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Captain Blood #3
The Fortunes of Captain Blood
Captain Blood is handsome, brilliant and skilled with his blade, always one step ahead of his enemies. Perils upon perils challenge him but with his faithful crew, ever willing to follow him into danger, he manages to be both chivalrous and victorious.
289 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1936
29 people are currently reading
810 people want to read
About the author
Rafael Sabatini
693 books539 followersRafael Sabatini (1875 - 1950) was an Italian/British writer of novels of romance and adventure. At a young age, Rafael was exposed to many languages. By the time he was seventeen, he was the master of five languages. He quickly added a sixth language - English - to his linguistic collection. After a brief stint in the business world, Sabatini went to work as a writer. He wrote short stories in the 1890s, and his first novel came out in 1902. Sabatini was a prolific writer; he produced a new book approximately every year. He consciously chose to write in his adopted language, because, he said, "all the best stories are written in English. " In all, he produced thirty one novels, eight short story collections, six nonfiction books, numerous uncollected short stories, and a play. He is best known for his world-wide bestsellers: The Sea Hawk (1915), Scaramouche (1921), Captain Blood (1922) and Bellarion the Fortunate (1926). Other famous works by Sabatini are The Lion's Skin (1911), The Strolling Saint (1913) and The Snare (1917).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
February 14, 2021
В такой снег и зиму, когда сидишь дома, готовишь и попиваешь вино, слушать Блада, начитанного Клюквиным - идеально 👌
February 7, 2015
Awesome book! I could read/listen to this over and over!
September 20, 2013
Rafael Sabatini is a huge influence on my work. The plot lines are so cleverly crafted and no author turns a phrase quite as well as Sabatini. I fell in love with Captain Blood about as soon as I opened the book and the opening phrase to The Tavern Knight is still one of my personal favorites. Scaramouche is also a fantastic historical adventure epic and even The Sea Hawk is enjoyable if you can get past the fact that the protagonist’s love interest is the most annoying female character written in the history of female characters. Oof.
But still, I love Sabatini’s work. Soon after finishing Captain Blood I picked up the “sequel” – Captain Blood Returns. I was really confused reading the first two “chapters” since there were character that were supposed to have died in the original book that were now, somehow, alive. It wasn’t until I took to the Internet later that I found out that Captain Blood Returns wasn’t a sequel, per say, but just a collection of short-stories about the Irish surgeon turned pirate that took place while he was still a buccaneer. Once I realized that things made more sense.
Same goes with The Fortunes of Captain Blood. It’s the third book in the “series” and it’s another collection of short-stories. There are six in total and the book is about 240 pages long, so the short stories are on the longer side each. And like in the original novel and the sequel collection of shorts, Fortunes of Captain Blood shows the Irish pirate at his best, putting his rapier wit against the fleet of the Spanish Main. It’s interesting to read swashbucklers in which so little swashbuckling actually happen, but because of that the stories still feel fresh — even 90+ years after their original publishing. It’s not easy to write a character who thinks his way out of trouble in stead of just stabbing and shooting everyone in his path to his goal, but the end result is just as enjoyable if not more so. If you’ve read the first two books you know Captain Blood always has something up his sleeve, but seeing his plan unfold is the best part.
But still, I love Sabatini’s work. Soon after finishing Captain Blood I picked up the “sequel” – Captain Blood Returns. I was really confused reading the first two “chapters” since there were character that were supposed to have died in the original book that were now, somehow, alive. It wasn’t until I took to the Internet later that I found out that Captain Blood Returns wasn’t a sequel, per say, but just a collection of short-stories about the Irish surgeon turned pirate that took place while he was still a buccaneer. Once I realized that things made more sense.
Same goes with The Fortunes of Captain Blood. It’s the third book in the “series” and it’s another collection of short-stories. There are six in total and the book is about 240 pages long, so the short stories are on the longer side each. And like in the original novel and the sequel collection of shorts, Fortunes of Captain Blood shows the Irish pirate at his best, putting his rapier wit against the fleet of the Spanish Main. It’s interesting to read swashbucklers in which so little swashbuckling actually happen, but because of that the stories still feel fresh — even 90+ years after their original publishing. It’s not easy to write a character who thinks his way out of trouble in stead of just stabbing and shooting everyone in his path to his goal, but the end result is just as enjoyable if not more so. If you’ve read the first two books you know Captain Blood always has something up his sleeve, but seeing his plan unfold is the best part.
