Anyone hear familiar with the Sandokan novels? I haven't read 'em myself, but I've heard of them and figured I'd plop the wikipedia descriptions down here for no particular reason other than increasing my postings.
Titles in the series:
The Mystery of the Black Jungle (I Misteri della Jungla Nera) (1895)
The Tigers of Mompracem (Le Tigri di Mompracem) (1900)
The Pirates of Malaysia (I Pirati della Malesia) (1896)
The Two Tigers (Le due Tigri) (1904)
King of the Sea (Il Re del Mare) (1906)
Quest for a Throne (Alla conquista di un impero) (1907)
Sandokan Fights Back (Sandokan alla riscossa) (1907)
Return to Mompracem (La riconquista del Mompracem) (1908)
The False Brahman (Il Bramino dell'Assam) (1911)
An Empire Crumbles (La caduta di un impero) (1911)
Yanez' Revenge (La rivincita di Yanez) (1913)
Last two published posthumously.
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.
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. 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…
Travel, adventure, romance, capture, rescue, betrayal, battles on land, battles at sea, hurricanes, an exotic Malaysian backdrop, and an irony loving sidekick are but a few of the elements
Sandokan, the leader of a band of Malay pirates who opposed the British regime during the Victorian era, was also the subject of several action-adventure films of the 1960s and 1970s, two of which starred the late Steve "Hercules" Reeves. Few of these efforts were completely faithful to their source, Emilio Salgari's novel Le Tigri di Mompracem, but all were eagerly received by European film fans. In 1976, a TV-series version of the Sandokan legend emerged on the Continent. Kabir Bedi played the title role in this lavishly appointed effort, which enjoyed wide distribution (except in English-speaking countries). A feature-film version of the TV Sandokan was prepared late in 1976, then released to American television.
Haven't read the books yet myself, but I'd like to find a copy of one and give it a read through.
This post has been edited by Lord Aquaman: 21 October 2005 - 05:09 PM
I am the Fisher King.
I'd like a qui-gon jinn please with an obi-wan to go.