Most Popular Books by Wilbur Smith

An action-packed thriller from global bestseller Wilbur Smith The Syrian plane disintegrated, evaporating in a gush of silvery smoke, rent through with bright white lightning, and the ejecting pilot''s body was blown clear of the fuselage. For an instant it was outlined ahead of David''s screen, cruciform in shape with arms and legs thrown wide, the helmet still on the head, and the clothing ballooning in the rush of air.'' He chose this life. And it may cost him everything. From a young age it''s clear that David Morgan is ''bird''-a natural pilot, most at home in the air. In the South African Air Force he receives plaudits beyond his years, and even his family begins to accept that David will do anything to stay away from the Morgan billion-dollar business, and to keep flying instead. Following his dream and in pursuit of Debra, a beautiful young Israeli writer, David soon joins the Israeli Defence Force and finds himself caught up in the country''s struggles. But when he pays a terrible price for his choices, will he be able to become the man he always hoped -or will he choose to disappear into the skies?

BOOK 7 IN THE EPIC HISTORICAL SAGA OF THE COURTNEY FAMILY, FROM INTERNATIONAL SENSATION WILBUR SMITH ''Smith will take you on an exciting, taut and thrilling journey you will never forget'' - Sun ''With Wilbur Smith the action is never further than the turn of a page'' - Independent ''No one does adventure quite like Smith'' - Daily Mirror HUNTERS. HUNTED. Sean Courtney, an ex-guerilla fighter with a violent past, is now a man of peace, leading safaris in Zimbabwe for wealthy men. His current client is Riccardo Monterro, a strong-headed man whose beautiful, determined daughter Claudia has reluctantly accompanied him. As soon as Claudia and Sean meet, her reluctance quickly turns into passion, and a love affair develops. But there is more to this holiday than just pleasure. Soon Sean finds himself fighting to keep his clients alive, as civil war breaks out in Mozambique and Sean finds himself coming face-to-face with a deadly enemy from his past. What began as a rich man''s holiday will become a dangerous and desperate battle for survival. A Courtney Series adventure. A Time to Die is the seventh novel in the Courtney family saga from Wilbur Smith. Book 8 in the Courtney family series, Golden Fox, is available now.

Wild Justice by Wilbur Smith It begins as a routine trip to South Africa. It ends in a nightmare for 400 passengers taken hostage. The hijacker is a beautiful pawn for an elusive figure--codename Caliph, whose campaign of terror has just begun. And the one man who rescued Flight 070 is the only man who can stop Caliph dead in his tracks. His name is Major Peter Stride, commanding agent of a crack team of anti-terrorist operatives. He''s used to doing battle--and winning. But when his help is sought by the mysterious widow of one of Caliph''s victims, and his own daughter is kidnapped, Stride plunges into a darker and more personal war than ever before. A war that will take him across the oceans and continents, closer to a shocking betrayal...and closer still to a madman who has the power to destroy the world and who knows Stride''s every move--down to what could be his last one...

BOOK 5 IN THE EPIC HISTORICAL SAGA OF THE COURTNEY FAMILY, FROM INTERNATIONAL SENSATION WILBUR SMITH ''Smith will take you on an exciting, taut and thrilling journey you will never forget'' - Sun ''With Wilbur Smith the action is never further than the turn of a page'' - Independent ''No one does adventure quite like Smith'' - Daily Mirror A POWERFUL FAMILY. A DEVASTATING WAR. Centaine de Thiry Courtney has not only survived the many challenges of her life but has thrived. A successful businesswoman with two sons: Shasa Courtney, the Courtney heir, and Manfred de la Rey, Shasa''s half-brother, her secret child raised solely by his father. But as the Great Depression takes hold, Centaine must make difficult decisions to ensure the security of her family - decisions that will affect Manfred and his father, Lothar de la Rey, a man Centaine once loved. But the world is changing, and conflicts greater than any the world has seen before are looming. Centaine and her children must face the upcoming war - and not all of them will be on the same side . . . A Courtney Series adventure - Book 2 in The Burning Shore sequence The Power of the Sword is the shocking second novel in The Burning Shore sequence of the Courtney family saga by Wilbur Smith, one of the best and most beloved authors of the century. Book 6 in the Courtney family series, Rage, is available now.

