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Emilio Salgari (August 21, 1862 – April 25, 1911) was a writer of action adventure swashbucklers and a pioneer of science fiction in Italy. Salgari was born in Verona. After a failed attempt to become a naval officer he turned his passion for exploration and discovery to writing. He wrote more than two hundred adventure stories and novels, setting his tales in exotic locations, with heroes from a wide variety of cultures. While extremely popular in Italy, Portugal and Spanish speaking countries (known as the Italian Jules Verne, although his works were usually more about cliffhanger adventures than speculative or scientific fiction), he remains less known in the rest of the world. Sandokan: The Tigers of Mompracem and Sandokan: The Pirates of Malaysia are at present the only titles available in English. The deeds of the fictitious Sandokan seem to be loosely based on the exploits of Libau, a Dayak chieftain resisting James Brooke from his hideout at Mount Sandok in Sarawak. Though his characters achieved an almost immortal fame, and Mr. Salgari had millions of readers, he never attained the financial success and stability he deserved. His publishers, taking advantage of his poor business skills, left him almost destitute. Overwhelmed by creditors and family misfortunes, he committed suicide in Turin, on April 25, 1911. In one last act, drawn from his vast research and imagination, he slit his throat and stomach, in the ceremonial suicide of the Japanese samurai. But though the dreamer was gone, his books continued to sell and many owe their love of adventure, reading and writing to the characters and stories he created. Composers Pietro Mascagni and Giacomo Puccini were contemporary fans; later Umberto Eco and Federico Fellini would read Salgari to explore the world. Sergio Leone, one of the fathers of the spaghetti western, got his first glimpse of the outlaw hero in the pages of Mr. Salgari's books. Mr. Salgari is particularly popular in Latin America. Isabel Allende, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Pablo Neruda, Luis Sepulveda, Octavio Paz and Carlos Fuentes all devoured his works in their youth. Che Guevara first read of boarding raids, jungle warfare and battles against injustice in Mr. Salgari's adventure novels. Guevara read 62 of Mr. Salgari's books causing his biographer Paco Ignacio Taibo II to remark that one could see that Che's anti-imperialism was "salgariano in origin." Several of Mr. Salgari's novels were adapted for the big screen, Vitale De Stefano being the first to direct some of Salgari's pirates in the early 1920s. Lex Barker appeared as the tiger hunter Tremal-Naik in the 1955 B-movie The Mystery of The Black Jungle, while Sandokan was played by muscle man and Hercules star Steve Reeves in Sandokan the Great and The Pirates of The Seven Seas. Ray Danton took his turn playing the pirate in Luigi Capuano's Sandokan Against the Leopard of Sarawak (aka Throne of Vengeance.) and later reprised the role along with most of the original cast in Sandokan Fights Back (aka The Conqueror and the Empress). It wasn't until 1976 that the quintessential Sandokan was cast, Kabir Bedi played the Tiger of Malaysia and took Europe by storm. He later reprised the role in the late 90s in a series of sequels. Though popular with the masses, Emilio Salgari was shunned by critics throughout his life and for most of the 20th century. It wasn't until the late 1990s that his writings began to be revisited and new translations appeared in print. The Sandokan Series Sandokan "The Tiger of Malaysia" is Emilio Salgari's most enduring creation. Orphaned when the British murdered his family and stole his throne, Sandokan gathered a legion of pirates and took to the sea to attain his vengeance. Under the command of Sandokan and his loyal friend Yanez de Gomera, the Tigers of Mompracem fight for the defense of tiny native kingdoms against the colonial powers of the Dutch and British empires. The first Sandokan adventure appeared in serial form in the La Nuova Arena in 1883, and was published as Le tigri di Mompracem in 1900. The tale proved so popular, the characters so intriguing, that it spawned a legion of sequels, pitting Sandokan and Yanez against a variety of enemies: Rajah James Brooke, Governor of Sarawak, better known as The Exterminator for the merciless way he hunted down pirates; the Thugs of the Kali cult in the Indian Sunderbands, and a variety of petty dictators and colonial powers. Salgari's pen transformed the bloodthirsty pirate into a noble warrior, a kind of Malay Robin Hood, imbuing his characters with a strong sense of idealism, passion, and loyalty. There are two titles curently available in English Book Description The Tigers of Mompracem are a band of rebel pirates fighting against the colonial power of the Dutch and British empires. They are lead by Sandokan, the indomitable Tiger of Malaysia, and his loyal friend Yanez de Gomera, a Portuguese wanderer and adventurer (in fact, with a spanish name, a mistake that portuguese language readers hardly could forgive Salgari). After twelve years of spilling blood and spreading terror throughout Malaysia, Sandokan has reached the height of his power, but when the pirate learns of the existence of the Pearl of Labuan, his fortunes begin to change… Book Description The Tiger Roars again! Sandokan and Yanez are back, righting injustices and fighting old foes. Tremal-Naik's misfortunes have continued. Wrongfully imprisoned, the great hunter has been banished from India and sentenced to life in a penal colony. Knowing his master is innocent, Kammamuri dashes off to the rescue, planning to free the good hunter at the first opportunity. When the good servant is captured by the Tigers of Mompracem, he manages to enlist their services. But in order to succeed, Sandokan and Yanez must lead their men against the forces of James Brooke, 'The Exterminator', the dreaded White Rajah of Sarawak Titles in the series The last two tiles were published posthumously. The Black Corsair Series The Pirates of Bermuda Series Adventures in the Old West Series Two sailors Il Fiore delle Perle I figli dellaria Capitan Tempesta Other adventures See also | |||||||
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