Sabatini, Rafael

Scaramouche A Romance of the French Revolution

Average customer rating:

He was born with the gift of laughter ...
Good read. Melodramatic in places.
Good but not great
afforded the chance to again enjoy a classic
Nineteenth Century Conventions with Twentieth Century Flair

Scaramouche A Romance of the French Revolution
Rafael Sabatini
Manufacturer: Echo Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1406804746

Book Description

Sometimes spelt Raphael in error?

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With swordfights and romance, adventure and treachery set against the backdrop of the French Revolution, this is the book that made Sabatini famous. André-Louis Moreau has good prospects as a young lawyer, but an unfair duel with the ruthlessly cruel Count de La Tour d'Azyr leaves André-Louis's best friend dead and André-Louis himself a fugitive from the King's justice. While incognito he becomes both a wildly popular actor and a firebrand of the Revolution. His vow to avenge his friend's murder leads him deeper into the political intrigues that surround the Revolution, and to a position of power. But there are secrets to be revealed that will stun all of Paris. One of the best historical romances of all time. "He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad."

Customer Reviews:

He was born with the gift of laughter ..........2007-04-10

This is my first Sabatini novel (just finished it last night), but it won't be my last - I found Scaramouche excellent.

Scaramouche is set during the years leading up to and including the French Revolution, and follows the exploits of one Andre Louis Moreau, a lawyer, a bastard, and a Frenchman with close connections to the ruling class. Moreau begins the story without an inkling of support for the Republican cause, but this changes early in the novel when Moreau's best friend, an outspoken Republican with a "dangerous gift of eloquence", is wrongly and permanently silenced. With that event, Sabatini not only changed the course of Moreau's life forever, he also had me hooked less than 30 pages into Scaramouche - an impressive accomplishment given my attention span, or lack thereof.

Moreau, or Scaramouche as he's eventually known, is a complex and unique character. Moreau's motives are often contradictory and hard to understand yet, at least to me, remain believable. He devotes his life to a cause he (at least initially) doesn't believe in. He seems to have little care for those around him, and is even called heartless by his friends and peers numerous times, yet he possesses loyalty worthy of admiration. An admitted hypocrite, he despises the emotion of hatred whilst himself dedicating a good portion of his life to vengeance. I found this unique character memorable and also worth liking and rooting for.

If there is one negative worth pointing out, it's that Scaramouche (the novel, not the character) is, at times, highly predictable. In particular, there is a revelation relating to Moreau's linage revealed at the end of the story that I saw coming from a mile away - and I'm pretty dense, there's generally a lot I don't see coming from a mile away that many other readers would. The story also is peppered with a number of fairly unlikely coincidences - but I think it's reasonable to consider these not coincidence, but Providence, or fate, and their prevalence is common to other works that I'd consider within the same category as Scaramouche, including everything I've ever read by Dumas or Hugo.

However, aside from what I'd consider a good to very good story, any negatives I can point out are, in my opinion, more than offset by Sabatini's excellent writing. This is clearly a matter of opinion, but I like his writing style better than just about anything I've read in the recent past, and I've read works by some pretty well regarded authors in the recent past. And in my opinion it's much more than a good vocabulary, the entire 350 pages are dotted with more great one-liners than I could possibly count or keep track of (beginning with the opening line of the novel, but this is far from the only memorable line). I was laughing out loud multiple times while reading this, moved to laughter by the overweight Pantaloon's "ponderous yet curiously noiseless gait" and, crap, countless other lines that make me wish I'd read with a highlighter nearby so I could quote more than one of them in this review and elsewhere - I never do that (read w/ a highlighter next to me) but do wish I had in this case and will when I read future works by Sabatini. The comical nature of the book is also bolstered by Moreau's cynical, dry humor that I find appealing.

As for my highest praise for this piece, I can offer two examples. The first is that I will read more works by Sabatini (in fact I just received a copy of Captain Blood today). The second is, if asked by a random friend to recommend a single book I've read over, say, the last six months as an easy, entertaining (yet nonetheless thought provoking) read, my answer would come easily and immediately: Scaramouche.

Good read. Melodramatic in places........2007-01-20

Well worth the effort. In parts a romantic melodrama, but finely balanced with the revenge/coming-of-age portion.

Good but not great.......2006-04-10

Notwithstanding my fellow readers' rave reviews, I thought this standard in historical fiction was just average, and despite the author's incredible vocabulary, I did not find the writing itself to be particularly fine. It was hard to actually much like or root for the protaganist, which, in itself, is not a requirement for enjoying a book. However, I never felt as if the provocation for pursuing his relentless vendetta rang true or was supported by what I understood of his basically cynical and dispassionate character. Supposedly, he vows revenge for the murder of his dear friend in a one-sided duel, which underlies the ensuing plot line. But I never saw indications in our hero's character that he cared much about anything or anyone in particular, and certainly not to the extent of single-mindedly pursuing his enemy as he does. His feelings for his lady loves were likewise lukewarm and unconvincing, and I saw the startling revelation as to his ancestry coming a mile away. Sabatini's editorializing about politics, government and human nature were likewise tepid to my mind. Nor was his depiction of pre-Revolutionary France particularly evocative. Overall, I found myself reading this book to finish it and out of moderate interest in how the plot line would resolve. But I never particularly cared one way or the other, and a disinterested reader is not a good sign that the novel has succeeded. Literate, deemed a classic, but pretty humdrum overall.

afforded the chance to again enjoy a classic.......2006-03-08

I first read this book 25 years ago, and the author's style and wit proved a veritable knockout punch, inspiring me to seek out four more of his novels, and equally peruse each of them.