Shout at the Devil is a tense adventure novel from master of the genre, Wilbur Smith, set during the outbreak of the First World War.''Now the seas were more awesome in their raging insanity. Each mountain of glassy grey rose high above the raft, shielding it for a few seconds from the whip of the wind, its crest blowing off like the plume of an Etruscan helmet, before it slid down, collapsing upon itself in the tumbling roar of breaking water.'' In German East Africa on the eve of the First World War two freebooting adventurers - one a flamboyant Irish American, the other an impeccable young Englishman - pit their wits against the gross German Commissioner from whose territory they are making their living as game hunters and ivory poachers. But the outbreak of war gives the signal for their private skirmishing to flare into a relentless vendetta pursued with devastating violence by land and sea, so that what begins as a comic escapade gives way to chilling horror . . .

An epic new novel of Ancient Egypt, from the Master of Historical Adventure, Wilbur Smith. FROM THE RUINS OF BATTLE A HERO MUST RISE FOR THE GLORY OF EGYPT Years of Hyksos rule have seen the plunder of once-mighty Egypt. Though the two kingdoms have now been reunited by the armies of the true Pharaoh, his position is perilous, his rule under threat from those who seek to take advantage of the turmoil created by the overthrow of the Hyksos. Desperate to keep Egypt united, Taita the Magus summons his protégé, Piay, to solve a millennia-old riddle which has the power to secure Egypt''s future forever. But in the tumult of war, an evil has thrived. Malevolent followers of Seth, the god of chaos, are determined to claim this power and usher in a new age of darkness. The fate of Egypt is at stake. Can Piay prevent their land falling into the hands of those who would see its ruin? Book 3 in The New Kingdom Sequence and book 9 in the Ancient Egyptian series from the master historical adventure writer, Wilbur Smith. Don''t miss House of Two Pharaohs, the next action-packed Egyptian adventure from Wilbur Smith. Coming August 2025.

The Van Der Byl Diamond Company, willed by its founder to his son Benedict, daughter Tracey and estranged foster-child Johnny Lance, turns out to be a bequest not of love, but of hatred. For it is couched in such terms as to offer Benedict an instrument of destruction of his bitterest rival. ''Destroy Johnny'' was the old man''s implacable message to his son, and, obsessively jealous of his foster-brother, Benedict sets out in ruthless pursuit of this goal. In a desperate bid to support Johnny, Tracey acquires for him the concession in the diamond-rich seabed round the coral islands of Thunderbolt and Suicide off the savage South West African coast, and Johnny throws all his resources into the construction of a vessel that will recover the stones from the ocean floor and repair his fortune at last. But Benedict, already involved in illegal diamond-dealing as a sideline, seizes this chance to attack his rival and, with a network of accomplices and some ingenious electronic tampering, plots to syphon off the diamonds. Johnny will not only be ruined by his liabilities, he will also be a laughing stock. However, Benedict''s obsessive jealousy is his undoing. He cannot resist stripping his rival of his beautiful but bitchy wife Ruby as well, and when he then discards her, she takes her revenge, precipitating a climax of murder and destruction that consumes Benedict at last. Narrated with Wilbur Smith''s irresistible driving thrust, The Diamond Hunters is a tale of brotherly hatred, redeemed only by the deepening love between Johnny and Tracey. It is set in London, Cape Town, on the thunderous seas around the ocean diamond fields and ends in a final confrontation between Johnny and Benedict in the blistering hyena-infested desert.

