Product Description
SCARAMOUCHE
THE SEA-HAWK
CAPTAIN BLOOD
THE TAVERN KNIGHT
THE SHAME OF MOTLEY
BARDELYS THE MAGNIFICENT
THE HISTORICAL NIGHTS' ENTERTAINMENT
-First Series
-Second Series
THE LIFE OF CESARE BORGIA
THE LION'S SKIN
LOVE-AT-ARMS
MISTRESS WILDING
ST. MARTIN'S SUMMER
THE SNARE
THE TRAMPLING OF THE LILIES ... Read more

Product Description
When Andre-Louis witnesses the murder of his best friend by an arrogant aristocrat he swears to avenge his death. Forced to flee his hometown after stirring up revolutionary fervour in the citizens, he falls in with a travelling theatre company and disguises himself as the character of the wily rogue Scaramouche. His ensuing adventures involve hair-raising duels, romance, treachery and shocking family secrets. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (46)

The luck of Sabatini
This is one of the best books of its kind, containing not only action melodrama but some good political discussions as well. Excellent movies have been made of it from the silent era to the present. Lewis Stone, who played the villain in a silent version, played the hero's father in the Stewart Granger version, which had the longest sword fight ever filmed up to the time, or even later, I believe.

It was a touch old-fashioned even when first written, but that didn't stop it from selling wonderfully.

And I'd like to comment on Sabatini's luck. His book has never been recommended by an academic or put on a reading list of the best novels ever written. As a result, there's no Amazon review for SCARAMOUCHE lower than three stars.

See how it goes? Just make sure no one thinks a book is great, and it's sure to attract only fans. Take THAT, Shakespeare, Tolstoy, Melville, Fitzgerald ... ... ...

Swordplay and philosophy
I regret that it took so long to find Sabatini. And my propensity to anticipate.The revelations at the end weren't as shocking as they should have been.But I loved Scaramouche still. only a little less than Captain Blood.

(3.5) Good, but not great
Andre-Louis Moreau, parentage unknown, is brought as an infant to a small village in Brittany where his support and education is supplied by his "god-father" M. de Kercadiou, and everyone assumes Kercadiou to be Andre's father from the wrong side of the blanket. Andre grows up with church-bound Philippe, as well as Kercadiou's beauteous niece Aline.Aline is preparing to accept the suit for her hand in marriage to the much older Marquis de la Tour d'Azyr, but tragedy strikes when the Marquis insults Philippe who then challenges him to a duel.Angered, Andre vows to seek revenge against the evil Marquis, but he's soon in a pickle of his own when he incites a mob and he becomes a wanted man. Desperate and penniless, he soon latches his star onto a traveling group of play-actors (including the feisty Climine) and he hides himself behind the mask of the buffoon, Scaramouche.

Andre and his nemesis cross paths again when the Marquis seduces Climine with jewels and promises of riches. An angry Andre incites a riot at the theatre and once more he's on the run. This time he lands in Paris andfinds work assisting fencing master M. des Amis with his students as the revolution against the monarchy continues to heat up and fencing skills are in high demand.

Taking over the school upon the death of the owner, Andre becomes well to do, his education as a lawyer suits him well and he's asked to join the new government - with the express purpose of inciting the former nobles into duels - including the now former Marquis.Just who parented Andre and what impact will it have on their lives now? Can Andre rescue Aline from Paris as madness descends and the Tuileries is attacked by a furious mob intent on destroying the aristocracy?

While I enjoyed the book a lot, I did find the first half to be rather slow, especially the bits where Andre is involved with the acting group - I think that comes off better in the Hollywood version. Things did pick up when he got to Paris, although the method of using supposed old letters of Andre'srecounting the events of the Revolution was a bit more on the telling than showing side. It's a good book, just not a great one for me. 3.5/5 stars.

Written 90 years ago, this is still a great adventure
Scaramouche is my favorite Sabatini work of fiction. Today you pick up a thriller and its non stop fights, chase scenes, and whatever other suspense an author could pile on. Sabatini's work is full of politics, layered intrigue, and social morals. You just wouldn't find a book today that spends half of its pages talking about revolutionary ideals and slight differences in political systems on one hand & the other half telling a great swashbuckling story on the other.