October 8, 2012
As expected, Captain Blood! Good, good.
July 22, 2022
The Fortunes of Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini, consistently high quality this third book in the saga of the adventures of Captain Blood is shorter than either Captain Blood the full length novel or Captain Blood Returns it's successful addendum and this seemed just a collection of what was probably serials of monthly magazine stories which was popular at the time and was another way for an author to be paid for their work. So this is a shorter less involved plot than found in the original Captain Blood but by no means is it any worse because in fact the writing carries the story in a poetic direct and puckish manner Captain Blood is Gallant brave and operating at a very high level of intuition intelligence and perception he's always acting upon his abilities which are considerable too quickly analysis assess and act upon a situation at a moment notice with far reaching and favorable outcomes even when the odds appear hugely stacked against him. Time and again he comes out ahead with the forces of king and country floundering in his wake. Love this series and love the way this writer's pens his words. A solid four stars look forward to my next Sabatini book.
July 18, 2022
Сейчас очень жалею, что упустила эти книги в школьные годы, в то время точно пищала бы от восторга. Но даже сейчас приключения капитана Блада так и манят отправиться в путешествие самой.
May 18, 2012
The first book was the best because it was one coherent story with an injustice and redemption, but the other two books of short stories were still quite good. They were like the friend who you can always depend on to say "yes" when you want to go to the game, go to the movie or come over for a few beers. For me these books were dependable, entertaining and bred a bit of nastalgia for characters and time that in this ideal form I'm sure never wholly existed, but it's nice to think about.
October 13, 2013
Captain Blood is a loveable rogue who fights for the good rather than the riches as most pirates do or so we are led to believe. I am really enjoying the tales of swashbuckling heroes. Captain Blood reminds me of our modern day comic super heroes who go about teaching the baddies some long overdue lessons through showing them up and bringing them low. I have read a couple of other classic authors whose tales are of a similar nature and I have thoroughly enjoyed them. I shall look for more.
November 2, 2023
He was my hero, Peter Blood, but how else? When you're 12-13, you can only fall in love to death with such people: dark-skinned, blue-eyed, with black gypsy hair, wiry and lean. Warrior, traveler, knight, adventurer, poet and... doctor. And he is fluent in Spanish (which he learned in a Spanish prison), uh-huh, so that's where the desire to learn the language of Cervantes comes from (!). I just didn't fall in love with the sea after Blood. But women have a complicated relationship with the sea, we subconsciously see in it a rival, to whom the best of men go (I happened to read in one book).
In "Odyssey" and in "Chronicle" there are enough dizzying adventures and bright characters, and mise en scene, which I wanted to play the roles. But I remember the books vaguely - nothing strange, forty years have passed. And now, suddenly I had the opportunity to remember my golden childhood. I don't think I would read this lovely, but not at all old thing on paper or in electronic form. However, the audiobook read by Igor Knyazev turned out to be the same one-person time machine. Double, you take this walk in the company of the best possible companion - the voice of your favorite performer
"Good luck to Captain Blood", which were not in my volume, bought with coupons for the waste paper handed over in Soviet times (but not, corruption corroded our life at that time and coupons with stamps already pasted were given to my mother by blat) So, these same "Good Luck ..." again, an endless series of clumsiness, jeopardizing the well-thought-out plans of the hero, and new smiles of Fortune when it would seem that everything is lost. For another, it would be so, Blood has a high innate alertness - the willingness to move from a relaxed state to full combat readiness and instant action.
Капитан Блад, к вашим услугам
Кто иглой на разорванной карте
Отмечает свой дерзостный путь.
Или, бунт на борту обнаружив,
Из-за пояса рвет пистолет,
Так. что сыплется золото с кружев,
С розоватых брабантских манжет.
