“Whether you like or hate bullfighting, you must read this passionate biography . . . to understand from whence this life came, and what it says about Spain.” —L’Express

The story behind the upcoming film starring Adrian Brody and Penelope Cruz.

Born in 1917 in Cordova, Manuel Rodriguez Sanchez grew up under the strict eye of his mother and five sisters. His mother was already the widow of two bullfighters, so Manolete was determined not to let her down. Despite a weak physique, he rose to stardom against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War. At the age of 30, however, he finds himself on the verge of a precipice. He is to fight in Linares, a little town in Andalusia, where he will meet his match in the young fighter Luis Miguel Dominguin. Both his pride and his career are at stake—and he must also win back the love of his life, the voluptuous actress Lupe Sino.