Written in 1923, this is obviously going to be a dated novel. The language and ideas have long been out grown in the arena of genre fiction. This is to be expected. What is remarkable is that once the story gets going, it never lets itself get pinned down. This is a great example of the earliest suspense/thriller stories that are loved by so many today.

Basically, Andre-Louis Moreau ( Scaramouche ) starts off the story as a newly minted lawyer. He is smart, an athlete, a ladies man... basically, exactly the sort of young man every male aspires towards.In the opening pages, he seconds a friend in a duel and watches as he is goaded into acting rashly. His friend dies and Moreau vows vengeance against the killer (a very powerful nobleman). When it turns out that Moreau will not gain the satisfaction of justice, he embarks on a quest to fullfill this revenge by any means possible. Soon Moreau is dodging constables and having an interesting life traveling across France.

You also have a nice romance, a rags to riches story, and a great look at the society of the time. I would highly recommend this enjoyable story. If you take my suggestion, give it at least 25 pages before you cast it aside. The pace speeds up and you will not be left unsatisfied.

Even Stoics have hearts
We meet the protagonist Andre-Louis Moreau, supposedly the bastard son of Quintin de Kercadiou, Lord of Gavrillac just before the French Revolution. He has been trained for the law. He is rational rather than emotional. However, he does have a rather strong attachment to his friend Phillipe de Vilmorin who is brutally killed in a duel early in the book. The murderer is the Marquis de La Tour d'Azyr who has the law and tradition all on his side. Andre-Louis then becomes a kind of evil genius to this man.

Some may criticize the wordiness of Mr. Sabatini but I have to say I loved every word.Themes of envy run through the dramatic ironies in this book.The meaning of Scaramouche is 1. a cowardly buffoon. 2: a rascal or scamp. Neither sense accurately describes Andre-Louis as he inhabits this role in his time on the lam.He is "tilting against windmills" as he attempts to take on the entrenched interests to avenge his dead friend.

The ending is a surprise. Read the book.This is not heavy with historical trivia on the French Revolution and is not an apologetic for it.
... Read more

Product Description
When I think of my mother now I do not see her as she appeared in any of the scenes that already I have set down. There is one picture of her that is burnt as with an acid upon my memory, a picture which the mere mention of her name, the mere thought of her, never fails to evoke like a ghost before me. ... Read more

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

Customer Reviews (43)

A swashbuckling tale indeed
Captain Blood was written in 1922 so it has a style that will seem to be a little dated and flowery to some readers. However, the story holds up, and the book is enjoyable to read. I read the trade paperback edition that was published in 1998 by McBooks Press. I am a fan of nautical fiction, and I have found through the years that the books published by McBooks Press are consistently well done. The stories are interesting ones, the covers on the books always look good, and the quality of the books is outstanding. They hold up well.

Captain Blood is your basic swashbuckler tale - lots of swordfights, much adventure, and many opportunities for redemption. Our hero is Peter Blood, an English physician who is arrested by the forces of King James for treating a wounded rebel and is then sentenced to slavery in Barbados. He manages to escape to Tortuga and becomes a famous pirate. The action is continuous, the characters are interesting, and it ends happily. What more could you want?

After reading the book, I decided to watch the famous 1935 film of Captain Blood starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland. It was great fun to watch, slightly melodramatic, but still fun.

avast me hearties
We need more pirates like Captain Blood.And more books like this swashbuckling wonder.The best of Pirates of the Caribbean without the absurdity.POC for the more serious minded. perhaps.

This is not Captain Blood
I made the mistake of buying this edition. You will find in the front material a notice that the text had been "adapted" to make it more accessible to modern readers. So you are getting not Sabbatini, but Sabbatini plus some unnamed editor rewriting it. Amazon is to blame here as well: it should be made clear this is an adaptation, not the original.

Great Book
If you are looking for a pirate adventure, look no further.This book is way better than Pirates of the Caribbean.The formatting shows excellently on the Kindle.