Ну, этот герой Рафаэля Сабатини, точно не обнаружит на своем борту бунта, команда его обожает. Как, впрочем, и миллионы читателей во всем мире. Он был мой герой, Питер Блад, а как иначе? Когда тебе 12-13, в таких только и влюбляться насмерть: смуглый, синеглазый, с черной цыганской шевелюрой, жилистый и поджарый. Воин, путешественник, рыцарь, авантюрист, поэт и... врач. И свободно владеет испанским (которому выучился в испанской тюрьме) Угу, так вот откуда желание выучить язык Сервантеса (!). Моря только не полюбила вслед за Бладом. Но у женщин с морем отношения вообще-то сложные, подсознательно видим в нем соперницу, к которой уходят лучшие из мужчин (в одной книге довелось прочесть).
В "Одиссее" и в "Хронике" хватает головокружительных приключений и ярких персонажей, и мизансцен, которые хотелось разыграть по ролям. Но помню книги смутно - ничего странного, лет сорок прошло. И вот, внезапно предоставилась возможность вспомнить детство золотое. Не думаю, что стала бы читать эту прелестную, но совсем не по возрасту вещицу на бумаге или в электронной форме. Однако аудиокнига, начитанная Игорем Князевым оказалось той самой одноместной машиной времени. Двухместной, эту прогулку совершаешь в компании лучшего из возможных спутников - голоса любимого исполнителя
"Удачи капитана Блада", которых не было в моем томике, купленном по талонам за сданную макулатуру в советское время (а вот и нет, коррупция разъела нашу тогдашнюю жизнь и талоны уже со вклеенными марками доставались моей маме по блату) Так вот, эти самые "Удачи..." снова бесконечная череда нескладностей, ставящих под угрозу отлично продуманные планы героя, и новые улыбки Фортуны, когда казалось бы, все потеряно. Для другого так и было бы, Блад обладает высокой врожденной алертностью - готовностью перейти от расслабленного состояния, к полной боевой готовности и мгновенному действию.
У него потрясающе комбинаторный ум. Любая ситуация мгновенно, проворачивается перед мысленным взором, рассматриваясь с точек зрения. которые не придут в голову большинству участников, выявляя скрытые возможности. Перед неисчислимыми достоинствами Блада его Большая Любовь Арабелла уже и тогда откровенно меркла. То не было родом бабской зависти, на место подружки капитана не метила, я была им, когда читала. И вся любовь-морковь, все сопли-на-мармеладе, лишь отчасти служившие двигателем сюжета, не казались заслуживающими внимания. Эва какая выискалась, "не было среди ее друзей пиратов и разбойников"! Да и забудь ее, Питер. Не может.
Хотя об Арабелле здесь напомнит лишь название бладова корабля, он хранит ей верность глубоко в душе, оставаясь безупречным джентльменом в отношении прочих дам. Я вот сейчас подумала, что асексуальность героя моего детства выглядит с позиций сегодняшней литературы несколько даже курьезно. Но не будем придираться, он прекрасен со всеми своими извилинами.
In "Odyssey" and in "Chronicle" there are enough dizzying adventures and bright characters, and mise en scene, which I wanted to play the roles. But I remember the books vaguely - nothing strange, forty years have passed. And now, suddenly I had the opportunity to remember my golden childhood. I don't think I would read this lovely, but not at all old thing on paper or in electronic form. However, the audiobook read by Igor Knyazev turned out to be the same one-person time machine. Double, you take this walk in the company of the best possible companion - the voice of your favorite performer
"Good luck to Captain Blood", which were not in my volume, bought with coupons for the waste paper handed over in Soviet times (but not, corruption corroded our life at that time and coupons with stamps already pasted were given to my mother by blat) So, these same "Good Luck ..." again, an endless series of clumsiness, jeopardizing the well-thought-out plans of the hero, and new smiles of Fortune when it would seem that everything is lost. For another, it would be so, Blood has a high innate alertness - the willingness to move from a relaxed state to full combat readiness and instant action.
Капитан Блад, к вашим услугам
Кто иглой на разорванной карте
Отмечает свой дерзостный путь.
Или, бунт на борту обнаружив,
Из-за пояса рвет пистолет,
Так. что сыплется золото с кружев,
С розоватых брабантских манжет.