Nineteenth Century Conventions with Twentieth Century Flair.......2005-12-27

Rife with nineteenth century melodrama and a plot riddled by coincidence, Rafael Sabatini's SCARAMOUCHE is a tale of passion and adventure on the eve of the French Revolution. Andre-Louis Moreau, a low born young man who has studied the law and enjoys the patronage of a local nobleman, M. de Kercadiou, falls afoul of yet another highborn gentleman when this other takes it upon himself to entice Andre-Louis' best friend into a duel he cannot win. Moreau's friend, Philippe de Vilmorin, is a hotheaded idealist preaching the overthrow of the established order and his highborn antagonist, the Marquis de La Tour d'Azyr, is a man who cannot abide that. Goading the hapless Philippe into a one-sided duel which must result in his death, the Marquis ultimately refuses to respond to the angry demand of Andre-Louis that he kill him, too, leaving the young man clutching the dead body of his friend and swearing to become the voice of revolution that Philippe would have been had he lived.

Aiming to make good his oath, Andre-Louis soon turns his talent for oratory into rabblerousing against the Marquis, and those of the King's officers who protect him, and is forced to become a fugitive as the established order turns against him. Fleeing the gendarmes with the aid of Aline, beautiful niece of M. de Kercadiou, Andre-Louis joins an acting troupe and begins the first significant transformation of his life. But it will not be his last as he finds his calling in playing the scandalous rogue "Scaramouche" in the series of plays he soon devises to win fame and fortune for his little troupe.

Yet trouble haunts the troupe as Andre-Louis discovers a passion for Mademoiselle Binet, the beautiful daughter of the troupe's leader, only to find his hopes thwarted when he again crosses paths with the deadly Marquis de La Tour d'Azyr. Angered at the decision of M. de Kercadiou's niece, Aline, to refuse to foreswear the attentions of the ubiquitous Marquis, who seeks to win her with his worldly wealth and gentlemanly charm, Scaramouche soon resurfaces as a political dissident once more, bringing to an end his love affair with the theater and the actress, La Binet, who first drew him to it.

But Andre-Louis still has another transformation before him and, fleeing to Paris, he secures a position with a fencing master and is soon well on his way to mastery of that still vital martial art. As the Revolution gains steam, Andre-Louis, who continues to see himself as the rogue, Scaramouche, finds himself sucked back into the maelstrom of disorder and violence that the conflict in France is fast becoming. When, at last, he learns of an opportunity to square accounts with the man who slaughtered his friend, tempted Kercadiou's niece, and derailed his own planned marriage with the lovely Binet girl, he is quick to act and is soon brought face to face with d'Azyr in the Assembly of the newly formed French constitutional monarchy.

But the constitutional monarchy cannot endure and little else is as it seems in the escapades of Scaramouche. If one surprise is amply telescoped there is yet another, waiting in the wings, which comes so suddenly that I was astonished I had not anticipated it. Of course, the tale is entirely derived of the magnificent coincidences, nineteenth century style, that keep the story boiling as M. Moreau, the Scaramouche, learns the secrets of his own history, one revelation at a time.

If you like good old fashioned historical action tales with a French flavor and have a tolerance for the archaic conventions that enriched Sabatini's writing in the period (he wrote in the early twentieth century though his style resounds with the accouterments of the nineteenth), then I'm betting you'll like this one. I did.

SWM

Average customer rating:

This has become one of my favorite books!
Captain Blood is a great book
Great Swashbuckler
Leave This World Behind...
A great story - a great adaptation - shame about the accents

Captain Blood (Penguin Classics)
Rafael Sabatini
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0142180106

Book Description

Peter Blood is a physician and an English gentleman who becomes a pirate out of a rankling sense of injustice. Barely escaping the gallows after his arrest for treating wounded rebels who were fighting the oppressive King James, Blood flees England and becomes enslaved on a Barbados plantation of buccaneers. When he escapes, no ship sailing the Spanish Main is safe from Blood and his companions. Abounding with adventure, color, romance, and strong social commentary on the evils of slavery and the dangers of intolerance, this classic adventure is a story about how oppression drives men to desperate actions, how fate plays a hand in everyone's life, and how love is ultimately the greatest power of all.

Edited with an introduction by Gary Hoppenstand.

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Peter Blood, bachelor of medicine and several other things besides, smoked a pipe and tended the geraniums boxed on the sill of his window above Water Lane in the town of Bridgewater.

Customer Reviews:

This has become one of my favorite books!.......2007-06-23

This book is great. Rafael Sabatini did really weaved a grand plot. The first chapter is a bit difficult to get through, but after that you are swept along in the ever moving story. You feel the tenseness of the some of the ship battles. You laugh at the wit, charm, and geniusness of Captain Blood in the most impossible odds. Rafael Sabatini knew how to use the english language in a way that keeps you interested. There is also a depthness in the way human emotions are described that sheds light on the human mind.
This is a book I will read again in the future.