Captain Blood will Swash your Buckle!!!
I've loved pirate adventures for as long as I can remember.I've picked up Sabatini's novels [...] so many times it's pathetic...what's more pathetic is that I never bought one...until this past summer.

Part of the tipping point was that The Classic Tales podcast was offering an audiobook version of Captain Blood at a stellar price.Add to that the fact that BJ Harrison does a wonderful job in his readings, and I was determined to pick up the audio book and the novel itself for some summertime reading.Starting in August, I would listen to segments of the audio book and then also read passages from the novel to catch up and to glean more depth (the audio was unabridged, but since I was driving, I occasionally missed bits while concentrating on the crazy drivers around me).

The adventure of Captain Blood is amazing.The writing is beautiful and captivating.Peter Blood's wit and logic are wonderful and help create him as an amazing hero, pirate and gentleman.His resolve is indefatigable.His creativity and persistence are superb.His adventures are tense and exciting while also being well crafted and believable.

Sabatini creates in the world of Captain Blood, a vision of 17th century Caribbean that falls right in line with everything that encapsulates my visions of buccaneering pirates sailing the seas.

The characters are vivid and believable.There are certainly stereotypical typed characters, but even with these, Sabatini adds subtle nuances to create some depth.To the central character of Blood, I found myself sympathizing and relating to intimately.At times he felt a little too cool and collected, so I was glad that, as we reached the climax and started to wrap things up, his personality took on a harder edge based on the trials and his even keeled personality took on a cynicism worth exploring.He became a truly n-dimensional swashbuckler that I'll hold up for examination when diving into other pirate adventures.

While this story was filled with tons of wonderful adventure, excruciating tension, and exciting scenes of ingenuity, there were also some passages that slowed the pace down considerably through historical narrative and exposition on the nature of things in this time and place of history.In spite of slowing things down, these passages were still very interesting and added a wealth of depth to the story.I merely point this out to warn potential readers who are looking for a non-stop adventure that there will be moments of expository narrative as you sail the seas with Blood.

In addition to these historical interludes, readers should also be aware that a budding romance adventure lurks beneath the surface here.This certainly isn't a romance of the Victorian style such as you might find with Jane Austen, but there is a romantic feel...both in terms of romanticizing the life and times and in terms of an actual romantic relationship between Blood and another character.To those adverse to romance in their adventures...don't worry, the romantic scenes are short enough that you should survive discussions of culture, civility and the nature of man while Blood 'chews the fat' with the girl of his dreams.I actually found the romance a delightful addition to the narrative.Like the adventure itself, the romance was well constructed and full of tension and problems.In fact, I sometimes found myself more frustrated at the perils of romance than at the perils of the battles.

Overall, I can whole-heartedly recommend Captain Blood as an excellent novel.It is a wonderful portrayal of piratical adventure.It is very well written and contains significant historical information suggesting tons of research (not being a historical expert, I can't separate the history from the fiction...but Sabatini made a believer out of me, whatever the case).

Errol Flynn, the well-known portrayer of adventurers, played the title role in a 1935 film adaptation that I'm now intrigued to see.I've seen Flynn in The Sea Hawk and Robin Hood and am sure he'd make a fun Captain Blood.

So, if you have any inkling towards historical adventures, particularly pirate adventures, I definitely recommend you pick up Captain Blood.He'll swash your buckle and plunder your adventuring spirit.

*****
4.5 stars ... Read more

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

One of the best of Sabatini's early works.
Even within his lifetime Sabatini was criticized by the literati for his stilted prose and melodramatic plots. The general public, however, paid little attention to the critics and soon made the author a household name. As a writer, however, Sabatini matured as he grew older; his prose grew more sophisticated and his plots more intricate.As a result he became somewhat abashed over the works of his "literary nonage."

Having been forewarned that his early novels lack both the polish and sparkle of his later works, I approached Love-at-Arms (1907) with a charitable mind.I was surprised, however, to find it much more polished and sophisticated than I imagined. His somewhat stilted prose suits well his subject matter, and even makes it a bit of a romp. The plot is tight and well-constructed, replete with those Sabatiniesque twists and turns.

In short, while it cannot be compared to later works of the author at his height, Love-at-Arms is still an enjoyable read, and fans of the author will find much to delight in.

