The fictional Don Quixote was constantly defeated in his knightly adventures. In writing Quixote's story, however, Miguel Cervantes succeeded in a different kind of quest -- the creation of a modern novel that 'conquers' and assimilates countless literary genres. Don Quixote among the Saracens considers how Cervantes's work reflects the clash of civilizations and anxieties towards cultural pluralism that permeated Golden Age Spain.

Frederick A. de Armas unravels an essential mystery of one of world literature's best known figures: why Quixote sets out to revive knight...