12 h 53 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 12 h 53 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if an act of mercy costs you your freedom—and the only way back lies aboard a pirate ship?
Peter Blood wants a quiet life as a doctor in Somerset. But when he tends a wounded rebel, the king's officers treat his kindness as treason. In Rafael Sabatini's Captain Blood, a man who wants no part in politics faces a merciless court and slavery on Barbados.
Escape opens the sea, but it does not clear his name. Blood becomes a buccaneer by necessity, relying on wit, courage and a stubborn code of honor. Colonel Bishop hunts him, loyal shipmaster Jeremy Pitt stands beside him, and spirited Arabella Bishop judges him by his deeds. Freedom means little if he must surrender the man he wants to be.
What you’ll discover
- A reluctant pirate Follow a physician forced outside the law who still insists on living with honor.
- Wit against the guns Sail into sea battles where Blood's clever tricks matter as much as firepower.
- Mercy put on trial Face the bitter irony of a lawful state that punishes kindness and creates criminals.
- Loyalty in dangerous waters Meet trusted companions and an uneasy French ally whose word offers little comfort.
- Romance with moral stakes Discover Arabella Bishop, whose pity for Blood at auction grows into judgment through deeds.
Who will love it
Readers who love swashbuckling sea adventures will enjoy clever heroes who triumph through wit and swordplay. Fans of bluffs on the Spanish Main and romance shaped by pride will love it too.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A quiet doctor faces upheaval
- Mercy becomes a punishable crime
- Freedom gives way to ownership
- Arabella proves his judgement wrong
- Freedom depends on nerve and deception
- A pirate keeps his own code
- Clear thinking opens a trap
- Arabella's judgement wounds him deeply
- His code survives his outlaw name
Who’s who
- Peter BloodAn Irish doctor and former soldier, wrongly condemned as a traitor, who wants freedom and the respect of Arabella Bishop.
- Arabella BishopA frank, brave young woman who first sees Blood as an unfortunate gentleman and then judges him a pirate, though she cannot forget him.
- Colonel William BishopArabella's uncle, a cruel Barbados planter who buys Blood and later hunts him as Deputy Governor of Jamaica.
- Jeremy PittA young ship's master from Somerset, Blood's loyal friend and navigator, who keeps the logs from which the tale is told.
- Lord Julian WadeA elegant royal envoy who offers Blood a King's commission and also hopes to win Arabella's hand.
- Don Miguel de EspinosaA Spanish admiral who is consumed by hatred of Blood after the death of his brother Don Diego.
- WolverstoneA one-eyed giant who was a rebel convict with Blood and remains his rough, loyal lieutenant.
- LevasseurA flashy French buccaneer who forces himself into partnership with Blood and pursues the governor's daughter of Tortuga.
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Captain Blood in 25 languages, side by side, paragraph by paragraph, once the book texts are online: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
Captain Blood
by Rafael Sabatini · 1922
A doctor minding his geraniums is condemned for one kind act and sold as a slave for ten pounds.
Medium level5–10 hours to read16 languages
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“My name is Peter Blood, and I am worth exactly ten pounds.”
In short
A doctor waters his geraniums while a rebel army marches past his window. By the next morning he is under arrest, and within months he is sold into slavery for ten pounds.
Captain Blood at a glance
- Reading time
- About 7 h 20 min5 h 50 min fast, 8 h 45 min slow
- Length
- 104,700 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1922by Rafael Sabatini
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A doctor who minds his geraniums
In July 1685, the Duke of Monmouth has landed to claim the English crown, and the men of Bridgewater march to join him with scythes and clubs. Peter Blood watches from his window, smoking his pipe and tending his flowers.
Blood is no coward. He has served under the Dutch admiral de Ruyter, spent two years in a Spanish prison and fought for France. He has simply seen enough of war, and he thinks Monmouth's claim is a lie. His neighbours glare at him because he will not fight, but he does not care.
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Details
- First published
- 1922
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 8 h 20 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Sabatini, Rafael. Captain Blood. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/captain-blood.
Sabatini, R. (2026). Captain Blood. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/captain-blood (Original work published 1922)
Sabatini, Rafael. Captain Blood. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/captain-blood.
@book{sabatini2026captain,
author = {Sabatini, Rafael},
title = {Captain Blood},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/captain-blood},
note = {First published 1922}
}
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What is Captain Blood about?
It tells of Peter Blood, an Irish doctor wrongly convicted of treason after he treats a wounded rebel. Sold into slavery in Barbados, he escapes, becomes a feared pirate captain and hopes to win Arabella Bishop.
Is Captain Blood a true story?
It is a novel, though it uses real history, including Monmouth's rebellion of 1685, Judge Jeffreys and the deportation of rebels to the West Indies. Peter Blood himself is invented, though the tale claims to draw on a ship's log.
Who is Colonel Bishop?
Colonel Bishop is a cruel Barbados planter who buys Blood as a slave. He is the uncle of Arabella, and he later becomes Deputy Governor of Jamaica, where he hunts Blood with bitter hatred.
The author
Rafael Sabatini
1875–1950 · Italian-English historical novelist
Rafael Sabatini (1875–1950) was an Italian-born writer who wrote in English. He was born in Jesi, Italy, and settled in England in 1892. His novels include The Sea-Hawk (1915), Scaramouche (1921), and Captain Blood (1922). He also wrote biographies and short stories. He died in Adelboden, Switzerland.
“My name is Peter Blood, and I am worth exactly ten pounds.”
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