Almost a self-parody
I've tried to read this early Sabatini novel twice, but couldn't tolerate it.Sabatini is always perilously close to a parody of pompous pseudo-archaic style, but his charm is that he usually avoids it, even in his earlier works.In _Love-at-Arms_, however, he seems to be trying to be over the top; I'm afraid I had to give up at "But when presently he came nearer and looked with more intentness" in chapter five.

Sabatini romance and intrigue
This is another great Rafael Sabatini book.Full of romance, witty dialog, clever plot and thrilling adventure.If you've never read Sabatini before, try some of his stories. ... Read more

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Fiction / Action ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

great pirate novel
Compared to Captain Blood - less adventure, more intrigue.

I liked Captain Blood a lot more, and this one actually got a little boring at times and wasn't exactly a page-turner.
But, if you love the pirate high-adventure genre, this is a particularly interesting read since it focuses on Muslim pirates instead of the usual European or Caribbean ones

The thread of Sabatini's plot spirals in glorious blossoms across the pages
The thread of Sabatini's plot spirals in glorious blossoms across the pages of this must-read for those who love adventure, love, levity and danger tightly compressed within human conflict. Not til the last page are we finally given closure of the character's drama. This is one of the very best works this reviewer has ever read.

Great Romatic Fiction
I write this message to announce my great good fortune to have discovered at last the novels of Rafael Sabatini.

Those written before 1930 are available for free download from www.gutenberg.com.

I have read so far on my Kindle these three:
Captain Blood
Scaramouche (not about a pirate!)
Sea Hawk.

They are all three emotional rollercoaster rides,
Written in language florid, antique but thoroughly convincing,
About heroes and villains, betrayals, loves lost and regained, great injustice and final satisfaction,
Epic action and adventure, tiny misunderstandings that change the course of lives, twisting plots hung from cliffs,
Complex characters who struggle with life, waver, try a different path, lose faith and regain it.

Among the very best of Capital R Romantic fiction.

Background:

If you know of Sabatini at all, your knowledge is likely as vague mine was: as the old author of pirate novels which inspired the making of the 2 great Errol Flynn swashbuckler Movies: Captain Blood and Sea Hawk.I certainly enjoyed these movies, but as much for Korngold's music as any other reason.

Having by then checked Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafael_Sabatini
I had several of my illusions corrected:
No, he was not writing in 1750 or 1820: He wrote in the first half of the 20th century.
No, these were not Italian translations: He lived and wrote in England.
No, the Errol Flynn Sea Hawk was not based upon the Sabatini novel (although a 1924 silent movie was).
And wow! there are lots more still to read!

No movie, I suspect can do justice to these books.

I enjoyed this book
I particularly liked the feel of this book.If felt like it could have been written when the book took place.I also liked how some plot was nicely summarized rather than drawn out into what could have been many chapters, making a concise complete story.One problem I had was with the action in the book.This is supposed to an adventure but many of the fight/action scenes are scantily described.There was a bit of a lack of character development, but by the end the important players were fleshed out well enough.I thought the psychoanalysis of the characters was good as well, not being overdone as in some books, but there enough to lend some insight into decisions that characters made.Overall this was an enjoyable read.

First rate swashbuckler!
Captain Blood pales in comparison. This is an Erol Flynn type story with no holds barred. Tougher to make a film on it, but the story is stop notch. I really enjoyed it and was sorry whe the book ended. I wanted more. ... Read more

Product Description
Mistress Wilding is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Rafael Sabatini is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Rafael Sabatini then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Sabatini at his Peak
I rate MISTRESS WILDING with CAPTAIN BLOOD and THE BLACK SWAN as Sabatini in peak form--as good as swashbucklers get. As always, a hero who should have been played by Errol Flynn and a suspicious--but persuadable--woman--spiced with treachery, battles, duels and less formal swordplay. This one's set in Monmouth's Rebellion--right up there with the '45 for improbable adventure--and Sabatini uses it well.
The book itself is a nice hardcover with the standard Bibliobazaar cover. I would say the text had been scanned in from an earlier edition with the use of an OCR program. This leads to a few typos, but nothing which hinders reading, and where else will you find a Sabatini in new hardcover?
Just buy it.

