amicus
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For Those Who Love To Read Novels; Wilbur Smith
by amicus2k5 on Apr 03 (edit) (bookmark) (print) (next)
Author's Last Login: right now
In Category: Contemporary, Nature, Society.
For Those Who Love To Read Novels; Wilbur Smith
I think I discovered Wilbur Smith upon searching for an Ayn Rand novel in the ‘R’ section of the library. There lo and behold was a half a shelf by just one author named Smith.
I am a dedicated bookworm, often reading a novel a day for weeks when the urge overcomes me. So I was very pleased to find a readable writer with stories to tell.
Even more than the magnificent story telling, I have learned more about Africa, the people, the land and the animals than any history book could possibly provide.
I hope you will find something entertaining and even educational in his work.
Wilbur Addison Smith was born at Broken Hill, Zambia (ex-North Rhodesia) on 9 January 1933. He studied at Natal and Rhodes University, achieving a bachelor degree in commercial sciences in 1954. He married fourth times, before to his first wife Jewell Sabbert on 28 August 1964. The second with Anne. The third with Danielle Antoinette Thomas (nicknamed Dee Dee) in February of 1971. After Danielle's death, occurred on 29 December 1999, after a long and inexorable disease. Wilbur married a charming young woman, whose name is Mokhiniso (she was born in Tagikistan). He has two children with Anne: a son (Shaun) and a daughter (Christian). He has a stepson (Dieter) from Danielle's first Marriage.
He lives in Capetown, and more exactly at Sunbird Hill, 34 Klaasens Road, Constantia 7800, at only three hundred meters from one of the most magnificent botanical gardens in the world.
He has established his residence in what was the house of Cecil Rhodes, on the slopes of Table Mountain (in the book " Men of men", the second of the cycle of the Ballantyne, he tells us about this wonderful house).
He knows South African history very well and the surrounding region (Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe); he speaks, in addition to English, Afrikaans, Zulu and other African dialects.
He is the owner of many houses, in addition to the one in Capetown. He has a wonderful estate of 27,000 acres in the heart of South Africa, called " Leopard Hill ". Here he refuges with his son to hunt, his great passion, allthough he had had an accident which left him with a limp. At the beginning he had only a farm, than slowly he acquired others.
Pulling down several fencings that divided them, he made a great and enormous estate, in which animals and natives cohabit perfectly. Naturally he has a house in the Seychelles, and an other along the coast that looks out over the Indian Ocean, east of Capetown, where his wife Danielle loves to take shelter. It is a beautiful house situated on a fifteen kilometer beach...!
Occupation: Affiliated with Goodyear Tyre and Rubber Co.,i Port Elisabeth, (1954-1958). Affiliated with H.J. Smith and Son Ltd, Salisbury, Rhodesia (1958-1963).
His first literary experience was really disastrous: all the South African and European publishers (about twenty), to which he sent the draft, refused to publish it. Therefore Wilbur Smith returned to be an accountant in a company and he didn't consider writing any more. But a London publisher contacted him to ask if he had written something else. Encouraged by this request, he decided to write, first of all, for himself, about the things he knew well and loved: the wild forest, the animals, the inaccessible mountains, the gentle hills of Natal, the ocean, the life of the natives, the history of the discovery of South Africa, the long and troubled path towards the abandonment of apartheid and the return in the international community..... and it was a fantastic success!
Its first book was "When the lion feeds", the first of a fortunate series called "The Courteney saga". Then he wrote over 27 books, including the last and most awaited "Warlock". He has sold 70/80 million books (the official numbers aren't sure) and many in Italy too, a country where he always returns in order to introduce his latest novels, because he has always an incredible reception from the journalists and the readers, attributing him enormous popularity, and .... enormous gain!
Wilbur is very fond of the book "When the lion feeds", because it launched him; but, really, Wilbur Smith declares his most loved book is "The Sunbird", a fantastic story of lost cities and ancient legends, written after he met Danielle. And in fact the house in Capetown is on the "hill of the sunbird". According to statistics, it seems that more women than men purchase his books. And this is perhaps explicable as the protagonists of his books are normally truly men, always winners, and they always succeed in conquering the heart of wonderful girls.
They say that Danielle has influenced Wilbur's style of writing enormously: in fact he sweetened the rudeness of his characters, by introducing more romantic novels. Sure his wife has been of absolute importance for Wilbur, and they say she was even more important than appears, right up until she has become the real inspiration behind his stories. It is a fact that Wilbur Smith dedicated all his books just to Danielle. For all, he wrote this dedication in his book, "Monsoon": "I dedicate this book to my wife Danielle Antoinette whose love, in all these years, has been the monsoon which has constantly and loyally steered my life". A curiosity is that Wilbur began a new book the day of their anniversary. After Danielle's death, Wilbur met a new love, and he dedicated the new book "Warlock" just to Mokhiniso: "To my new love, Mokhiniso, spirit of Gengis Khan and Omar Khayyam, reincarnated into a shining moon as a perfect pearl". Mokhiniso has the strenght of Gengis Khan and the poetic nature of Omar Khayyam: a perfect union.
