The Sea-Hawk

"The Sea-Hawk" (1915) by Rafael Sabatini is a swashbuckling adventure novel that proved to be a forerunner of his later novels of action and derring-do: "Scaramouche" and "Captain Blood."

The novel tells the tale of Sir Oliver Tressilian, a Cornish gentleman, who is betrayed by his half-brother Lionel. Oliver is kidnapped and sold into slavery aboard a Spanish galley, but after enduring brutal captivity, Oliver is rescued by Barbary corsairs and eventually transforms himself in Sakr-el-Bahr, "The Sea-Hawk," a feared Muslim corsair captain.

When circumstances bring him face-to-face with his treacherous brother and his former love Rosamund, Oliver must navigate complex loyalties between his new life and his English past. The novel explores themes of betrayal, revenge, redemption, and identity, featuring dramatic sea battles, exotic locales, and moral dilemmas.

One of the great adventure classics of the early 20th century, "The Sea-Hawk" is presented here in its original and unabridged format.