Italian writer (Verona, 1862 – Turin, 1911) of great international fame, author of almost one hundred exotic adventure novels, of the swashbuckler genre, set in distant countries, exotic landscapes and bygone eras. His fast-paced stories, filled with action and romance, take place in locations as diverse as Malaysia, the Caribbean Sea, the Indian jungle, Africa, the West of the United States, the Arctic seas or East Asia. The most famous literary sagas he created were that of the Malayan pirate Sandokan and that of the filibuster Black Corsair. Many of his works have been adapted on numerous occasions to film and television. As a result of the popularity he achieved, in 1897 he was named a Knight of the Order of the Crown of Italy.