1925. After a brief stint in the business world, Sabatini went to work as a writer. He wrote short stories in the 1890s, and his first novel came out in 1902. It took Sabatini roughly a quarter of century of hard work before he attained success with Scaramouche in 1921. This brilliant novel of the French Revolution became an international bestseller. It was followed by the equally successful Captain Blood in 1922. A prolific writer, he produced about a book a year. The Gates of Doom begins: The room-somewhat disordered now, at the end of that long night's play-was spacious, lofty, and handsomely equipped. On a boldly carved, walnut side-table of Dutch origin there was a disarray of glasses, bottles, plates, and broken meats. From a mahogany wine-cooler beneath this table's arched legs sprouted the corkless necks of a half-score empty bottles. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.