Smith, Wilbur 1933- (Wilbur Addison Smith)

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Smith, Wilbur 1933- (Wilbur Addison Smith)

PERSONAL:

Born January 9, 1933, in Broken Hill, Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia); son of Herbert James and Elfreda Smith; married Jewell Slabbert, August 28, 1964 (divorced); married Danielle Thomas, February, 1971; children: two sons and one daughter. Education: Rhodes University, Bachelor of Commerce, 1954. Hobbies and other interests: Fishing and wildlife conservation.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Constantia, South Africa. Agent—Charles Pick Consultancy, Flat 3, 3 Bryanston Pl., London W1H 7FN, England. E-mail—wilbur.smith@stmartins.com.

CAREER:

Affiliated with Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., Port Elizabeth, South Africa, 1954-58, and H.J. Smith & Son, Ltd., Salisbury, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), 1958-63; full-time writer, 1964—.

MEMBER:

Chartered Institute of Secretaries, South African Wildlife Society (trustee), Friends of Conservation (trustee), Rhodesian Wildlife Conservation Association, British Sub Aqua Club.

WRITINGS:

When the Lion Feeds, Viking (New York, NY), 1964.

The Train from Katanga, Viking (New York, NY), 1965, published as The Dark of the Sun, Heinemann (London, England), 1965.

The Sound of Thunder, Heinemann (London, England), 1966, Fawcett (New York, NY), 1991.

Shout at the Devil, Coward (New York, NY), 1968.

Gold Mine, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1970.

The Diamond Hunters, Heinemann (London, England), 1971, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1972.

The Sunbird, Heinemann (London, England), 1972, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1973.

Eagle in the Sky, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1974, Curley Pub. (South Yarmouth, MA), 1992.

Eye of the Tiger, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1974, Curley Pub. (South Yarmouth, MA), 1992.

Cry Wolf, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1975.

A Sparrow Falls, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1976.

Hungry as the Sea, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1977.

Wild Justice, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1978.

A Falcon Flies, Doubleday, 1979 (New York, NY), published as Flight of the Falcon, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1982.

Men of Men, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1980.

The Delta Decision, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1981.

The Angels Weep, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1983.

The Leopard Hunts in Darkness, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1984.

The Burning Shore, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1985.

Power of the Sword, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 1986.

Rage, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 1987.

The Courtneys, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 1988.

A Time to Die, Random House (New York, NY), 1989.

Golden Fox, Random House (New York, NY), 1990.

(With Milo Manara) L'uccello del Sole: Illustrazioni per il Romanzo di Wilbur Smith, Editori del grifo (Montepulciano, Italy), 1990.

Elephant Song, Random House (New York, NY), 1991.

River God, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1994.

The Seventh Scroll, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1995.

Birds of Prey, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1997.

Monsoon, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1999.

Warlock, Macmillan (New York, NY), 2001.

The Blue Horizon, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 2003.

The Eye of the Tiger [and] Hungry as the Sea, Thomas Dunne Books (New York, NY), 2005.

The Triumph of the Sun, Thomas Dunne Books (New York, NY), 2005.

The Quest, Thomas Dunne Books (New York, NY), 2007.

Writer for British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC) programs.

ADAPTATIONS:

The Dark of the Sun was filmed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and released in 1968; Gold Mine was filmed by Hemdale and released in 1974; the film rights to The Leopard Hunts in Darkness have been purchased by Sylvester Stallone, as have the film rights for two of Smith's other novels. Most of Smith's novels have been adapted for audiocassette.

SIDELIGHTS:

A writer of historical adventure sagas, Wilbur Smith is known for his "swashbuckling adventure novels set against the historical backdrop of Africa," an essayist for Contemporary Popular Writers explained. His novels have sold over one hundred million copies throughout the world. Smith once told CA: "I am essentially a writer of entertainment fiction. So far most of my work is against the background of southern Africa. My interests are the history of this land, its wildlife, and its people…. I speak Afrikaans and some African dialects, including Zulu."