Captain Blood is a great book.......2007-05-19

I was assigned to read this book for my language arts class. I am in the 6th grade, but my reading level is about at the 5th grade level. My Mom and I both agree that this book is above the level of understanding and vocabulary for most middle school students. There are several other students in the class having difficulty with this book. My Mom has been reading the book aloud to me and I think that the plot is great and the charaters seem real. Quality stories like Captain Blood always give you a lot to think about! I would recommend reading this book.

Great Swashbuckler.......2007-03-24

Our hero encounters tyranny, injustice, slavery, cruelty, rapine, vengeance, piracy, war, treachery and towering over them all... romantic love at a distance. His superior morality and quick wit allow him to conquer all. Reads fast and is great escapist fun!

Leave This World Behind..........2007-03-10

Remember when you were a kid and first discovered the time machine-like power of a book to transport you to distant centuries and places? Remember the hours you spent gloriously lost in its magical pages? Well yes, you CAN go home again and will when you enter the world of Rafael Sabatini, a historical fiction writer's writer if ever there was one.

CAPTAIN BLOOD is old-school adventure with a modern sensibility. By that I mean, Sabatini understands that romantic swashbuckling heroes must be realistic, too, and that his plot and fiction must be leavened with the truth of history for it to come off just right. In reading this book, then, you will learn something about the useful role of piracy and buccaneering in the Caribbean during the 17th century. No mere pawns on an oceanic chessboard, these pirates and privateers were players of substance in the war games and skirmishes between the nautical heavyweights of those days -- England, France, and Spain.

In addition to a completely engaging hero and a plot even short-attention spanned young readers can embrace, CAPTAIN BLOOD offers outstanding characterization and insight into mankind's cupidity, ambition, and thirst for power. Sabatini shows the so-called "respectable" nobles of the European countries to be every bit as bloodthirsty and criminal as the pirates they hunt down and despise, and CAPTAIN BLOOD is the perfect vehicle with which to do it.

If you haven't tried Sabatini, you're denying yourself. This is the book! Watch a common man of uncommon ability and charisma match wits and strength, guile and subterfuge, and words of love and hate with nefarious admirals, despicable villains, a bold and beautiful woman, and high-placed European snobs all in the accurately-rendered setting of the sunny Caribbean. It'll make you feel young again (even if you're only 12), I promise!

A great story - a great adaptation - shame about the accents.......2006-11-24

Captain Blood has been one of my favourite escapist stories since I first saw Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland in the classic Warner feature. I subsequently sought out Sabatini's source novel, which entranced me along with the follow up Captain Blood stories. It was with great anticipation that I purchased Jerry Robbins' epic audio production. It's an ambitious project and certainly puts you in the plantations of Barbados, the deck of the Arabella and the Tortuga taverns. It's a great companion to the books and will no doubt prompt you to seek out the books. As an Englishman my only real quibble about this production is regarding the inconsistent and wince-inducing accents. The Spaniards have "Eh Greengo" Mexicano voices. The English accents are decidedly odd especially in the bizarre vowel mangling of the actors playing Nuttall and Jeremy Pitt. The former is a close runner up to the doyen of dreadful English accents Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins; while the latter adopts a wispy Irish brogue - ironic that the one Irishman in the book is the titular Captain Blood. As good as Jerry Robbin's "veddy Inglish" voice is, the literary Blood was described as not losing his Irish accent. But hey I'm being churlish and it's a minor niggle that is no doubt unnoticeable to most US listeners. It's a fabulous story that has been lovingly bought to our ears.

Average customer rating:

Escape Into Fascinating Characters
Action from cover to cover
No Superficial Linguistic Dust Here
Marvelous
Couldn't put it down...

The Sea-Hawk
Rafael Sabatini
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0393323315

Book Description

A masterpiece of historical Þction—and a ferociously gripping adventure tale. Oliver Tressilian, a Cornish gentleman who helped defeat the Spanish Armada, is betrayed by his half-brother, throwing him into circumstances where he becomes a Barbary pirate and a follower of Islam.

Customer Reviews:

Escape Into Fascinating Characters.......2007-04-19

"Captain Blood" is adventurism with lots of action and good character studies. "The Sea Hawk" is also adventure but with far less action and more fascinating character studies. Sabatini invents intriquing thought processes for the leading characters that lead to the unexpected . He is almost as good as Tolstoy in opening up heads. The translation is excellent as the words just flow making it difficult to put the book down.

Action from cover to cover.......2005-03-17

I find it hard at times to pick up novels written a century ago or so, the language can be archaic, the pace a little slow... Not so this novel. It amazed me how quickly I could adapt to Sir Oliver and his world. The heroes were larger than life, the villains deliciously captivating. I found it incredibly hard to put down. It's just nice to read about a hero that stands for something, a person true to their beliefs. Purists would say Sabatini relies on coincidence to move his plot forward, but the world he creates makes it all believable. If you are hesitant about reading the prose of classic swashbuckling literature, read the first three chapters, I guarantee you'll be hooked ;)

No Superficial Linguistic Dust Here.......2005-01-21

Having recently read several modern novels by contemporary authors, I was transported by THE SEA-HAWK back in time to an earlier style of writing and a distinctly different use of language. How many books, for instance, have you read lately that use the verb "trepan" very frequently? Didn't think so.

