You read about somebody, and it doesn't really matter whether or not they really exist - the point is that you get into them like real characters.
“In all parts of the Old World, as well as of the New, it was evident that Columbus had kindled a fire in every mariner's heart. That fire was the harbinger of a new era, for it was not to be extinguished.”
“In '82 Brazil showed that you can't win the World Cup without a solid defense.”