More historical suspense....
Imagine a soap opera where the young lady hates the dashing hero for his roguish reputation, her brother hates him because he won't be able to enjoy his partying lifestyle when the hero weds the girl, and another young man, a broke gambler, sees his financial salvation in thwarting the hero and marrying the lady ('s fortune) himself.Then add the backdrop of the Duke of Monmouth's return during the reign of King James, so there's rebellion, insurrection and treachery on all sides. That's pretty much what this title gives you, along with a healthy dose of Sabatini-style chivalry.

It's a rollicking read--you never know what's going to happen next, but suspect it'll keep getting worse and worse for our hero.Yes, the characters are a little unround and not far from 'types', but for tense plotting and a very Victorian moral code welded to history, you can't beat Sabatini.It's not his *best*, but it's still a great ride!

Among the best of Sabatini's early works.
Although certainly not on a par with the author's more famous works, Captain Blood, Scaramouche or The Sea Hawk, Mistress Wilding (first published in 1910 under the title Arms and the Maid or Anthony Wilding) can be ranked among the best of Sabatini's early novels.In it are all the seeds of his later genius: a tight and twisting plot, historical accuracy, sparkling dialogue and plenty of lively humor. As with Cpt. Blood, the story takes place during the ill-fated Protestant rebellion of the Duke of Monmouth against James II.The characters are carefully drawn, though the protagonists are not quite as appealing as in other novels.What makes the story unique is that we really do not know who will be the hero and who the villain until the latter third of the book.Perhaps that is why Sabatini changed the title for the American edition. Not the best the author has to offer, but Sabatini fans will love it, as will lovers of historical romance.

Not Captain Blood, but still good
Chronicling the fortunes of Anthony Wilding as he attempts to woo his lady and help the Duke of Monmouth in his uprising against King James, this book was an entertaining read.There's romance and adventure, intrigue and suspense.It was also interesting to have a story that kind of overlapped with the story of Captain Blood, who was wrongly condemned for involvement in the Monmouth uprising... for those of you who are ridiculously obsessed with Captain Blood, like myself : )Overall, I'd recommend this though, if you can get your hands on it. ... Read more

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Product Description
London is rife with impoverished French nobility who have escaped the French revolution and journeyed to England to enlist the help of fellow Catholics. Quentin de Morlaix finds that he too has his own reasons to pray for an end to the Revolution. He sets off for France, and enters a life of confusion, mystery and suspense - and bloody execution. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Not Sabatini's best, but above average
I have a copy of this book in a 1960's Ballantine Press edition under the title Man-At-Arms.The book itself is quite good.It has all the qualities you expect in a Sabatini novel, although the actual amount of action in this book is a bit less than in the average Sabatini novel.The focus is more on political intrigue, as it involves a man living in England who discovers that he is really a french noble.Unfortunately for him, the French Revolution is in full swing, and his attempts to claim what is rightfully his are continually thwarted by both the revolutionaries and the jealous french nobles in exile who want his inheritance for themselves. Sabatini's diligent historical research shines through yet again in this novel, and his clear and engaging prose are in excellent form.The only thing missing is the near omniscince of the main character. In many of Sabatini's books (e.g. Scaramouche, Captain Blood, The Black Swan, etc.) the main character is set apart from the other characters by his incredible intelligence and intimate knowledge of human motivation, allowing him to manipulate people and circumstances to repeatedly thwart his enemies.In this book, the main character is more a normal person, and as such is both more accessable to the reader yet at the same time slighly less interesting to read about.While certainly not his best book, nearly all of Sabatini's books will be enjoyable for those who enjoy a good swashbuckler novel.

THE MARQUIS OF CARABAS
MOST PEOPLE DO NOT KNOW THAT THIS IS THE SAME STORY WITH A DIFFERENT TITLE AS SABATINI'S " MAN AT ARMS ". EXCELLANT STORY LINE. ... Read more

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

one of my all-time favorite books
I have read Captain Blood many times. I enjoy it more each time. It is a masterpiece of swashbuckling adventure and romance. Maybe it is because it was written in 1935, but it is so nice to read stories that do not have gratuitous sex scenes added or a lot of graphic violence. The language is much more flowery than what we normally get in today's novels.