Over the last few years Wilbur has written a new book every two years. His literary talents have never diminished, undoubtedly, his books are more meditated, they, now, demand a more accurate "research". As an example the "egyptian cycle" (River God, Warlock and The Seventh Scroll) aren't novels on South Africa. They say those novels were long-terms plans of Wilbur for a ages, at least since 1990. When he was in Australia, in order to introduce his book "Golden Fox" (the last of the Courteney saga), he said that he had in mind to take a cruise on the Nile, because he wanted to write an other story on ancient cities and lost civilizations, after "The Sunbird". Some years later, in fact, he published those splendid books.
His novels are between some of most famous in the world: diamonds, gold, zulu, bushmen, lions, gazelle, slave-ships, oil tankers, plains, strong and tempered boys, beautiful and sweet girls, strong men, resolute women, spies, traitors, love, hatred, blood, life and death. A fascinating and sweeping mixture of characters; strange and wonderful situations and places. This and a lot more is Wilbur Smith.
The Courtneys
Birds of pray
Monsoon
Blue Horizon
When the lion feeds
The sound of thunder
A sparrow falls
The burning shore
Power of the sword
Rage
A Time to Die
Golden fox
The Ballantynes
A Falcon Flies
Men of men
The Angels Weep
The Leopard Hunts in Darkness
Lost cities
The sunbird
River God
The seventh stroll
Warlock
Sea
Hungry as the Sea
The Eye of the Tiger
Diamonds
Gold Mine
The Diamond Hunters
War
Cry Wolf
The Dark of the Sun
Various
Wild justice
Eagle in the Sky
Elephant Song
Shout
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Comment? All rights reserved, © amicus2k5. Copying without permission for non-personal use is forbidden. Send author an IM. Send this to a friend!
Applaud this work?
Author's Questions/Comments
Perhaps, as time goes by, if you read and enjoy one of Wilbur Smiths works, you might post a comment or review on this piece for others to see. Thank you...amicus...
~~~
I also have two of my own works in print:
Surprises of Love iSBN 1413731007
The First Chief, Ahjeed ISBN 0595350003
by amicus2k5 on Apr 03 (edit) (bookmark) (print) (next)
Author's Last Login: right now
In Category: Contemporary, Nature, Society.
For Those Who Love To Read Novels; Wilbur Smith
I think I discovered Wilbur Smith upon searching for an Ayn Rand novel in the ‘R’ section of the library. There lo and behold was a half a shelf by just one author named Smith.
I am a dedicated bookworm, often reading a novel a day for weeks when the urge overcomes me. So I was very pleased to find a readable writer with stories to tell.
Even more than the magnificent story telling, I have learned more about Africa, the people, the land and the animals than any history book could possibly provide.
I hope you will find something entertaining and even educational in his work.
Wilbur Addison Smith was born at Broken Hill, Zambia (ex-North Rhodesia) on 9 January 1933. He studied at Natal and Rhodes University, achieving a bachelor degree in commercial sciences in 1954. He married fourth times, before to his first wife Jewell Sabbert on 28 August 1964. The second with Anne. The third with Danielle Antoinette Thomas (nicknamed Dee Dee) in February of 1971. After Danielle's death, occurred on 29 December 1999, after a long and inexorable disease. Wilbur married a charming young woman, whose name is Mokhiniso (she was born in Tagikistan). He has two children with Anne: a son (Shaun) and a daughter (Christian). He has a stepson (Dieter) from Danielle's first Marriage.
He lives in Capetown, and more exactly at Sunbird Hill, 34 Klaasens Road, Constantia 7800, at only three hundred meters from one of the most magnificent botanical gardens in the world.
He has established his residence in what was the house of Cecil Rhodes, on the slopes of Table Mountain (in the book " Men of men", the second of the cycle of the Ballantyne, he tells us about this wonderful house).
He knows South African history very well and the surrounding region (Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe); he speaks, in addition to English, Afrikaans, Zulu and other African dialects.
He is the owner of many houses, in addition to the one in Capetown. He has a wonderful estate of 27,000 acres in the heart of South Africa, called " Leopard Hill ". Here he refuges with his son to hunt, his great passion, allthough he had had an accident which left him with a limp. At the beginning he had only a farm, than slowly he acquired others.
Pulling down several fencings that divided them, he made a great and enormous estate, in which animals and natives cohabit perfectly. Naturally he has a house in the Seychelles, and an other along the coast that looks out over the Indian Ocean, east of Capetown, where his wife Danielle loves to take shelter. It is a beautiful house situated on a fifteen kilometer beach...!
