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Courtney publication order #3

A Sparrow Falls

wilbur smith

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A Sparrow Falls, another gripping installment in Wilbur Smith's Courtney Family Adventure series

Mark Anders grew up on eight thousand acres of African land that bore his family name. Then he fought in Europe's Great War and, upon returning to his ancestral home, he saw savagery unlike any other….

In Africa, Mark's family estate has been despoiled. His grandfather has died under mysterious circumstances. And he has inherited a murderous enemy--the rogue scion of the powerful Courtney clan--in an altogether new kind of war.

Now, Mark will make a fateful choice between two women. Journey into the wilderness to uncover his grandfather's fate. Find his way through battles raging between fathers and sons, generals and politicians, and nature and man. In an age of violent conflict, Mark Anders will live or die for justice--and his fight will echo across a country he always loved….

640 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1,1977
Series
Courtney publication order
Places
south africa, 

This edition

Format
640 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published
January 2, 2007 by St. Martin's Paperbacks
ISBN
9780312940683
ASIN
0312940688
Language
English
Characters More characters

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About the author

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wilbur smith

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Wilbur Smith was a prolific and bestselling South African novelist renowned for his sweeping adventure stories set against the backdrop of Africa's dramatic landscapes and turbulent history. Born in 1933 in what was then Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia), he grew up in South Africa, where his love for storytelling was nurtured by the rich environment and tales of African history. His early years were shaped by his experiences in the wilderness, which later became a defining element in his fiction.
After studying at Rhodes University, Smith initially worked as an accountant, but his true passion lay in writing. His breakthrough came in 1964 with When the Lion Feeds, a historical adventure novel that introduced the Courtney family saga. The book's success led to a long-running series chronicling the exploits of multiple generations of the Courtney family, spanning centuries of African and world history. Alongside this, Smith wrote the Ballantyne series, focused on colonial Africa, and the Ancient Egypt series, which delved into historical fiction with a mythical touch.
Over his six-decade career, Smith authored more than 50 novels, selling over 140 million copies worldwide. His works were characterized by meticulous research, vivid descriptions of the African wilderness, and gripping action-packed narratives. Whether set in the colonial era, the world of pharaohs, or modern-day Africa, his books often explored themes of survival, war, power, and human ambition. He collaborated with co-authors in his later years to expand his literary universe, ensuring his stories continued to reach new audiences.
Beyond writing, Smith was an avid traveler and adventurer, drawing inspiration from his own experiences hunting, sailing, and exploring remote corners of Africa. While he was passionate about wildlife and conservation, some of his views—particularly regarding big game hunting—sparked debate. Nonetheless, his deep affection for Africa was evident in his writing, which celebrated both its beauty and its historical complexities.
Smith's influence on adventure fiction remains significant, with his books continuing to captivate readers around the world. His legacy endures through his richly woven tales of exploration, conquest, and the enduring spirit of Africa.

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Community Reviews

Rating(3.9 / 5.0, 99 votes)
5 stars
29(29%)
4 stars
36(36%)
3 stars
34(34%)
2 stars
0(0%)
1 stars
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99 reviews All reviews
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Aryan_Bawane
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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Brilliant

This is a book of its time exciting and unputdownable. The views and ideas put forward are commensurate with modern values but placed in the context of an evolving South africa
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neonashailie
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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First book of his I read.
Really enjoy these books of his.
After reading this one I went back and started reading them in order.
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FedUpWithShit
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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Smith shows a vast knowledge of South African and World War I through his description and naming of props and settings. Therefore the world he creates is very believable and intriguing. For that I would give him four stars. His weakness is in characters and how unbelievable they are. The hero, Mark Anders, is presented as all good. Yes, he gives into lust and infidelity, but Smith writes with such a tone as to justify these actions. And he's perfect at everything; perfect soldier, perfect driver, perfect salesman, perfect office assistant. In order to connect to a character, he needs to have some faults just as we all do. The villain is the cliche "all I want is money" bad guy. Think of something evil and he's probably doing it right now. I was much more interested in Pungushe who had a dry wit that was realistic and a hidden depth to his character. There were also vast wastelands of exposition that told me how I was to view the characters. I wanted to yell out, "Don't tell me they had a meaningful conversation that drew them closer together; show me!" If the flat characters were given depth (or cut entirely) and if the exposition was cut down, the novel would be half its length but twice as good. Give me a book where Smith uses only his talent and cuts the fat. I would give that book a 4 or 5.
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drazorback
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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My Dad (God rest his soul) and several of my South African friends & colleagues were very fond of this novel, and now I can see why. Packed with action, sex, political intrigue, and historical insights into South African culture (uppercrust white society, working class whites, and Zulu alike) during the first several post-WWI years.
--p. 5: "A sky the colour of old bruises hung low over the battlefields of France, and rolled with ponderous dignity towards the German lines." Catchy opening sentence.

--p. 9: Good to see that Brigadier Sean Courtney is not your stereotypical WWI "chateau general."

--p. 16: "Velapi wena" = "Where are you from" (Zulu)

--p. 17: Fergus MacDonald, bloody Bolshevik, ugh!

--p. 51: Biltong!

--p. 55: "....give him some of your lovely tart." Er, no double-entendre intended, right?
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tomuramuffin
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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Oh si riparte dalla Grande Guerra, circa una ventina di anni dopo dall'ultimo romanzo sui Courtney. Questa volta il protagonista è Mark Anders, che si distingue in un episodio in Francia, in cui i crucchi cercano di perforarne senza successo la plot armor e subito siamo di nuovo catapultati in Sudafrica dove l'autore ci tiene a farci sapere quanto è cattivo Dirk Courtney, almeno tanto quanto l'acqua delle cipolle.
Insomma, lì per lì, la tendenza alla strage e alla distruzione totale tipo le esplosioni di Michael Bay, lo si può fiutare fin da subito quando Mark trova la casa di suo nonno disabitata; ma possiamo pensare di cavarcela così?
No, ovviamente. L'autore ci fa capire che ogni donna dell'emisfero australe si innamora di Mark Anders.
Nel mentre Sean Courtney è impegnato a riempire i buchi nella trama, in un'era in cui si dovrebbero fare figli come conigli ma che in realtà oltre ad aver eliminato l'unico erede Courtney degno (Michael, ucciso nientemeno che da von Richthofen) c'è soltanto una erede: Storm. Quella che in tempi contemporanei potremmo definire con termine tecnico "una f... emmina della madonna", la superstar per la nostra star del romanzo. E quando si incontrano, volano scintille!
Nel frattempo l'autore ci ha già spiegato quanto è cattivo Dirk, quindi proseguiamo subito con il "paradiso in terra", cioè l'unico posto all'apparenza importante del Sudafrica che rischia di diventare un enorme bacino idrico perché Dirk è cattivo (del resto, a che ci serve l'elettricità?).
E nulla, in realtà la storia verte su Storm e Mark, lei rimane subito incinta ma ... i sentimenti! I sentimenti!
Così finisce in sottotrama in cui la Marion la moglie-intralcio i Mark, la sciacquetta cicciottella, viene eliminata da un leone in una scena che è l'antesignano del film Prometheus (dove accarezzano un serpente alieno cattivissimo), e con Storm che da viziata sciacquetta, finisce in un matrimonio inutile e in un divorzio altrettanto inutile.
Il tutto chiuso da una grandissima strage finale, che ci fa pensare lì per lì che nei prossimi quarant'anni di carriera di Smith non si ripescheranno mai più i Courtney.
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Leclerq
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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A big book for a big story

This is my third read by this guy and I have loved everyone. His attention to detail is amazing and a little confusing. He used words that are so genuine and that only somebody who has lived the book can know so how do you research those words you sort of have to know the answer before you can ask the question. The descriptions actually put you in the scene, fantastic well done sir
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RiverRode
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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The superb conclusion to thistrilogy with page-turning action and suspense to the very end

Outstanding characters, memorable events, tightly interwoven plots within plots, and a fascinating tale of Africa and those who loved the richness of this fabulous continent. Magnificently told by a master story teller with the clear ring of authority as though he had lived these events, the action spans the end of World War One to times where conservation becomes significant as seemingly endless resources and animals and wilderness begin a noticeable decline. Enticing and well worth the time.
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