I wish someone would do a remake of Captain Blood, the movie. The Errol Flynn movie is still good, but with today's special effects, it could be really good if they didn't ruin it like Disney ruined the Pirates of the Caribbean movies with too much absurdity. The books are great though.

By the way, there are two sequels of this book. They do not take place after this book, but are more adventures that would have been during the time of this story, but didn't get put into this book because it would have been a lot more pages. These sequels are both as enjoyable as this book to read.

Since all of Rafael Sabatini's books are now in the public domain, one great perk for people who have a Kindle or an iPhone with a Kindle app, you can get these books for free as eBooks. ... Read more

Product Description
Saint Martin's Summer is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Rafael Sabatini is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Rafael Sabatini then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Fairly good
Saint Martin's Summer is one of Sabatini's second-tier books, good but not great.The title refers to what we now call an Indian Summer, and in this novel it has a double meaning.

The soldier Martin de Garnache is dispatched by the Queen Regent of France into Dauphiny to retrieve Mlle. Valérie de La Vauvraye, who managed to write her begging aid and deliverance from the Dowager Duchess of Condillac.The Duchess, her guardian and quite a powerful figure in the province, was prepared to force de La Vauvraye's marriage to her son, even though the girl was betrothed to the Duchess's absent stepson, the new Duke.Valérie views that more as a matter of pledged word than something for enthusiasm, however.

Naturally, the Duchess is not thrilled about the royal intervention, and with the aid of the gross and besotted Seneschal of Dauphiny and some hired troops, she sets out to frustrate Garnache's mission.

The middle-aged (for the era) soldier, meanwhile, wants little to do with feminine nonsense and finds the whole mission humiliating.But for him, duty is duty, and he finds the young lady more endearing as he faces tremendous obstacles in getting her away from Condillac.That feeling is reciprocated, and as matters are resolved Valérie points out that the morrow is Saint Martin's Day and though it is November it is yet warm.She tells Garnache, who understands the allusion, that he is still a long way yet from the November of his life.

Though one of Sabatini's earlier novels, Saint Martin's Summer is pretty well done in terms of writing and story, and if you enjoyed some of his more well-known and more complex books, I would recommend this as well. ... Read more

Product Description
All the major works by Rafael Sabatini in one collection, with active table of contents:

SCARAMOUCHE
THE SEA-HAWK
CAPTAIN BLOOD
THE TAVERN KNIGHT
THE SHAME OF MOTLEY
BARDELYS THE MAGNIFICENT
THE HISTORICAL NIGHTS' ENTERTAINMENT
-First Series
-Second Series
THE LIFE OF CESARE BORGIA
THE LION'S SKIN
LOVE-AT-ARMS
MISTRESS WILDING
ST. MARTIN'S SUMMER
THE SNARE
THE TRAMPLING OF THE LILIES ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Awesome format, awesome writer
I didn't realize that I liked Rafael Sabatini.I'd heard about Scaramouche & Captain Blood & the Sea Hawk, but I thought of them more as movies.I actually downloaded Captain Blood from the Gutenberg Project because it's free.After about 20 pages, I realized that if I wanted to sync it up with my iPhone, I might want to download it from Amazon if I can find it for free.

Well, this isn't free, but it's a great deal.For less than $5, you can download 15 books!And you can sync to your iPhone!And it is an active Table of Contents, so you don't have to hit next-page a thousand times to get to the book you want!

But what about the books?$5 is a great deal unless the author is horrible.

Never fear - Sabatini is a great adventure writer!His language is reminiscent of that written centuries ago, but less wordy than, say, Alexander Dumas or Jules Verne.Don't get me wrong, I love them as well, but it takes them longer to get to the point than it does Sabatini.

Sabatini writes with a sense of humor and sarcasm that's a blast to read.Captain Blood is one of the best books I've ever read, and Scaramouche is starting out an awesome read as well.