Occupation: Affiliated with Goodyear Tyre and Rubber Co.,i Port Elisabeth, (1954-1958). Affiliated with H.J. Smith and Son Ltd, Salisbury, Rhodesia (1958-1963).
His first literary experience was really disastrous: all the South African and European publishers (about twenty), to which he sent the draft, refused to publish it. Therefore Wilbur Smith returned to be an accountant in a company and he didn't consider writing any more. But a London publisher contacted him to ask if he had written something else. Encouraged by this request, he decided to write, first of all, for himself, about the things he knew well and loved: the wild forest, the animals, the inaccessible mountains, the gentle hills of Natal, the ocean, the life of the natives, the history of the discovery of South Africa, the long and troubled path towards the abandonment of apartheid and the return in the international community..... and it was a fantastic success!
Its first book was "When the lion feeds", the first of a fortunate series called "The Courteney saga". Then he wrote over 27 books, including the last and most awaited "Warlock". He has sold 70/80 million books (the official numbers aren't sure) and many in Italy too, a country where he always returns in order to introduce his latest novels, because he has always an incredible reception from the journalists and the readers, attributing him enormous popularity, and .... enormous gain!
Wilbur is very fond of the book "When the lion feeds", because it launched him; but, really, Wilbur Smith declares his most loved book is "The Sunbird", a fantastic story of lost cities and ancient legends, written after he met Danielle. And in fact the house in Capetown is on the "hill of the sunbird". According to statistics, it seems that more women than men purchase his books. And this is perhaps explicable as the protagonists of his books are normally truly men, always winners, and they always succeed in conquering the heart of wonderful girls.
They say that Danielle has influenced Wilbur's style of writing enormously: in fact he sweetened the rudeness of his characters, by introducing more romantic novels. Sure his wife has been of absolute importance for Wilbur, and they say she was even more important than appears, right up until she has become the real inspiration behind his stories. It is a fact that Wilbur Smith dedicated all his books just to Danielle. For all, he wrote this dedication in his book, "Monsoon": "I dedicate this book to my wife Danielle Antoinette whose love, in all these years, has been the monsoon which has constantly and loyally steered my life". A curiosity is that Wilbur began a new book the day of their anniversary. After Danielle's death, Wilbur met a new love, and he dedicated the new book "Warlock" just to Mokhiniso: "To my new love, Mokhiniso, spirit of Gengis Khan and Omar Khayyam, reincarnated into a shining moon as a perfect pearl". Mokhiniso has the strenght of Gengis Khan and the poetic nature of Omar Khayyam: a perfect union.
Over the last few years Wilbur has written a new book every two years. His literary talents have never diminished, undoubtedly, his books are more meditated, they, now, demand a more accurate "research". As an example the "egyptian cycle" (River God, Warlock and The Seventh Scroll) aren't novels on South Africa. They say those novels were long-terms plans of Wilbur for a ages, at least since 1990. When he was in Australia, in order to introduce his book "Golden Fox" (the last of the Courteney saga), he said that he had in mind to take a cruise on the Nile, because he wanted to write an other story on ancient cities and lost civilizations, after "The Sunbird". Some years later, in fact, he published those splendid books.
His novels are between some of most famous in the world: diamonds, gold, zulu, bushmen, lions, gazelle, slave-ships, oil tankers, plains, strong and tempered boys, beautiful and sweet girls, strong men, resolute women, spies, traitors, love, hatred, blood, life and death. A fascinating and sweeping mixture of characters; strange and wonderful situations and places. This and a lot more is Wilbur Smith.
The Courtneys
Birds of pray
Monsoon
Blue Horizon
When the lion feeds
The sound of thunder
A sparrow falls
The burning shore
Power of the sword
Rage
A Time to Die
Golden fox
The Ballantynes
A Falcon Flies
Men of men
The Angels Weep
The Leopard Hunts in Darkness
Lost cities
The sunbird
River God
The seventh stroll
Warlock
Sea
Hungry as the Sea
The Eye of the Tiger
Diamonds
Gold Mine
The Diamond Hunters
War
Cry Wolf
The Dark of the Sun
Various
Wild justice
Eagle in the Sky
Elephant Song
Shout
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Comment? All rights reserved, © amicus2k5. Copying without permission for non-personal use is forbidden. Send author an IM. Send this to a friend!
Applaud this work?
Author's Questions/Comments
Perhaps, as time goes by, if you read and enjoy one of Wilbur Smiths works, you might post a comment or review on this piece for others to see. Thank you...amicus...
~~~
I also have two of my own works in print:
Surprises of Love iSBN 1413731007
The First Chief, Ahjeed ISBN 0595350003