Born in Northern Rhodesia, now Zambia, Smith was first discouraged from writing by his father, who thought the profession would not pay well. Speaking to Jonah Hull of the Out There Web site about his father, Smith explained: "He was a hard man, but a fair one, who wanted me to do something sensible with my life, like be an accountant. I actually was an accountant for a while in my twenties. That made him happy. When I got seriously into writing, though, he couldn't understand it. I think it puzzled him to his death. He wasn't a man who read many books. In fact, I seriously doubt if he actually read any of my books. Even the first one which I dedicated to him." Following a divorce, which brought on depression, Smith began to write fiction to take himself away from the realities of his daily life. While working a day job with the Rhodesian tax department, he spent his nights working on a novel, When the Lion Feeds. The story of an early European pioneer in Southern Africa who fights off the native Zulus and rival Europeans as he searches for gold, the novel proved an enormous success after its publication in 1964 According to a writer for Geographical: "His name has since become synonymous with adventure blockbuster writing."

Smith's three related novels—A Falcon Flies, Men of Men, and The Angels Weep—are concerned with the European conquest of what is now Zimbabwe. In this trilogy, the Ballantynes, a fictional family, challenge the historical figure Cecil Rhodes, who amassed a fortune in South Africa and after whom both the nation of Rhodesia and the Rhodes scholarships were named. The essayist for Contemporary Popular Writers explained that "in this series, the novels' plots are intertwined with the tumultuous history of Rhodesia, including the slave trade, diamond mining, and tribal warfare." The Washington Post's Richard Harwood, reviewing Men of Men, compared Smith favorably to other historical thriller writers: "Wilbur Smith is more artful than John Jakes and less pedantic than James Michener." Roger Manvell, who reviewed A Falcon Flies for the British Book News, praised Smith for the detail of this work; he observed: "The author, who seems to possess an unrivalled knowledge of his subject, writes with an impressive authenticity, as if he had himself taken part in these varied actions a century and more ago." Cliff Glaviano of the Library Journal found A Falcon Flies to be "full of adventure, romance, sex, blood, and gore and set in central and southern Africa and on the surrounding high seas about 1860."

In Monsoon, Hal Courtney leaves his African estate to hunt down pirates preying on British shipping off the East African coast in the late 1700s. Taking his three sons into the battle with him, Courtney soon finds that the pirate hunt is only part of his mission; keeping his scheming and ambitious sons alive is also a challenge. Kathy Piehl in the Library Journal noted: "Smith offers plenty of battles and harrowing escapes for adventure fans." A critic for Publishers Weekly concluded: "Once again the veteran author creates a masterful tale of action and suspense set on the high seas, arid deserts and steaming jungles."

Smith's Golden Fox tells the story of Isabella Courtney, a wealthy South African woman from an influential family, who falls prey to the machinations of Ramon de Santiago y Machado. Ramon pursues Isabella until she becomes pregnant, then blackmails her into using her family's wealth to support him in his goals of revolution. Ultimately, Isabella must seek her family's assistance to escape Ramon's control. Sybil Steinberg, in a review for Publishers Weekly, noted Smith's occasionally excessive detail but concluded that "this is an entertaining novel by a gifted, intelligent raconteur."

Elephant Song is also set in Africa, focusing on the ivory trade and the activities of poachers. Hero Daniel Armstrong, both an ecologist and a documentary film maker, seeks revenge for the death of his childhood friend, the local chief warden, who got caught in the crossfire when poachers stole a supply of ivory from government stores. A reviewer for Publishers Weekly noted the book's tendency toward "romance, more sex, lots of bloody fighting and international intrigues, all carried out by … larger-than-life cardboard characters."

The Blue Horizon serves as a sequel of sorts to Monsoon, following Jim and Manseur Courtney, the sons of Tom and Dorian, as they seek their fortunes. Jim takes an unconventional approach by falling in love with a prisoner on a convict ship and helping her to escape. Though the pair flees, Jim's parents give chase and eventually catch up with the young lovers, only to give their union their blessing. Margaret Flanagan, writing for Booklist, commented: "Brimming with bravado, greed, and romance, this rip-roaring historical romp across eighteenth-century Africa will mesmerize … fans."

Smith explored new historical territory in his three books set in ancient Egypt, River God, The Seventh Scroll, and Warlock. In these books, set some 4,000 years ago, he weaves a complex tale of royal intrigue, betrayal, and assassination. A tale of fictional pharaohs and eunuchs, River God concerns the warrior Tanus and a young woman who loves him, Lostris, whose father conspires to have her married off to the pharaoh instead. Complete with battles involving thousands of soldiers, descriptions of resplendent palaces, and crowds of hundreds of thousands of people on the banks of the Nile greeting their pharaoh, the book was hailed as "compulsively readable" by a Publishers Weekly reviewer. Similarly, Brian Jacomb, writing in the Washington Post Book World, declared it a "majestic novel, one filled to overflowing with passion, rage, treachery, barbarism, prolonged excitement and endless passages of sheer, exquisite color."