Having found modern authors' use of language to be pretty bland and, in a few instances, actually to violate grammatical convention, I was thrilled to encounter Sabatini's 1915 novel with its beautiful, effective use of the language. For a lad born and educated in Europe, Sabatini wrote in English with a felicity that usually eludes native-born American writers, and, dare I say, quite a few British authors, too. Thinking of the modern American authors I have read lately, I can say with pleasure that reading Sabatini is like taking a fresh, invigorating intellectual shower and thoroughly ridding oneself of the superficial linguistic dust lingering from their various works.

Of course, there is far more to THE SEA-HAWK than its sparkling use of language. Sir Oliver, or, to use his Muslim name, Sakr-el-Bhar, is a complex character who responds to his changing fortunes as a real person who wishes to survive and even prosper, yet who retains his dignity in the face of undeserved adversities that could have easily crushed a lesser man. The plot is truly gripping, and the reader eagerly pursues the story to learn what will befall Sir Oliver next and whether he can somehow extricate himself from this new quandary and perhaps even turn the situation to his advantage.

All is believable. The settings in which the plot unfolds are exotic but realistic. Though he knows it is fiction, the reader can easily accept the reality of the setting, the characters, and the action. While certain fortuitous coincidences do occur from time to time, no miraculous escapes or incredible rescues are foisted upon the hapless reader. Nothing untoward jars him from his vicarious participation in this great adventure.

Enjoy THE SEA-HAWK for its wonderful use of language. Enjoy it for the variety and depth of its characters. Enjoy it as a swashbuckling adventure on the high seas. (One simply cannot write about Sabatini without using the word "swashbuckling" at least once.) Enjoy it for the reality of its settings and events. There are critics who say that THE SEA-HAWK does not reach quite the same degree of excellence as do some of Sabatini's other novels, such as CAPTAIN BLOOD and SCARAMOUCHE. However, I beg to disagree with them. If you have enjoyed any of Sabatini's other novels, do not hesitate to read this one, for it is equally enjoyable. If you are coming to Sabatini for the first time, you will find THE SEA-HAWK to be a fascinating introduction to his work, and you will be as motivated as I to follow it with several of his other novels. Once begun, Sabatini is habit-forming!

Marvelous.......2004-06-17

I hate to be another person to write a glowing review of "The Sea Hawk," but I can't help myself. Sabatini is one of my favorite authors, and this is one of my favorite books by him. It's the sweeping saga of an English gentleman's transformation into a Muslim pirate circa 1590, and its themes of family betrayal, religious revenge, and tormented love are worthy of a Verdi opera. Sir Oliver and Rosamond are familiar Sabatini character types, but I personally feel they have more depth and vitality here than, say, the leads in "Captain Blood."

"Hawk" does have a few problems though, shared by other books in the Sabatini canon. Like "Scaramouche," there's the slightly awkward three act structure. "Hawk" gets off to an exciting start, then bogs down a bit when it introduces the North African setting and the Muslim characters, and in Act 3 finally careens to a terrific and breathless finish. Also, as another reviewer pointed out, the Muslim characters, especially compared to their English counterparts, are not particularly convincing. In fact, their overly stilted and archaic dialogue bears an amusing resemblance to the historical speechifying satirized by Thackeray in his 1850 burlesque "Rebecca and Rowena." But all in all, these are minor complaints. "The Sea Hawk" is a ripping read by one of the 20th century's masters of historical fiction.

From beginning to end, "The Sea Hawk" is also irresistably cinematic, from the initial descriptions of Sir Oliver's mansion to the final shipboard embrace. However I don't expect that this will be remade into a movie any time soon, given today's political climate. I read this shortly after the Madrid bombings, and it was decidedly unsettling reading about a Western guy who converts to Islam and takes up a jihad against the wicked Spanish. Yes, times have certainly changed since "Hawk" was written in 1915. One wonders what Sabatini would make of John Walker Lindh...

Couldn't put it down..........2003-09-24

I was lucky enough to pick up the 1921 edition of the book at a garage sale. It sat in my library for a couple of years unread. I took it with me on a Mexican vacation to an out of the way village in the highlands of Puebla. It was the 'only' source of entertainment I had when the day wound down and after the first 50 pages I was hooked--up all night reading it, engrossed in the characterizations and plot lines. I read it twice more that week at a much more liesurely pace. Sabatini has a gift for physical description that paints a scene or player so vividly that the novel is almost cinematic. Other reviewers talk about the Errol Flynn film--I recommend the 1924 silent version starring Milton Sills and Wallace Beery. Far superior and more true to the book. This is a swashbuckler with a true sense and appreciation of history and period. I am currently reading it to my 5 year old grandchildren--I have three--with appropriate vocal effects and sideways diversions--and they love it. Buy and read this book. It is much better than you could hope for.

Average customer rating:

A "Blood" even Sabatini would rave about! Fabulous!
A great audio book
AN AMAZING AUDIO PRESENTATION
A really great story told in a true blockbuster style
Great Story - lousy accents

Captain Blood
Rafael Sabatini
Manufacturer: Blackstone Audiobooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 0786165839

Customer Reviews:

A "Blood" even Sabatini would rave about! Fabulous!.......2007-04-09

If I could only take 5 books to a desert island, Captain Blood would be one of them. CRT/Jerry Robbins has done a fabulous--utterly fabulous--job with this audio work. The music, the actors--everything is wonderful! I absolutely disagree with the reviewer who stated "lousy accents." Jerry Robbins has Blood done to a fine T. Blood is Irish and Robbins plays this role like a grand master. TO CRT: Please bring us more of the Blood novels...the sequels are just as grand and I wish you had more of your splendid work online in CD format for purchase. Go Colonial Radio Theatre! You are the best there is!

