Some notable historical examples of prison literature include Boethius's Consolation of Philosophy (524 AD) which has been described as "by far the most interesting example of prison literature the world has ever seen."[2] Marco Polo found time and inspiration to write about his travels to China only after his return and imprisonment in Genoa from 1296-1299.[1] Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) wrote his masterpiece, "the Divina Comedia (divine comedy) in the last years of his exile far away from his beloved home town of Florence. Miguel de Cervantes was held captive as a galley slave between 1575 and 1580 and from this he drew inspiration for his novel Don Quixote (1605). Sir Walter Raleigh compiled his History of the World, Volume 1 in a prison chamber in the Tower of London, but he was only able to complete Volume 1 before he was executed.