The book Call me bastard was published in 2011. Since then it has rained a lot and its author is about to release a second part, based on the adventures of a character as emblematic as Pedro Hernández Cabrón, recovered by Javier Fornell for the people of Cádiz, so that their stories are enjoyed by anyone of any cultural background, in novel format.
And this is something that honors this historian from Cádiz. After all, the research that Javier Fornell has had to carry out to recover this emblematic character and his picturesque name could only be proper to a good historian.
This affordable novel takes us on a journey of transformation by Fernán Garcés, the son of a businessman from Cádiz who has been fascinated from a first meeting with Cabrón. So much is his admiration that he ends up becoming a friend and right hand of the pirate. The story will be told by this character, who so subtly introduces Javi Fornell in his work.
Together they will live a multitude of adventures. Because despite the harshness of some scenes, this is an old-fashioned adventure book. Human passions are intertwined in this historical novel that is at least addictive, at least in the way the most local battles are presented and in places in the province of Cádiz with a great history, such as Arcos or the mouth of the river. Guadalquivir, as well as other less local ones such as the island of La Gomera in Gran Canaria. El Macho Cabrío, emerges as an emblem before the need of a historian to write a historical novel, with a lot of history to transmit.
The action scenes are very well told. The narrative is addictive, as I have commented before. Also, a need arises to know more about Cabrón, and that's a very good thing for a novel that could have more parts.
Call me bastard It is a novel that would have to go beyond Cádiz to be shown to the whole world, in other languages and published in other countries. One of those little treasures of literature, of those that arise from humility and the need to express a feeling as legitimate as it is to endure and make other memories of history endure.
Synopsis
Pirate, corsair, merchant and conqueror, Pedro Hernández Cabrón was a medieval man, pious and cruel at the same time, feared for his violence and respected for his intelligence in war. He was born and lived in Cádiz, and from there he assaulted ships and brought terror to the Aragonese coasts. He participated in numerous battles against the infidel, fought in the Andalusian manor wars, won the pardon of the Catholic Monarchs and took part in the conquest of the Canary Islands. Javier Fornell Fernandez it reveals to us the historical character, with a hazardous life worth remembering, who hides behind the weight of his name. With illustrations by Jesús Méndez.
Author bio
Javier Fornell He has a degree in History from the University of Cádiz. He has led his steps to the medieval world of Cadiz, specializing in family and medieval low society. He is part of the research group "Medievalismo Gaditano" Hum-182 and of the "Seminario Agustín de Horozco". He has collaborated in the edition of the books "Magic, witchcraft and esotericism in history", "History of the city of Xerez de la Frontera and of the first kings who dominated it from the first foundation" y "Compilation of the Ordinances of the council of Xerez de la Frontera. Silgos XV-XVI" and he is the author of the chapter "Intervention of the people of Cadiz in the dynastic conflicts of the late Middle Ages: Juan Sánchez de Cádiz and Antón Bernal" in Marginalized, Dissidents and Forgotten in History.
He is responsible for editing History of Puerto de Santa María: from its incorporation into the Christian dominions in 1259 until the year 1800. In 2010 he published Cádiz lineages in the late Middle Ages.He is the author of numerous publications in specialized magazines and winner of the I and II Hades Research Awards, (2006 and 2008 respectively, in the second case for two works) promoted by the University of Cádiz, the Cádiz City Council and Cemabasa.
He always had literary concerns, which ended up reflected in his blog Catandure, where various stories and other writings appeared. He is a regular contributor to television shows People of Cádiz y The lantern (OndaCádiz TV), in which he talks about local history and legends.