A great audio book.......2007-02-11

I've not had a chance to finish the set, but I've enjoyed it so far a great deal.

AN AMAZING AUDIO PRESENTATION.......2007-01-12

I bought this CD and before I had a chance to listen to it, I read another review which slammed it right down to the music. So, I listened to it with a bias, waiting for it to be horrible. It isn't. Not by a long shot. Not by a VERY long longshot. CAPTAIN BLOOD, as produced by the COlonial Radio Theatre is without question, one of the most spectacular action shows on CD! I am also a fan of the book, and these characters leaped off the pages and into my mind - with the help of a few thousand sound effects.

The production has the feel of a 1930's or 40's swashbuckler. The acting is great, and I am sorry, but the accents are just fine! Another reviewer was right - Errol Flynn didnt use an Irish accent either. And in the movie, Ross Alexander, Robert Barrett, Guy Kibbee, Olivia DeHavilland, NONE of them used ANY accents, while Basil Rathbone did an over the top cartoonish French accent - so, if someone is going to slam this major effort, slam the classic as well, because they did the same thing! I LOVE this CD. The battles rock the speakers - and the cannons booming terrifying.

One of the most breath-taking scenes in the whole show is the first time Blood and his crew set sail - the music and the sounds of the sails, and the rigging ... it's just magnificent. Other hilights that stayed with me - the capture of the Spanish ship, the battle of Cartagena, the incredible acid tongued dialog, a flogging scene that is so intense I found myself cringing - but that scene alone shows Blood turn on a dime. It is at that moment he realizes what he has to do.

The music score is, in a word - BEAUTIFUL. This score is worthy of Korngold, and has a sense of that style about it and is played by a full orchestra. This reminded me of the classic Warner Bros. scores from those grand epics. So, in the end, I think this is one of the best radio plays I've heard. I love it. It's magnificent. It's Captain Blood - coming to life before your very ears.

A really great story told in a true blockbuster style.......2006-12-09

Simply put, I loved this program! Of course the story is as good as they get, but it is the acting and music score that makes this something special. (I have notice one fellow who had issues with the accents, but cut us a break...this is an American production meant for American ears. If Captain Blood was acted (as he suggested)with an Irish accent, no one would have a clue what he was saying...As I recall, even Errol Flynn did not use an Irish accent..., and that movie version was pretty darned good).

As far as I am concerned, they did a great job of capturing that 1940s feel. ..and I am glad the cast did not sound like Monty Pythons Flying Circus. If it is action you seek, this wonderful production is just the ticket. 5 Stars from this reviewer! Enjoy.

Great Story - lousy accents.......2006-12-08

I can't fault the story, because Captain Blood is one of my favourite escapist adventures. It's my comfort reading, an old familiar friend. Alas the same cannot be said for this dramatic adaptation of Captain Blood. A mammoth production that faithfully follows the book, it is marred by vocal performances by actors who seem to have learnt English as spoken by the English from old Sherlock Holmes movies. I am English and spent most of the seven hours plus wincing at the mangling of my mother tongue. It may sound churlish to US readers but imagine hearing a Bronx accent in the Louisiana Bayou, or imagine George Washington speaking with a Jamaican accent - it was all wrong.

To make matters worse my ears were assaulted by dreadful cheesey mood music that belonged to an early 80's video game.

Fans of the good Captain would be better served by seeking out the sublime reading of the book also available on Blackstone Audio as read by Robert Whitfield. Some 11 hours long and a bit more expensive it's the one for me.

Average customer rating:

If you like Sabatini, you shouldn't miss this one
Moderately good
Adventure, Suspense, Romance, History - An awesome blend!

The Sword Of Islam
Rafael Sabatini
Manufacturer: Hesperides Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1406729345

Book Description

Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Hesperides Press are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Customer Reviews:

If you like Sabatini, you shouldn't miss this one.......2005-03-21

The title of this book is somewhat misleading. The scenery is not the Empire of the Caliphs, but Genoa at the times of Andrea Doria and the Emperor Charles V.
The story is a bit more romantic and it's pace a tick slower than an 'average Sabatini', still I think it is one of his best books.

Moderately good.......2003-05-24

The Sword of Islam is middle-of-the-road Sabatini--certainly not one of his worst, but nowhere near the heights of Scaramouche or The Sea-Hawk. Prospero Adorno is a leading naval mercenary in Renaissance Italy whose feud with Admiral Andrea Dorea and his family leads to all sorts of complications. Prospero realizes this may all stem from a misunderstanding, but other forces--including pressure from his own family for revenge--keep that misunderstanding from being cleared up.

The Sword of Islam is the Barbary corsair Dragut, mentioned in passing in The Sea-Hawk (written much earlier). He really doesn't come into play until late in the book, but his raids play a role in resolving the conflict between Prospero and Doria.

