The three books that shaped Arturo Pérez-Reverte's childhood and that he recommends reading once in a lifetime: what they are and where to get them.

A Spanish writer, journalist, and academic, he left his native Cartagena in his twenties, determined to live out the stories he had learned from the many books he read during his childhood and adolescence.

Arturo Pérez-Reverte became a prominent reporter in various armed conflicts and a successful author, with works such as El húsar (The Hussar), his Captain Alatriste series, Sidi, The Dumas Club, A Day of Cholera, and Línea de fuego (Line of Fire), about the Spanish Civil War, set in the worst battle of the conflict. He is one of the most influential authors in Spanish literature , and beyond his writing, he is prone to social media hype. His personal life is marked by discretion and privacy, but his work keeps him at the center of the news.

The ever-controversial novelist Arturo Pérez-Reverte has a strong sense of direction when it comes to recommending essential reading. A lover of adventure novels since childhood, he has on several occasions shared his selection of three titles that, according to him, everyone should read at least once in their life.

"When I was a kid, there was no television. I was introduced to it when I was 12, so my main entertainment was reading books and watching movies," Reverte explained in an interview with Esquire . That's where his passion stems from. Many children also enjoy reading. There are also parents who want to introduce their little ones to the habit of reading. However, finding titles that appeal to them and that they'll get hooked on can be difficult.

In 2023, the BBC asked 177 experts from 56 different countries to decide which were the best children's books of all time. Three were the most frequently cited. First up was Maurice Sendak's 'Where the Wild Things Are' (1963), followed by Lewis Carroll's 'Alice in Wonderland' (1865), and Astrid Lindgren's 'Pippi Longstocking' (1945).

The first title is an illustrated story that has shaped the childhoods of millions of children with its magical vision of fear and imagination. The second classic has fascinated readers of all ages thanks to its surreal world, while the third place on the podium is occupied by a girl who was able to challenge the norms of her time.

Pérez-Reverte has a somewhat different classification, and has released three titles that he believes every young person should definitely read at least once in their life. The first is "Captain Blood," a work by Rafael Sabatini first published in 1922 and directly inspired by the biography of the legendary Welsh filibuster Henry Morgan, who became lieutenant governor of Jamaica. Although the novel is out of print, good used editions are available. It has also been adapted for film several times.

In second place for the Cartagena writer is a classic among classics such as 'Treasure Island' , written by Robert Louis Stevenson and its first edition was published in 1881. It narrates the adventures of Jim Hawkins in search of fortune, and has also been adapted to film on several occasions.

Finally, the famous novelist recommends "The Black Corsair" by Emilio Salgari, a work capable of sparking a child's imagination and transporting them to the Caribbean seas. The story takes place during the heyday of piracy, when Emilio de Roccanera, better known as the Black Corsair, has sworn terrible revenge for the death of his brothers at the hands of the governor of Maracaibo. A triple literary journey that can be purchased at Casa del Libro and online shopping platforms, and which shaped the Spanish writer's childhood.