Pipes and kettledrums herald the arrival of gypsies on their annual visit to Macondo, the newly founded village where Jos eacute; Arcadio Buend iacute;a and his strong-willed wife, Uacute;rsula, have started their new life. As the mysterious Melqu iacute;ades excites Aureliano Buend iacute;a`s father with new inventions and tales of adventure, neither can know the significance of the indecipherable manuscript that the old gypsy passes into their hands. gt;Through plagues of insomnia, civil war, hauntings and vendettas, the many tribulations of the Buend iacute;a household push memories of the manuscript aside. Few remember its existence and only one will discover the hidden message that it holds . . . gt;This new edition of Gabriel Garc iacute;a M aacute;rquez`s most celebrated novel is published to coincide with celebrations to mark the 80th birthday of this Nobel Prize winning author in 2007