Ну, этот герой Рафаэля Сабатини, точно не обнаружит на своем борту бунта, команда его обожает. Как, впрочем, и миллионы читателей во всем мире. Он был мой герой, Питер Блад, а как иначе? Когда тебе 12-13, в таких только и влюбляться насмерть: смуглый, синеглазый, с черной цыганской шевелюрой, жилистый и поджарый. Воин, путешественник, рыцарь, авантюрист, поэт и... врач. И свободно владеет испанским (которому выучился в испанской тюрьме) Угу, так вот откуда желание выучить язык Сервантеса (!). Моря только не полюбила вслед за Бладом. Но у женщин с морем отношения вообще-то сложные, подсознательно видим в нем соперницу, к которой уходят лучшие из мужчин (в одной книге довелось прочесть).
В "Одиссее" и в "Хронике" хватает головокружительных приключений и ярких персонажей, и мизансцен, которые хотелось разыграть по ролям. Но помню книги смутно - ничего странного, лет сорок прошло. И вот, внезапно предоставилась возможность вспомнить детство золотое. Не думаю, что стала бы читать эту прелестную, но совсем не по возрасту вещицу на бумаге или в электронной форме. Однако аудиокнига, начитанная Игорем Князевым оказалось той самой одноместной машиной времени. Двухместной, эту прогулку совершаешь в компании лучшего из возможных спутников - голоса любимого исполнителя
"Удачи капитана Блада", которых не было в моем томике, купленном по талонам за сданную макулатуру в советское время (а вот и нет, коррупция разъела нашу тогдашнюю жизнь и талоны уже со вклеенными марками доставались моей маме по блату) Так вот, эти самые "Удачи..." снова бесконечная череда нескладностей, ставящих под угрозу отлично продуманные планы героя, и новые улыбки Фортуны, когда казалось бы, все потеряно. Для другого так и было бы, Блад обладает высокой врожденной алертностью - готовностью перейти от расслабленного состояния, к полной боевой готовности и мгновенному действию.
У него потрясающе комбинаторный ум. Любая ситуация мгновенно, проворачивается перед мысленным взором, рассматриваясь с точек зрения. которые не придут в голову большинству участников, выявляя скрытые возможности. Перед неисчислимыми достоинствами Блада его Большая Любовь Арабелла уже и тогда откровенно меркла. То не было родом бабской зависти, на место подружки капитана не метила, я была им, когда читала. И вся любовь-морковь, все сопли-на-мармеладе, лишь отчасти служившие двигателем сюжета, не казались заслуживающими внимания. Эва какая выискалась, "не было среди ее друзей пиратов и разбойников"! Да и забудь ее, Питер. Не может.
Хотя об Арабелле здесь напомнит лишь название бладова корабля, он хранит ей верность глубоко в душе, оставаясь безупречным джентльменом в отношении прочих дам. Я вот сейчас подумала, что асексуальность героя моего детства выглядит с позиций сегодняшней литературы несколько даже курьезно. Но не будем придираться, он прекрасен со всеми своими извилинами.
May 28, 2021
I needed some brief pirate fiction to read while writing a new pirate novel of my own, and Sabatini is the master of the form. Stevenson is in another league entirely, but his pirates are mostly drunken Cornish lowlife scum, rather than dashing rogues. These stories, nearly a century old, generally turn on a trick of some sort--Sabatini was clearly influenced by the slightly earlier Scarlet Pimpernel stories--and one reviewer correctly characterized the collection as "Captain Blood outsmarts everybody." There is some action, but this is not, say, Robert E. Howard. So, Peter Blood, doctor turned slave turned pirate, roams the Caribbean in the 1680s, helping the helpless and aiding the needy. The actual boarding and stealing, by which Blood gained his reputation and financial resources, is never shown and almost never mentioned. I did learn some things: that those grated hatches on ships, where people can drop below decks, are called "coamings." There was a very good description of Havana's harbor. There was a certain amount of nautical stuff with mainsails and topgallants and waists of ships and such, but nothing like the (I think) tongue-in-cheek impenetrability of Patrick O'Brien. I was also surprised by one or two things--one is the easy acceptance of slave trade as something people did. Blood, having been a slave on a plantation (on a trumped-up political charge) should have been a little more personally irked at the practice, even in a story written in the early 1930s. (Side-note: in the 1962 movie "The Son of Captain Blood," the screenwriter--who also wrote the 1935 Errol Flynn version--reveals that Blood, when he left pirate ways behind and became governor of Jamaica, freed all his slaves, and they then worked for him for presumably decent wages. This shows the difference between a 1930s pirate fantasy and a 1960s pirate fantasy.) A lesser surprise is to find that Captain Blood wears a periwig over "close-cropped" hair, unlike Errol Flynn's flowing shoulder-length locks.