The other reviewer mentioned the respectful treament of followers of Islam in this book; that's true of many of Sabatini's works, in which the greater criticism is leveled at hypocritical Christians who don't live what they preach (though I've not read his book on Torquemada, it seems from his other novels that Sabatini was contemptuous of the Inquisition, and Captain Blood contains a passage or two on the problems of a "Christian country" punishing those who practice "Christian charity).

Recommended with three of five stars.

Adventure, Suspense, Romance, History - An awesome blend!.......2001-01-07

An awesome book by a great author. It amazes me that this incredible story is out of print! It is one of the few books that shows Christians and Muslims on the same level, without playing the Arabs down. This historically correct story tells a tale of a Genuese captain in a fight against the Arab pirates of the mediterranean. He is torn between the loyaltyto his family, to his land, and to an oath to avenge his father death, inflicted on him by a fellow genuese, the best admiral of his time. The story is breathtaking and impossible to put down. It is highly recommended to anyone interested in history, in adventure and just in a good read.

Adventure Classics : Graphic Classics Volume Twelve (Graphic Classics (Graphic Novels)) (Graphic Classics (Graphic Novels))

Average customer rating:

Ripping good stuff! Tales of pirates, desert sorceresses, lusty women and dangerous men
As exciting, wild, and spooky to read as its predecessors

Adventure Classics : Graphic Classics Volume Twelve (Graphic Classics (Graphic Novels)) (Graphic Classics (Graphic Novels))
Sax Rohmer , Johnston McCulley , Zane Grey , Alexandre Dumas , Edith Nesbit , Rudyard Kipling , Arthur Conan Doyle , O. Henry , Robert Louis Stevenson , Rafael Sabatini , Damon Runyon , Robert W. Service , Fitz-James O'Brien , Rod Lott , Hunt Emerson , Michael Manning , Mary Fleener , Skot Olsen , and Donald Marquez
Manufacturer: Eureka Productions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Graphic Classics Volume 13: Rafael Sabatini (Graphic Classics (Graphic Novels)) (Graphic Classics (Graphic Novels))

ASIN: 0974664847

Product Description

Adventure Classics is the second multi-author anthology in the Graphic Classics series. The book presents thirteen stories and poems of danger, horror, comedy and romance; all told in new comics adaptations. Included are "The Valley of the Sorceress" by "Fu Manchu" author Sax Rohmer, "The Masked Ball" by Alexandre Dumas, and "Tigre" by Zane Grey. Plus a classic war story by Damon Runyon, a saga of Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini, and a noir crime tale by "Zorro" author Johnston McCulley. Also more stories from O. Henry, Rudyard Kipling, Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert W. Service, Edith Nesbit, Robert Louis Stevenson and Fitz-James O'Brien, as illustrated by Hunt Emerson, Michael Manning, Mary Fleener, Don Marquez, Mark A. Nelson and more great contemporary artists. With a dramatic cover painting by Chris Moore.

Customer Reviews:

Ripping good stuff! Tales of pirates, desert sorceresses, lusty women and dangerous men.......2005-09-17

The mysterious desert. The high plains. The stormy seas. The dense jungles. These are the places where actions speak louder than words, where the sharp retort of a six-gun decides who is right and who is dead, and a blind tiger stalks with preternatural senses and determination. These are the settings for Adventure Tales, a genre of literature prominent in the 1900's, in which many of the finest authors of the period plied their trades.

In this, their 12th volume, Graphic Classics has assembled an anthology of some of the greatest adventure stories of the time, full of hot blood and cold nights, mystery and magic. These classic tales have been interpreted by a host of talented illustrators, lending their own unique insight into the authors original stories. This is their second anthology book, like Volume 10 "Horror Classics," combining many workers in the genre rather than focusing on a specific author.

Some of the best authors are on display here. Robert Louis Stevenson, author of "Treasure Island," Sax Rohmer, creator of Yellow Peril villain Fu Manchu, Alexander Dumas, creator of The Three Musketeers, renowned cowboy author Zane Grey, Damon Runyon, author of "The Idylls of Miss Sarah" which was adapted as the musical "Guys and Dolls," Rafael Sabatinin master of Pirate Tales and creator of Captain Blood, Johnston McCully creator of the swashbuckling Zorro, Sherlock Holme's creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Rudyard Kipling, author of "The Jungle Books."

Finally, there is O. Henry, whom if it weren't for Graphics Classics, I might have known nothing more of than the sweet Christmas fable, "The Gift of the Magi," rather than met him as a scribbler of dark cowboy adventures.

This volume contains:

The Wind Blew Shrill and Sharp - A lusty sea poem by Robert Louis Stevenson. Skot Olsen provides an excellent and strong sailor to accompany the compelling verse.

In the Valley of the Sorceress - Egypt was a mysterious and magical place at the time, and Sax Rohmer weaves a web of desire and danger. An archaeologist attempts to open the hidden tomb of Sorceress Queen Hatasu, but finds his efforts daunted, and his soul beguiled by a beautiful Arab maiden. Illustrator JB Bonivert brings a unique and fanciful style to this classic adventure.

The Masked Ball - By Alexander Dumas. A short and dark tale of heartbreak and desire, accompanied by a hedonistic masked ball where people seek to drown their loneliness and hide their faces. Michael Manning provides a dark atmosphere, heavy with black spaces, as an appropriate accompaniment.