Captain Blood is the tale of a physician, Peter Blood, who is accidentally caught up in royal politics in the course of his duties.He's sentenced to death, sold into slavery, and escapes to become a reluctant buccaneer captain.There's romance, adventure, chases, escapes, sea battles.There are misunderstandings and witty dialogues.

This is so well written that's it's almost worth the price by itself.If at least two or three of those other 14 books are even half as good, then this is well worth the price.The fact that the TOC is interactive is great by itself. ... Read more

Product Description
The Shame of Motley: being the memoir of certain transactions in the life of Lazzaro Biancomonte, of Biancomonte, sometime fool of the court of Pesaro is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Rafael Sabatini is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Rafael Sabatini then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Swashbuckling, romantic and adventurous
I was surprised to find there were more books written about Captain Blood. I had read the original Captain Blood and loved it. I think it is high time Hollywood remade the movie too. Captain Blood Returns takes place during the same time as the original Captain Blood story. It is a collection of more adventures that could very well have been added to the original story. I can't wait to read the next book waiting for me--The Fortunes of Captain Blood.

captain blood returns
THIS WAS A EXCELLANT STORY OF THE BUCCANEERS OF THE SPANISH MAIN.
I CANNOT FOR THE LIFE OF ME SEE WHY THIS BOOK IS NOT MORE FAMOUS THAN THE ORIGINAL BOOK. I CANNOT WAIT FOR THE SEQUEL TO THIS STORY TO CONTINUE THE THRILL ON AND ON.

Just can't get enough of Peter Blood?
Not so much the return of the Captain, darlin', but his "overlooked" adventures in Sabatini's first book, begining shortly after his escape from slavery. Contains all the clever tricks and swashbuckling you've come to expect in a series of short stories. Sabatini's talent really shines in this format and _Captain Blood Returns_ is entertaining to read all at once or bits at a time. ... Read more

Product Description
The Historical Nights' Entertainment: First Series is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Rafael Sabatini is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Rafael Sabatini then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Product Description
Dr. Peter Blood, an Irish physician, had a wide ranging career as a sailor and as a soldier, before settling down to practice medicine in the town of Bridgewater. The town begins to fight for the Duke of Manmouth, and though Peter wants no part in the rebellion, he tends to the wounded soldiers. Because of this he is convected to treason, and sentenced to death by hanging. King James II, for purely financial reason, decides to sell the criminals as slaves, instead of killing them. After being sold, many of the men escape, steal a Spaniard ship, and sail away to become some of the most successful pirates/buccaneers of all time, hated and feared by the Spanish. ... Read more

Product Description
It was not to be his good fortune, however, to be in the earlier work of the day. Until afternoon he was kept within the walls of Worcester, chafing to be where hard knocks were being dealt - with Montgomery at Powick Bridge, or with Pittscottie on Bunn's Hill. But he was forced to hold his mood in curb, and wait until Charles and his advisers should elect to make the general attack. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

"I do a lovely, terrible thing."
It is a source of great mystery to me that there hasn't been a Sabatini renaissance the last couple of years. The romantic vision of the Pirate World is back in pop culture full force, but no new Sabatini movie adaptations, no runs on his wondrous, terrific stories. Nobody ever wrote better pirate books, and "The Black Swan" is one of his best.

Unique in swashbucklers because it is every bit as appealing to women as to men (maybe more so), "Black Swan" weaves the thrilling tale of a beautiful lady in distress, a battle at sea, a murderous Captain, odious Majors, white sandy beaches, tropical jungles, Spanish Gold, and one really hot Pirate. Charles de Bernis is one of Sabatini's best creations; smart, debonair, capable and really sexy. We know, deep down, that Foxy Charlie has it all figured out, but the fun is watching him pull his clever scheme off on his treacherous companions. A total delight from start to finish.

I can't recommend this sprightly novel enough, especially in these general depressing times. It is rare to find a great yarn combined with genuine literary talent. Sabatini could do it all. He deserves his share of the buccaneer pie.

GRADE: A
(When you've finished "Black Swan", probably in one day, move on to "Sacramouche", also a blast.)

