''Captain Tempesta'' (original title: ''Capitan Tempesta'') is a historical adventure novel written by Italian author

Emilio Salgari Emilio Salgari (, but often erroneously ; 21 August 1862 – 25 April 1911) was an Italian writer of action adventure swashbucklers and a pioneer of science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of spe ...

, published in 1905. Set against the backdrop of the

Siege of Famagusta The siege of Famagusta happened in Venetian-controlled Famagusta, the last Christian possession in Cyprus. Famagusta fell to the Ottomans in August 1571 after a siege that lasted nearly a year. Background The large and wealthy island of C ...

during the

Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) The Fourth Ottoman–Venetian War, also known as the War of Cyprus ( it, Guerra di Cipro) was fought between 1570 and 1573. It was waged between the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Venice, the latter joined by the Holy League, a coalition o ...

it features the first female swordswoman in Italian popular fiction, the Duchess Eleanora d'Eboli, better known as Captain Tempesta. The novel and its sequel ''The Lion of Damascus'' were adapted for the big screen in 1942. The films were directed by Corrado D'Errico and starred Carla Candiani as Captain Tempesta. In 2009 it was selected by

Julia Eccleshare Julia Eccleshare MBE (born 1951) is a British journalist and writer on the subject of children's books. She has been Children's Books editor for ''The Guardian'' newspaper for more than ten years, at least from 2000. She is also an editorial con ...

as one of the 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up.1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up

Plot introduction

A warrior in disguise. A lover to be rescued. A city under siege. Cyprus, 1570. An island at war. The powerful Ottoman army has taken every city save one, Famagusta, a Venetian port and stronghold. Besieged by a force of 80,000 men, they city has valiantly fought back with its small force of warriors and mercenaries. The greatest among them is Captain Tempesta, a young noble unmatched in bravery and swordsmanship. Few, however, know the captain's secret... that ''she'' has donned armour and passed herself off as a man in order to search for her beloved who has been imprisoned by the Turks. Will she triumph? The odds are overwhelmingly against her. The Turks are preparing to storm the city and slay all those within it, and still there has been no word of her beloved's whereabouts...

Characters

* Captain Tempesta -The Duchess Eleanora D'Eboli, master swordswoman * The Viscount Le Hussière - her beloved * Sir Perpignan - her lieutenant * El-Kadur - her loyal Arab servant * Master Rako - a Venetian quartermaster * Nikola Stradioto - a Greek ship's captain * The Lion of Damascus - The greatest warrior in the Ottoman Empire * Haradja - A pasha's daughter and master of Cornaro Castle * Metiub - Captain of the Ottoman Naval Infantry and Haradja's right-hand man

Other Novels by Emilio Salgari

Novels in the Sandokan Series: * ''

The Mystery of the Black Jungle ''The Mystery of the Black Jungle'' ( it, I misteri della jungla nera) is an exotic adventure novel written by Italian author Emilio Salgari, published in 1895. It features two of his most well-known characters, the hunter Tremal-Naik and his loy ...

'' * ''

The Tigers of Mompracem ''The Tigers of Mompracem'' (original title: ''Le Tigri di Mompracem'') is an exotic adventure novel written by Italian author Emilio Salgari, published in 1900. It features his most famous character, Sandokan. It was adapted into a 1970 film '' ...

'' * ''

The Pirates of Malaysia ''The Pirates of Malaysia'' ( it, I pirati della Malesia) is an exotic adventure novel written by Italian author Emilio Salgari, published in 1896. It features his most famous character, Sandokan, and is a sequel to '' The Tigers of Mompracem''. ...

'' * ''

The Two Tigers ''The Two Tigers'' (original title: ''Le due tigri'') is the fourth adventure novel in the Sandokan series written by Italian author Emilio Salgari, published in 1904. Plot summary India, 1857. Just when Tremal-Naik's life was getting back to n ...

'' * ''

The King of the Sea ''The King of the Sea'' (original title: ''Il re del mare'') is an exotic adventure novel written by Italian author Emilio Salgari, published in 1906. It features his most famous character, Sandokan. Plot introduction Malaysia, 1868. A mysterio ...

'' * ''

Quest for a Throne ''Quest for a Throne'' (original title: ''Alla conquista di un impero'') is an exotic adventure novel written by Italian author Emilio Salgari, published in 1907. It features his most famous character, Sandokan. Plot introduction Sandokan and Y ...

'' Novels in The Black Corsair series * ''

The Black Corsair ''The Black Corsair'' is an 1898 adventure novel written by Italian novelist Emilio Salgari. Set in the Caribbean during the Golden Age of Piracy, the novel narrates the exploits of Emilio Roccanera, Lord of Ventimiglia and his attempts to ave ...

'' * ''

The Queen of the Caribbean ''The Queen of the Caribbean'' is a 1901 adventure novel written by Italian novelist Emilio Salgari. Set in the Caribbean during the Golden Age of Piracy, the novel follows the exploits of Emilio Roccanera, Lord of Ventimiglia as he continues his ...

'' * ''

Son of the Red Corsair ''The Son of the Red Corsair'' (original title: ''Il figlio del corsaro rosso'') is an exotic adventure novel written by Italian author Emilio Salgari, published in 1908. The novel was adapted for the silver screen in Italy in 1959. Plot summary ...

References

External links

*
Read the first chapter.

Captain Tempest on the IMDB.

The Lion of Damascus on the IMDB.

Italy's enduring love affair with Emilio Salgari, The Economist, June 2017

* ttp://labos.ulg.ac.be/cipa/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2015/07/gallo.pdf Di Hamid o del bel Capitan Tempesta, ovvero di Eleonora duchessa d’Eboli, Claudio Gallo & Giuseppe Bonomi.
At the Walls of Famagusta. Emilio Salgari versus Wu Ming: Reshaping a Historical Event. Mimmo Cangiano, ''Italica'' Vol. 92, No. 3 (FALL 2015), pp. 625-640.

Review on Rikipedia (Italian)
1900 novels Novels by Emilio Salgari Italian adventure novels 20th-century Italian novels Fictional knights Fictional feminists and women's rights activists Fictional Italian people Fictional swordfighters 1905 Italian novels Italian books Italian historical novels {{1900s-adventure-novel-stub