Tigre - The jungles of Mexico are the setting for this tale of lust and revenge. By Zane Grey, an old farmer is a master of wild animals, particularly his blind brutish tiger named Tigre. The only thing he can't tame is his young and pretty wife. Who stalks who in the dense jungle? A straight-forward but perfect comic book adaptation by Don Marquez, particularly of the lovely Senora.

The Shooting of Dan McGrew - A popular cowboy poem by Robert W. Service, adapted with humor and pathos by Hunt Emerson. A lonely miner, a dangerous gambler, and the lady that's known as Lou.

Two Men Named Collins - Damon Runyon gives us a sad and silently heroic of two soldiers who share the same name. On is lonely and ugly, one is popular and handsome. But the one holds the secret of the other, and nobility is not always what it seems. Illustrator Noel Tuazon does a spectacular adaptation of this tail, lending even more weight and atmospher to the yarn.

Blood Money - An adventure of Rafael Sabatinin's celebrated rouge Captain Blood. A straight-forward comic book adaptation by Kevin Atkinson, this is a clever celebration of the key to Captain Bloods success. Pure luck.

Gunga Din -Rudyard Kipling gives us a blood-rousing poem of an Indian water bearer and the Thuggee wars. The prose is amazing. "But when it comes to slaughter, you will do your work on water, an' you'll lick the bloomin' boots of 'im that's got it." Great illustrations by Mary Fleener, this was the first time I had read this classic poem.

The Man without a Shadow - An Irish short story author, this is a companion piece to "A Day-Dream" which appears in "Horror Classics." A whimsical adaptation by Milton Knight of a clever tale.

The Mystery of the Semi-Detached - I always knew Edith Nesbit as the author of the children's tales "The Boxcar Children," but little did I know she had this tale of murder and ghosts in her. With excellent Victorianesque illustrations by Antonella Caputo.

The Stolen Story - Johnston McCully is best known for swashbuckling, but this tale of fictional theft is equally gripping. A man's dreams are met, although they turn into a nightmare. With appropriately grotesque illustrations by Chris Pelletiere.

The Crime of the Brigadier - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had many characters, one of them Brigadier Gerard, a teller of tall-tales and adventurer in Napoleon's army. This funny yarn is comically adapted by Nick Miller is a suiting style.

The Roads We Take - Another black tale of cowboys by O. Henry, a story of betrayal, and a man's true character. Outlaw Shark Dodson saw two roads ahead of him, both leading to the same ending. A bleak story, with a perfect adaptation by Pedro Lopez. So good I immediately read it again after finishing it.

As exciting, wild, and spooky to read as its predecessors.......2005-08-11

The twelfth volume in the "Adventure Classics" series of graphic novels and short story collections, the reader is treated to some of the finest adventure writing by some of the most talented authors, and adapted to the graphic novel format by illustrators and artists of matching caliber. The stories comprising this issue include: "In the Valley of the Sorceress" by Sax Rohmer, ill. by J. B. Bonivert; "The Masked Ball" by Alexandre Dumas, ill. by Michael Manning; "Two Men Named Collins" by Damon Runyon, ill. by Noel Tuazon; "Tigre" by Zane Grey, ill. by Don Marquez; "Blood Money" by Rafael Sabatini, ill. by Kevin Atkinson; "The Stolen Story" by Johnston McCulley, ill. by Chris Pelletiere; "Gunga Din", by Rudyard Kipling, ill. by Mary Fleener, and more. Thrilling tales of the past century brought to life in a wide variety of bold, black-and-white styles make Adventure Classics Volume 12 as exciting, wild, and spooky to read as its predecessors.

Average customer rating:

If Only
Serial Blood
And Still More Peter Blood!

The Fortunes of Captain Blood
Rafael Sabatini
Manufacturer: House of Stratus
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1842328085

Customer Reviews:

If Only.......2006-10-15

Great novel if only I could get it delivered. I have ordered this and other Sabatini books from Amazon and have yet to ever receive one. The last one was perpetually backordered. For months and months I received messages asking if I still wanted the book. Then it was cancelled. Then mpnths latter I ordered another again and that was backordered as well.

Serial Blood.......2006-08-20

Raphael Sabatini apparently knew a good thing when he wrote it. The original Captain Blood was a runaway best seller. So Sabatini began cranking out further adventures of Captain Blood that were essentially collections of unrelated stories. Each chapter of "Fortunes" relates a complete stand-alone vignette, not related to the other chapters of the book.

You won't find a continuous narrative, and not much in the way of Blood's pining for the unreachable Arabella Bishop. But if you are interested in a rock-em, sock-em collection of great, salty short stories starring Sabatini's sympathetic hero Peter Blood, then "Fortunes" is for you.

Be sure that you first read the original "Captain Blood, His Odyssey", also sometimes sold simply as "Captain Blood". Then, once you are hooked on the main story, get a copy of "Fortunes" and enjoy even more piratical high-seas hijinks from everyone's favorite soldier of fortune.

As a delightful little "bonus", see if you are a careful enough reader to pick out the error in Sabatini's time-line. You'll have to remember the original Captain Blood story, and then in "Fortunes", read the story of The Eloping Hidalga. Something between the two doesn't add up. See if you can spot the mistake.

And Still More Peter Blood!.......2002-10-09

This is another collection of Sabatini's short stories featuring Peter Blood presented in serial order so the book can be read cover to cover or one story at a time. The plots center around Captain Blood's clever outwitting of his many opponents and incidents brought about by his fame in the Caribbean, including an imposter besmirching his reputation and a clever adversary who sees through one of the Captain's many alternate personas. Highly readable and very enjoyable.

Graphic Classics Volume 13: Rafael Sabatini (Graphic Classics (Graphic Novels)) (Graphic Classics (Graphic Novels))

Average customer rating:

Recommended as an introduction to Sabatini's timeless tales of high adventure
Captain Blood and the Plague of Ghosts

Graphic Classics Volume 13: Rafael Sabatini (Graphic Classics (Graphic Novels)) (Graphic Classics (Graphic Novels))
Rafael Sabatini , Rod Lott , Antonella Caputo , Mort Castle , Roger Langridge , Carlo Vergara , Milton Knight , Gerry Alanguilan , Stanley Shaw , Jackie Smith , Rich Tommaso , Kevin Atkinson , Hunt Emerson , and Joel Naprstek
Manufacturer: Eureka Productions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0974664863

Product Description

Graphic Classics: Rafael Sabatini features the origin of Sabatini's famed gentleman pirate "Captain Blood", adapted by Rod Lott and Carlo Vergara. Also, a great selection of mysteries and adventure tales illustrated by Stanley Shaw, Rich Tommaso, Roger Langridge, Jackie Smith, Milton Knight, Gerry Alanguilan and Hunt Emerson. With a comics bio of Sabatini by Mort Castle, and cover depiction of Captain Blood by Joel F. Naprstek.

Customer Reviews:

Recommended as an introduction to Sabatini's timeless tales of high adventure.......2006-03-07

The thirteenth volume in a series of impressive graphic novel anthologies drawn from classic stories and illustrated by various artists, Graphic Classics: Rafael Sabatini is a black-and-white compilation of tales of pirates, princesses, love, murder, hypnotism, extortion, and much more. The stories and their illustrators are "Captain Blood" by Carlo Vergara, "The Dream" by Rich Tommaso, "The Plague of Ghosts" by Gerry Alanguilan, "The Fool's Love Story" by Milton Knight, "The Spiritualist" by Roger Langridge, "The Valet Mystery" by Stanley Shaw, "The Risen Dead" by Jackie Smith, and a comic biography of Rafael Sabatini written by Mort Castle and illustrated by Kevin Atkinson. An eclectic range of tales with a common theme of excitement and intrigue, Graphic Classics: Rafael Sabatini is recommended as an introduction to Sabatini's timeless tales of high adventure.

Captain Blood and the Plague of Ghosts.......2006-03-03

I knew next to nothing about Rafael Sabatini before I picked up this latest volume of Graphic Classics. I always did love a good swashbuckler though, and I figured the creator of Captain Blood and Scaramouche was worth a look. Graphic Classics hasn't let me down yet, and this certainly won't be the last time they introduce me to a fantastic writer.

Remembered primarily for the slate of Errol Flynn films adapted from his works, such as "Captain Blood" and "The Sea Hawk," Sabatini is credited with the literary creation of the anti-hero, a rogue who's heroic nature is made heroic only by striving against those more villainous than himself. A host of pirates, charlatans and highway robbers manage to ingratiate themselves to the reader under Sabatini's guiding hand.

"Graphic Classics: Rafael Sabatini" is clearly a labor of love for editor Tom Pomplun, and he has put extra care into its quality. There is not a weak piece in this volume, and the artists are especially well-matched to the stories.

This volume contains:

"Captain Blood" - From a doctor, to a slave, to a free-booting pirate, Peter Blood's story is a bloody swath of adventure. Illustrated in a straight-forward but suitable style, Sabatini's most famous story comes dramatically to life. This one definitely makes me want to get the book and read the full story.

"Desperately Seeking Sabatini" - A hunt for the author,written by a college professor who wonders why Sabatini is not better remembered. Sabatini's story is an eye-opener. I had thought of him as a contemporary of Alexandre Dumas, not someone who was able to go see his own movies.

"The Valet Mystery" - A clever short story in the Sherlock Holmes vein, tense and with an interesting twist.

"The Spiritualist" - A comedic tale of a charlatan and the worlds beyond. Great illustrations to compliment the story.

"The Plague of Ghosts" - Another mystery, where a former con man hires his services to the police to uncover other con men. This time, a haunted castle and a bullet-proof ghost with a blazing skull. Classical art on this one really brings out the mystery.

"The Fool's Love Story" - Artist Milton Knight brings his personal flair to this story of the courage of ugly people, and how their love is no less powerful than the beautiful's.

"The Risen Dead" - A no-account rogue is finally brought to trial, although it is for a crime he didn't commit. A miracle grants him a second chance, but it is up to him to make something of it.

"The Dream" - An creepy tale of a mesmerist seeking to enforce his will upon a young lady of fortune. Her true love intervenes best he can, but the mesmerist's powers are strong.

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The Lost King
Rafael Sabatini
Manufacturer: Hutchinson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KL3XLC

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The Nuptials of Corbal
Rafael Sabatini
Manufacturer: House of Stratus
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1842328220

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