Miguel de Cervantes, creator of Don Quixote, one of literature’s most popular and enduring characters, is possibly the most renowned Spanish writer of (1) ... time. Cervantes was bom near Madrid in 1547, and his life appears to (2) ... been every bit as exciting as any of his fiction. He spent several years in Rome before joining the Spanish army in 1570. The next year he (3) ... part in a fierce naval battle against the forces of the Ottoman Empire. During the battle he (4) ... shot twice in the chest and lost the use of his left hand.