On the shores of the Nile, the fate of a kingdom rests in one hero''s hands... Wilbur Smith, bestselling author of River God returns to Ancient Egypt in this long-awaited new historical epic. A novel of Ancient Egypt from the bestselling author of River God. Wilbur Smith is a master at the helm of one of the greatest stories of all time. On the banks of the Nile, a hero will rise. Across the lush plains of Egypt, Taita, a freed eunuch slave, wears his authority lightly. Not only is he the close advisor to the Pharaoh, but he is guardian to Pharaoh Tamose''s two teenage sisters, the young beauties Tehuti and Bekatha. But the kingdom is not at peace. They have been fighting Southern Egypt''s constant and historic enemy, the Hyksos people in the north, since time began. To finally crush them, Pharaoh must turn to his most trusted friend. Taita, philosopher, poet and expert strategist, has a plan that will see Egypt destroy the Hyksos army and form a coveted alliance with Crete in one move. This plan will take him, his expedition commander Zaras, and their mighty warriors on a perilous journey up the Nile, through Arabia to the magical city of Babylon, then across the open seas to Crete. The many dangers will cost lives and time, and they will meet battle and betrayal head on. But Taita must not forget his two charges, the spirited young princesses, whose attraction to the very warriors who lead the fight threatens Taita''s meticulous plan and the future of Egypt itself.

Two brothers divided over the future of a country on the brink of revolution. Multimillion copy bestselling author Wilbur Smith returns with a brand-new historical epic, set against the backdrop of the American revolution. The Courtney family is torn apart as three generations fight on opposing sides of a terrible war that will change the face of the world forever. ''Best Historical Novelist'' Stephen King 1774. Rob Courtney has spent his whole life in a quiet trading outpost on the east coast of Africa, dreaming of a life of adventure at sea. When his grandfather Jim dies, Rob takes his chance and stows away on a ship as it sails to England, with only the family heirloom, the Neptune Sword, to his name. Arriving in London, Rob is seduced by the charms of the big city and soon finds himself desperate and penniless. That is until the navy comes calling. Rob is sent across the Atlantic on a ship to join the war against the rebellious American colonists. But on the other side of the Atlantic, unbeknownst to Rob, his distant cousins Cal and Aidan Courtney are leading a campaign against the British. Their one desire is American independence, and they are determined to drive the British out of America - by whatever means necessary. . . A powerful new historical thriller by the master of adventure fiction, Wilbur Smith, of families divided and a country on the brink of revolution.

The New York Times bestselling author and one of the greatest adventure writers of our time returns with a pulse-pounding tale of danger, courage, and suspense. Tom Courtney and his brother Dorian battled both vicious enemies and nature itself on the high seas, finally reaching the Cape of Good Hope to start life afresh. Now, half a generation later, they are successful and contented: merchants and family men, prospering on the very edge of an immense and beautiful continent, Africa. In the tradition of Wilbur Smith''s earlier bestseller, Monsoon, this spellbinding new novel introduces the next generation of Courtneys. They are out to stake their claim in Southern Africa, traveling along the infamous "Robbers'' Road." It is a journey both exciting and hazardous---one that takes them through the untouched wilderness of a beautiful land filled with warring tribes and wild animals. But the most dangerous predators of all are other Europeans, crazed by greed, jealousy, and lust, and determined to destroy utterly all members of the Courtney clan. This quest for vengeance results in a desperate chase---both on land and sea---that is one of the most extraordinary in modern literature. Blue Horizon is a truly great adventure story, told by a master novelist at the height of his powers.

BOOK 2 IN THE BALLANTYNE SERIES, BY INTERNATIONAL SENSATION WILBUR SMITH ''Best historical novelist'' - Stephen King ''A master storyteller'' - Sunday Times ''Wilbur Smith is one of those benchmarks against whom others are compared'' - The Times ''No one does adventure quite like Smith'' - Daily Mirror A RUTHLESS MAN. AN UNFORGIVING DESTINY. Zouga Ballantyne has in his blood a fanatical need to find diamonds, and it is in the diamond mines of Kimberley that he finally realises his fate. But the price of success in one of the most punishing places in the world is high, and Zouga loses his beloved wife to one of the many sicknesses that haunt the diamond mine camp. Zouga and his sons are left to find their fortune elsewhere, and end up a part of the flourishing British Empire, developing their own form of civilisation in the face of tribal opposition. But Zouga''s success has come at a price. The local Matabele tribe, who have tried to live alongside the colonists, are slowly losing everything. In the face of exploitation, violence and greed, who will triumph in the land of ruthless men? The second book in the epic Ballantyne Series. Book 3 in the Ballantyne series, The Angels Weep, is available now.