September 26, 2021
And thus, the Telephone Book Club sadly closes the cover on the final adventure in the Captain Blood series. We both thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, sharing these rollicking tales together, and while I'm sad to see it end, I'm thrilled that we were able to complete the entire series together.
This was probably the weakest of the series (although it was certainly excellent). And it felt pretty much like a continuation of the second book (more piracy adventures). Dz. and I had a wonderful time, although he definitely preferred the more military-based stories and I preferred the tales of intrigue.
As with any great series, it's hard when you realize that it's finally over, but I'm so happy that we were able to sail this adventure together. And this marks our 34th book for the Telephone Book Club!
This was probably the weakest of the series (although it was certainly excellent). And it felt pretty much like a continuation of the second book (more piracy adventures). Dz. and I had a wonderful time, although he definitely preferred the more military-based stories and I preferred the tales of intrigue.
As with any great series, it's hard when you realize that it's finally over, but I'm so happy that we were able to sail this adventure together. And this marks our 34th book for the Telephone Book Club!
November 27, 2020
As other reviewers have noted, this is a collection of short stories loosely bound together. The one common feature is Blood's ability to employ ingenious subterfuge to accomplish his aims. After having read all three of the Captain Blood books, I can say that he is my favorite swashbuckler. It's a shame that Sabatini wrote so few, considering the large number of books in the Hornblower and Ramage series. I'm hoping that when I get around to reading The Sea Hawk that I'll enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed all of the Captain Blood offerings.
October 25, 2019
My favorite Sabatini is "The Sea Hawk", but I enjoy the Captain Blood stories an awful lot. Mainly because he's something of a smart ass. And a pirate! It's fun to see how he outwits his opponents. This is another set of short stories. Good stuff.
April 20, 2022
Fantastic story with swashbuckling hero’s!!
Swashbuckling hero Captain Blood and his ever faithful crew, take on many villains and always come out on top, but how they con the villains will keep you on the edge of your seat!
I hope that you enjoy this book as much as I did!!
Swashbuckling hero Captain Blood and his ever faithful crew, take on many villains and always come out on top, but how they con the villains will keep you on the edge of your seat!
I hope that you enjoy this book as much as I did!!
August 21, 2025
very enjoyable
This is a series of episodes that fit nicely into the original novel. I appreciate that there are no contradictions. This book does not have a self contained plot, but each short story is complete in itself.
This is a series of episodes that fit nicely into the original novel. I appreciate that there are no contradictions. This book does not have a self contained plot, but each short story is complete in itself.
August 3, 2018
same crap again
May 22, 2020
This classic read, from the 1936 first edition, is amazing. Just super excited.
June 9, 2020
Captain Blood - every inch the chivalrous, gentleman pirate, so daring and suave with a sense of decency & honor supported by his loyal buccaneer crew. Loved every minute of it!
March 3, 2023
Great series and I recently learned that Captain Blood is on some lists of books you must read. I agree.
May 3, 2023
I was quite enjoying these until they went sort of randomly racist there at the end. One could say The Times, but one could also knock off a star and never look back.
June 7, 2025
I'm a sucker for a fun pirate story
August 19, 2025
Not for me
April 14, 2018
Yes! Can't go wrong with Captain Blood. Terrific pirate stories.
November 15, 2018
read between summer 1970 & summer 1974
July 20, 2013
Some of these short stories started to feel like retreads, so I liked Captain Blood Returns better. Elements of the characterization also felt a little off to me.
December 15, 2009
Sabatini short stories that are as sharp as a rapier. Fun, interesting reading.
Read
April 16, 2013Great adventure!
December 15, 2014
One of my favourite childhood stories is the one of Captain Blood. I enjoyed this book a lot.
July 11, 2016
Іще одна хороша пригодницька книжка, де кожна підлота отримує по заслузі, а панянки отримують знаходять своїх рятівників.
August 4, 2016
пиrrrrаты <3
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews