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

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.

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.

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?

The best in the series that I've read so far.

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.

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

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.

Maybe it was a mistake to read three novels by Wilbur Smith in a short period, which is what I have just done. By doing so, I began to recognise the tricks that the author employs to achieve his incredibly exciting style of story-telling.

This story, which begins in the trenches in France during the First World War, continues in South Africa during the period of labour troubles in the goldmines of the Witwatersrand in 1922 before moving on to the story of a game reserve in the Zulu lands of Natal.

Episodes of nail-biting excitement are separated by over-detailed descriptions of romantic intimacy and also less interesting interludes. A whole host of well-described, sometimes believable, characters populate the novel, often being conveniently killed off by the author when he is not sure what to do with them next. The hero of the book, Mark Anders, survives an unbelievable number of incredible near-death situations. I was amazed that he managed to survive from beginning to the end of this long novel.

A thread of interesting South African history is woven into the story, but somehow I felt that the whole novel was more contrived than it needed to be.

I will read more of Wilbur Smith, but maybe not for a while!

Satisfying conclusion to the original Courtney saga. Full of action, blood and thunder.

Large land owners, communism, and the establishment of National Parks in 1926 make a portion of this Courtney series, #3.

Wilbur Smith introduces a new character into his Courtney series: Mark Anders, a sharpshooter who helps the British in the Great War by risking his life to save others. He is the lowly soldier and Sean Courtney is the Brigadier General but they become friends.

The story is full of action with Dirk Courtney playing a major villain role despite his wealth, power and influence. Mark is one of the nicest guys anyone could meet, and he has morals and conscience to match. The scene is set and the reader is captivated until the very last page.

This book was somewhat different in that it had a two-page 'ending' of sorts that was more of an epilogue. I wondered if the author was trying to decide if he would continue with the series or head in other directions.

And Smith's writing certainly didn't stop by any means, whether with the Courtneys or other series or stand-alones. So far, I have found all of them to be first-rate!