By the Horns

Spain, the dawn of the twentieth century. Week after week, hundreds of thousands of Spaniards flock to bullfights across the country. Bullfighters are the nation's great idols. Their feats—and calamities—make front-page news and dominate conversations in taverns and cafés. Juan Gallardo, a bullfighting-obsessed street urchin from Seville, proves himself a born torero by taking on battle-scarred bulls for the amusement of peasants at village festivals. His rise to riches and recognition as t...