| Wilbur Smith |
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He was educated at Michaelhouse and Rhodes University . His Novel s are primarily set in Africa . He wrote his first novel ('When the Lion Feeds') whilst working for Salisbury Inland Revenue. The success that it achieved encouraged him to become a full time writer. It is generally agreed that his best work was done in the 60s, 70s and early 80s. Notable novels are ''Shout at the Devil, Cry Wolf, Dark of the Sun, Diamond Hunters'' and ''Eye of the Tiger''. His dry wit and humor,which made his novels so popular seemed to be missing in his later books. Mr. Smith's post mid-80s literary endeavors (with the exception of the egyptian novels) seemed to reflect his personal political views of South Africa's turmoil rather than a dispassionate look at Africa. Once cannot help but notice his rather right wing views in his books in the 80s and 90s. Wilbur Smith now lives in London . He claims to have an abiding concern for the peoples and wildlife of his native Continent . In 2002, Wilbur Smith was granted the Inaugural Sport Shooting Ambassador Award by the World Forum on the Future of Sport Shooting Activities . Books by Smith often fall into one of three Series , which reflect either the Families that the book features, or the timeframe it is set in. THE COURTNEY SERIES The Courtney series can be split into three parts, each part following a particular era of Courtney family. The first sequence follows the life of Sean Courtney. When the Lion Feeds is the first book in the trilogy and is set in the late 1800s. Sean and Garrick Courtney are twins who couldn't be more different. The jealous schemes of a woman draw them apart as the nation prepares for war against the Zulu. Sean, believed dead, returns home to find that Garrick has married his girlfriend and has brought up his son Michael as his own. Sean places himself in self-exile and wonders the African plains searching for fame. He meets and befriends Duff and they start a gold-mining business together which makes them rich. They lose their money to a shady deal and travel the wilderness together where Duff dies after an attack by a rabid hyena. Sean eventually meets a Boer Family and marries the daughter. She becomes ill and commits suicide at the end of the book but not before giving birth to a boy, Dirk. The Sound of Thunder is set several years after the first book. Sean and his son Dirk finally leave the wilderness and discover that a war is brewing between the English and the Boers. He meets and falls in love with a woman called Ruth and they conceive a daughter during a thunderstorm. Ruth runs away to return to her husband who is a soldier in the Boer War. Later, Sean wins many victories in the war and befriends Saul, Ruth’s husband. The commander of the Boers is none other than Sean’s old brother-in-law, Jan Paulus Leroux. They fight but decide to leave each other alone. Saul is killed in battle and Sean, although guilty, finds Ruth and marries her. Sean’s daughter, named Storm, grows to be pretty and bright but Sean’s firstborn, Dirk has become evil with jealousy for his father’s attention. The book ends with Sean’s brother Garrick forgiving him and Dirk running away, promising to ruin the Courtneys. A Sparrow Falls is the concluding chapter in Sean Courtneys life story. It begins with a young soldier named Mark Anders being sent out to destroy a German Sniper in the First World War. Sean admires him and offers him a job. Mark returns home to find his land taken and his grandfather murdered. He makes an investigation and discovers that Dirk Courtney is trying to build a dam in his land. Father and son clash and Dirk swears to kill Sean. Mark falls in love with Sean’s daughter, Storm, and South Africa moves towards a tumultuous civil war. In the climax of the book, Dirk brutally kills Sean and Ruth but is then killed by Mark. Mark regains his land and becomes the warden and lives with Storm in relative happiness. The original Courtney trilogy has a power and historical content that few books can claim. Covering a period of South African history from before the Zulu wars to the establishment of the Union of South Africa makes the books a very interesting mirror of the period. Wilbur Smith drives his characters through this period of history with a multitude of side plots, effective characters both minor and major, brutal violence and the inclusion of the most human situations that every reader can relate to. The second sequence of Courtney Novels beings with The Burning Shore. It follows Michael, the firstborn son of Sean Courtney and his exploits as a pilot during World War I. The death of Michael was reported in A Sparrow Falls. The second sequnce continues through four more books following the exploits of the Courtneys: '''Power of the Sword''', '''Rage''', '''Golden Fox''' and '''A Time To Die'''. The third sequence is set between the late 1600s and the mid 1700s. Birds of Prey begins with the Anglo-Dutch naval war drawing to a close. Sir Francis Courtney and his son, Henry (aka Hal) sail around the coast of Southern Africa waiting for a Dutch ship which they soon take over. Things do not go well and they are captured and imprisoned. Sir Francis is publicly executed in front of Hal. The rest of the crew escape and make Hal their captain and he sets off to get revenge. Along the way he must deal with dangers such as war and women. By the end of the book, he becomes a Knight and a Privateer and assists the ruler of Ethiopia, Prester John in repelling Arab invaders. Monsoon follows the adventures of Hal’s sons, William, Tom, Guy and Dorian. An Arab Corsair is ambushing merchant and war ships on the Mediterranean Sea and the English send Hal to contest him. Twins, Tom and Guy fall out over a woman and Guy leaves for India while William remains home in England. Dorian is captured by slavers and sold to the King of Oman who adopts him as his son. Many years of searching has left Tom tired of battle but by chance he faces Dorian in battle and almost kills him. Recognizing each other, they reunite and escape to Africa. Blue Horizon follows the adventures of Tom’s son Jim, and Dorian’s son, Mansur. Jim rescues a slave woman who he falls in love with and together they escape across Africa while being pursued by the authorities. Meanwhile, Dorian’s wife is assassinated and this leads to him reclaiming his place as King of Oman with Mansur by his side. They fight in a civil war against another heir to the throne who was a childhood nemesis of Dorian’s. By the end of the story, the enemies of the Courtneys unite to wipe out the infamous family once and for all but several African and Arab tribes aid the Courtneys in an epic battle. This marks the end of this generation of Courtneys. THE BALLANTYNE SERIES THE EGYPTIAN SERIES LIST OF NOVELS Below is a list of all of Wilbur Smith's novels. Courtney
Ancient Egyptian Ballantyne
Wilbur Smith has also written many Standalone novels:
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