Rafael Sabatini facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rafael Sabatini
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| Born | 29 April 1875 Iesi, Italy |
| Died | 13 February 1950 (aged 74) Adelboden, Switzerland |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Nationality | Italian / English |
| Genre | romance, adventure |
| Literary movement | Neo-romanticism |
| Notable works | Scaramouche, Captain Blood |
Rafael Sabatini (born April 29, 1875 – died February 13, 1950) was a famous writer of exciting adventure and romance novels. He was born in Italy but became a British citizen.
He is best known for his popular books like The Sea Hawk (1915), Scaramouche (1921), and Captain Blood (1922). Many of his novels were even turned into movies!
Sabatini wrote a lot of books – 34 novels, 8 collections of short stories, and 6 non-fiction books. He also wrote many other short stories and plays.
Contents
Rafael Sabatini's Writing Career
After working in business for a short time, Rafael Sabatini decided to become a full-time writer. He started by writing short stories in the 1890s. His very first novel was published in 1902.
It took Sabatini about 25 years of hard work to become truly successful. This happened in 1921 with his novel Scaramouche. This book was a historical romance set during the exciting time of the French Revolution. It quickly became a huge international bestseller!
The next year, he released Captain Blood, which was just as popular. Because of this success, all his earlier books were reprinted, and The Sea Hawk (first published in 1915) became very popular too.
Sabatini was a very productive writer, publishing a new book almost every year. His ability to write many well-crafted stories helped him stay popular with readers for many years.
In the early 1940s, Sabatini became ill, which made him slow down his writing. He published only three more books before he passed away in 1950. These were King in Prussia (1944), Turbulent Tales (a collection of short stories, 1946), and The Gamester (1949).
Rafael Sabatini's Early Life and Family
Rafael Sabatini was born in Iesi, Italy. His mother, Anna Trafford, spoke English, and his father, Vincenzo Sabatini, was Italian. Both of his parents were opera singers who later became teachers.
From a young age, Sabatini was exposed to many different languages. He lived with his grandfather in Britain and attended school in Portugal and Switzerland. By the time he was 17, when he moved back to Britain for good, he could speak five languages very well. He quickly learned a sixth language: English! He chose to write his books in English because, as he said, "all the best stories are written in English."
In 1905, he married Ruth Goad Dixon. They had one son, Rafael-Angelo, who they called Binkie. Sadly, his only son passed away at a young age in 1927. In 1931, Rafael and Ruth decided to go their separate ways. Later that year, Sabatini moved from London to Clifford, Herefordshire.
In 1935, he married Christine Dixon, who was a sculptor and his former sister-in-law. They faced another sad time when Christine's son, Lancelot Steele Dixon, died in a flying accident in 1940. This happened on the very day he earned his RAF pilot wings.
Rafael Sabatini passed away in Switzerland on February 13, 1950. He was buried in Adelboden, Switzerland. On his gravestone, his wife had the first line of his famous novel Scaramouche carved: "He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad."
Movies Based on Sabatini's Books
Many of Rafael Sabatini's exciting novels have been made into movies.
Sound Films
Several of his novels became popular movies after sound was added to films:
- Scaramouche in 1952
- Captain Blood in 1935
- The Black Swan in 1942
It's interesting to know that the 1940 film The Sea Hawk, starring Errol Flynn, used the title of Sabatini's novel but told a completely new story.
Silent Films
Before sound films, many of his books were made into silent movies.
- His novel Bardelys the Magnificent was made into a famous 1926 silent film. For a long time, only a small part of this movie could be seen. But in 2006, almost all of the film was found in France and was restored!
- A silent movie version of The Tavern Knight was made in England in 1920.
- A silent version of Captain Blood was made in 1924. You can still find this movie in the Library of Congress.
- Other silent film adaptations that still exist include Scaramouche (1923) and The Sea Hawk (1924).
Rafael Sabatini's Books
Sabatini wrote many different kinds of books, including exciting adventure stories and historical novels.
Book Series
Scaramouche Series
- Scaramouche (1921): This story is about a person who becomes a fugitive during the French Revolution. He hides by joining a traveling acting group and later becomes a fencing master.
- Scaramouche the King-Maker (1931): Sabatini wrote this sequel ten years after the first book.
Captain Blood Series
- Captain Blood (1922): In this book, the main character escapes from being unfairly enslaved and becomes the leader of a fleet of pirate ships.
- Captain Blood Returns (1931)
- The Fortunes of Captain Blood (1936)
Other Novels
Here are some of his other popular novels:
- The Lovers of Yvonne (1902)
- The Tavern Knight (1904)
- Bardelys the Magnificent (1906)
- The Sea Hawk (1915): This is a tale about an English person during the time of Queen Elizabeth I who gets involved with pirates on the Barbary Coast.
- Bellarion the Fortunate (1926): This book is about a clever young man who gets caught up in the politics of Italy in the 1400s.
- The Black Swan (1932)
- Columbus (1941)
Collections of Stories
Sabatini also published several collections of his short stories:
- The Justice of the Duke (1912)
- The Banner of the Bull (1915)
- Turbulent Tales (1946)
Non-Fiction Books
Besides his novels, Sabatini also wrote books about history:
- The Life of Cesare Borgia (1912)
- Torquemada and the Spanish Inquisition: A History (1913)
- The Historical Nights' Entertainment (1917, 1919, 1938): These are collections of stories about real historical events and famous people.
See also
In Spanish: Rafael Sabatini para niños
