Washington Irving readDon Quixote as a child, sparking a lifelong interest in Spain. When published,Chronicle of the Conquest of Granadaa history of the fifteenth-century Spanish war against the Moors in Granadawas acclaimed for its engaging writing style, which made it seem less like a history and more like an adventure tale.

Washington Irving (1783-1859) has been called the first American man of letters.  His most famous stories are "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," classics of dark fantasy.  He also wrote histories and biographies, including a five-volume life of George Washington. Irving is one of the first American authors to gain fame in Europe. He is buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Sleepy Hollow, New York.