Now a days one might make a TV series, full of combat scenes and romantic interludes. The producers, given attractive leads would get three seasons out of it. But there is not that much market for fencing currently, so, this tale of a talented athlete moves from an exhibiter of his skills upon the stage, through being perhaps an assassin for politics to a secret agent, defending his beloved Brittany from the machinations of the Paris government devised by that able but vile man Napoleon Buonaparte, might not find favour after all. But within its limits, it is certainly a couterblast to the rather feeble, "The Companions of Jehu" by Dumas. The Title when I encountered this novel, was "Quentin de Morlaix." ( )

Fun, but not great as is Sabatini's Captain Blood. The rituals surrounding masculine honor, class, dueling, etc. were tiresome on the surface, but interesting in how they were used to pursue ends. Loosely based on historical events and people of counter revolutionary France, an apology for Comte de Puisaye, if anyone cared. ( )

This was an amazing book. The Marquise de Carabas is a name I've seen elsewhere like in Gaiman's Neverwhere, but I did not know until I read this book that it meant the Marquise of Nothing. This is an extraordinary tale of the post-revolutionary war years in France as well as in England where royalist emigres from France that were now living in England were trying to get the English government to help them fight the Republican army currently in France and troubling the monarchy. The emigres were to be joined by former French military that had either been captured in other countries or were in hiding. The bulk of the army was to be made up by royalist French peasants called chousans who'd been fighting the Republic already for two years.

In the middle of all this is our hero, the fencing master Molinex, who owns a fancy fencing school in London that is patronized by both the English Crown and the French emigres. Both of his parents are dead, and he's been in England since he was little, so he doesn't remember France at all. One day, a lawyer calls upon him to say that his brother has died and he has 60 days to get to France to claim one of the biggest estates in the country because he is now a Marquise.This is where things really get moving. We have; false identity papers, smugglers, murderous cousins, beautiful women, dishonest Republicans, briberies, duellings, attempted hangings, massacres, bayonettings, ambushes, all out warfare, haughty stupid generals, tricksy harlots, defections, firing squads, romance, mistaken identities, pay back, a potential peace treaties, thousands executed, new found fathers, dereliction of duties, and finally failure.

I never knew that all this happened between the Royalists and the Republican armies. The story is simply so amazing. The events leading up to it, and the decisions that were made during the battle. I won't give away any spoilers, but we all know there's been no French King on the throne since the Revolution, so obviously, something didn't work for the Royalists. The details of why he didn't get there are what are so stunning. He actually had a chance - a real chance to make it back to the throne again.

In his own ineffable way Sabatini brings a whole cast of characters to life - like a Cecil B. DeMille movie, you have our hero, there is his love interest Germaine, there are his two murderous cousins - Constant and Armand. Then there are all the chousans. The leaders include Tintiniac, St. Regent, Caulard, and there a lot of others that I can't remember. The head of the Royalist army is General Paisey. The head of the Republican army is General Hoche. There are so many more people in this book and Sabatini brings them all to life quite effortlessly with his beautiful command of the English language. All his books are this way. With a few well turned sentences, he paints pictures like an artist. These are not just adventure novels, but works of art.

I enjoyed this book immensely and believe others would too. You can read it free here on Goodreads, I found the list of free books through the help menu. I had never found this book before, so I read it right away. I'm very glad I did. I will be adding it to my favorites list.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has even a mild interest in history. It is a view you won't get anywhere else. I also recommend this book to people who like war and adventure stories. This one's a good one, and one you've never heard before. Also anyone who likes a thumping good read will love this one - it is one of the best that I've read in historical fiction in a while. You don't even have to buy it - just read it! You won't be sorry. ( )