A fun, but very light, book
The Black Swan was a very entertaining book, though it is not quite as good as some of Sabatini's other books.Scaramouche was far superiour to this one, because the Black Swan is rather shallow and light compared to the complexity of Scaramouche.It is not even Sabatini's best pirate novel, as Captain Blood was significantly better.Despite this, I don't regret taking the time to read it.It may not be Sabatini's best, but it is significantly better than most of the dreck you will find in fiction sections today.A book that is mediocre by Sabatini's standards is still excellent by modern swashbuckling standards.If you've not read much Sabatini, though, I would recommend checking out Captain Blood before this one.

My only real complaint is about the edition I picked up rather than the book itself.The 60's Ballantine version is hideous.Ballantine published a bunch of Sabatini's books and tried to pass them off as romance novels to reach a wider audience.The cover looks like some cheap romance cover, and it has a horrid tagline about "desire on the high seas" or something, and the quote from the book on the inside makes it sound like a penny dreadful romance.It was so appalling that I almost didn't read the book, because I was afraid the book would actually be like that.I was pleased to discover that the quote from the book was not to be found anywhere in the book, and had apparently been fabricated to make it seem like a romance novel.What possessed them to do this I cannot fathom.In any case, be careful what edition you get.The Ballantine version is so bad I would be embarassed to read it in public.

The Black Swan
I have yet to read a Raphael Sabatini novel I didn't enjoy.I would rank this book among my favorites (the others being The Sea Hawk, Love-at-Arms and The Sword of Islam). Set when Henry Morgan, governor of Jamaica, is charged with clearing the Caribbean of the pirates that used to be his brethren, The Black Swan is the story of Henry's trusted lieutenant who, supposedly en route to his retirement, runs into the last pirate at large, and finds himself and the beautiful governor's daughter traveling on board at his mercy. To save his life (and hers) he convinces the pirate that he's turned against Morgan and that the lady is under his protection.What follows is an adventure fraught with peril and suspense as our hero tries to balance his story and actions against a pirate determined to double-cross him at the first chance he gets, for the treasure and the girl.

It's a great story.The Maureen O'Hara - Tyrone Power movie is a toothless, fluffy version of the story. A better movie to compare the feel of this story to would be "The Glass Key" with Alan Ladd.Our hero is as cool-headed and calculating, and never loses sight of his ultimate goal.

Lighter than his usual fare, but still very good
I collect Sabatini novels, and when I occasionally re-read a few, The Black Swan is one of the first I'll revisit. It bears almost no resemblance to the Tyrone Power/Maureen O'Hara film; in fact, it's much better. While traveling from a British Caribbean colony to England, Priscilla Harradine and family friend Major Sands encounter Sir Henry Morgan's lieutenant (and former buccaneer) Charles de Bernis just before they are all captured by the notorious pirate Tom Leach. While de Bernis sets about convincing Leach he's on his side, Priscilla quietly falls for the Frenchman and Sands reveals himself to be a pompous old fool. In the end, of course, the hero de Bernis has something up his sleeve and things work out in typical Sabatini fashion.

The plot isn't as complex as most of Sabatini's other works, and it is one of his later books. But while it's a bit lighter, it's still an entertaining read. One interesting difference from the author's other works is the near absence of the misunderstanding between the male and female lead characters that keeps them apart for a while.

This is definitely one I'd recommend.

Later Sabatini but still good
Rafael Sabatini was scoffed at by many critics of his day who did not enjoy his melodramatic historical novels but remained popular with the public. (Just goes to show that sometimes the public is right. His best working period were the teens and early twenties of the twentieth century during this time he wrote the Sea Hawk, Captain Blood, Bellarion and Scaramouche. His later books have not quite the ramantic charm but they are still quite a lot better than your average modern historic novel.

The plot is basically a contest of wills on a south sea island between a French corsair who is defending a lady passenger and a rather nasty English pirate. The suspense is well portrayed and there is a rather good suprise ending. (It's not giving anything away to say that no one could forget the severed head scene) I found the heroine to be somewhat dim-witted at times but I really liked the hero, Charlie.

The movie version of this book does not follow it at all (it only borrows a few characters names) so viewing is no substitute for reading the real thing. ... Read more