Set in Egypt Warlock follows on from River God and The Seventh Scroll, marking the return of the world''s finest adventure writer. After the death of his beloved Queen Lostris, Taita performs the rites of embalmment and burial for her. Then stricken with grief, he retreats into the forbidding deserts of North Africa where he becomes a hermit. Over the years that follow he devotes himself to the study of the mysteries of the occult until, armed with these extraordinary powers, he gradually transforms himself into the Warlock. When he is called upon to save the dynasty of Queen Lostris from the clouds of evil that loom over Egypt, he discovers that there has, after all, been a divine purpose in his bereavement and suffering...

A Courtney series adventure - Book 2 in the When the Lion Feeds trilogy SOME WILL WIN. SOME WILL LOSE. As war is declared between the British Empire and the Transvaal Republic, a battle-hardened and newly wealthy Sean Courtney realizes that it is not only on the front lines where enemies are made. While Sean’s own brother, Garrick, is bitter and vengeful—determined to destroy Sean and the empire he has built—his sons are repeating the sins of their father, locked in a violent and seemingly never-ending struggle. On the brink of losing everything in the ongoing war, Sean discovers there is something he can’t buy – true love – in the strong-willed, self-assured and beautiful Ruth Friedman. But this love forms a weakness in him, a weakness Garrick is determined to manipulate to deliver the revenge he so desperately seeks. As Sean fights to save himself, his family, and his fortune, The Sound of Thunder becomes a vibrant tale of love and hatred in many forms: between brothers, between friends, between father and son, and between man and woman. The Sound of Thunder is the thrilling second novel from Wilbur Smith, one of the bestselling and most beloved authors of the 20th century.

An adventure set in the violent world of modern piracy and terrorism follows the kidnapping of an oil heiress''s daughter for a multi-billion-dollar ransom and the efforts of Cross Bow Security head Hector Cross to secure her release.

A Courtney series adventure - Book 3 in The Burning Shore sequence THE FUTURE OF A COUNTRY. THE END OF A FAMILY. The year is 1952. Ruthlessly guided by Shasa Courtney and Centaine Malcomess, the Courtney family empire is central to the lives of both white and black South Africans alike. While Shasa, heir to the Courtney fortunes, dreams of uniting his divided, beloved country, Apartheid threatens to destroy everything he holds close. Out of options, his half-brother Manfred persuades him to join South Africa''s right-wing National Party, hoping to moderate their dangerous policies from within. But as the fires of revolution burn more intensely on the horizon, Manfred desperately tries to keep the secrets he cannot afford to be revealed – secrets he is willing to kill to hide – while, Shasa, in his bloody quest for power, will be tested in ways he could never imagine. When the terrible struggle for the future of South Africa is finally over, the Courtney family will never be the same – and many will pay a terrible price . . . Rage is the powerful third novel in Wilbur Smith’s The Burning Shore sequence, which became an instant global bestseller

They''ve come from out of the shifting sands and down from ancient mountains. Mounted on horse and camel, carrying gleaming swords and plundered rifles, the sons of Allah are led by a holy warrior imbued with jihad, driving his army of thousands to wipe out the last Englishmen from the isolated Nile city... Along with hundreds of others, British trader and businessman Ryder Courtney is trapped in the capital city of Khartoum. In Khartoum, the fates of a legendary British general, a brilliant, mercenary trader, a beautiful woman and a courageous soldier will become one. They know that time is running out and rescue is improbable. So they prepare for one last stand--and the beginning of an epic journey of survival... From a passionate rivalry for a woman to an unforgettable face-off between warriors, Wilbur Smith''s The Triumph of the Sun is adventure fiction writ large--alive with the sounds of throngs, the terror of battle, and the mystical fire of human courage in the darkest moments of all.