Smith followed River God with a sequel, The Seventh Scroll. Set in the present, the novel is the story of an adventurous search for the tomb of the Pharaoh Mamose, husband of Lostris. At the story's opening, Egyptologist Royan Al Simma and her husband, Duraid, have discovered a scroll from the tomb of Lostris that purports to tell the location of Mamose's tomb. However, Duraid is murdered by a rival. Royan then teams up with Sir Nicholas Quenton-Harper, a wealthy collector mourning the deaths of his wife and child. The two battle villainous rivals, booby traps, and other dangerous events in a race to find the tomb. A Publishers Weekly reviewer called the novel "intoxicating."

In Warlock, Smith's third novel about ancient Egypt, Taita, lover of the deceased queen Lostris, goes into the desert to live as a hermit. Studying magic, he becomes a mighty warlock with remarkable powers. Because of his power, Taita becomes tutor to young Prince Nefer, heir to the Egyptian throne. He finds that his magical skills are tested when rivals plot to kill the young prince. According to Kathleen Hughes in Booklist, "Smith is an excellent storyteller, and the fast-moving action and the exciting plot will hook even those who normally don't appreciate historical fiction." Also writing of Warlock, a critic for Publishers Weekly noted that "though timorous readers may wish to steer clear, those willing to brave the blood and gore will be carried away by the sweep and pace of Smith's tale." "This most recent novel by a master storyteller," Jane Baird wrote of Warlock in the Library Journal, "is resplendent with all the power and pageantry of Egypt, the center of civilization of the ancient world."

In The Quest, Smith returns to his Egyptian sagas, following Taita as he journeys to learn the secret behind the curse that appears to have destroyed the Nile, causing it to bring forth blood instead of water and a plague of diseased toads. Booklist reviewer Brad Hooper observed: "Smith has always been long on action, and his new novel won't disappoint his fans in that regard." A Publishers Weekly contributor wrote that "Smith deftly blends history, fantasy, and mythology."

Critics praise Smith for his masterful storytelling. Writing in the Washington Post Book World, Bruce VanWyngarden, in his review of Power of the Sword, noted that "the book's principal strengths lie in the author's considerable storytelling talents and his compelling way with action sequences. Smith writes with real panache about fighting and riding and shooting and bleeding." Simon Ritchie of the This Is York Web site claimed: "Smith must surely be the world's greatest living storyteller."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

BOOKS

Contemporary Literary Criticism, Volume 33, Gale (Detroit, MI), 1985.

Contemporary Popular Writers, St. James Press (Detroit, MI), 1997.

PERIODICALS

Booklist, April 15, 1997, Kathleen Hughes, review of Birds of Prey, p. 1365; March 1, 2001, Kathleen Hughes, review of Warlock, p. 1189; March 15, 2003, Margaret Flanagan, review of The Blue Horizon, p. 1254; April 15, 2007, Brad Hooper, review of The Quest, p. 5.

British Book News, August, 1980, Roger Manvell, review of A Falcon Flies, p. 504.

Geographical, April, 2001, "The Write Stuff," p. 114.

Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 2003, review of The Blue Horizon, p. 426.

Library Journal, May 1, 1997, Kathy Piehl, review of Birds of Prey, p. 141; May 15, 1999, Kathy Piehl, review of Monsoon, p. 128; April 15, 2001, Jane Baird, review of Warlock, p. 134; December, 2001, Cliff Glaviano, review of audiocassette edition of Warlock, p. 199; July, 2002, Cliff Glaviano, reviews of audiocassette editions of The Angels Weep, The Leopard Hunts in Darkness, and Wild Justice, p. 141; May 15, 2003, Robert Conroy, review of The Blue Horizon, p. 127; October 1, 2003, Cliff Glaviano, review of the audiobook version of The Blue Horizon, p. 132.

M2 Best Books, February 19, 2002, "Best-Selling Author in Trust Fund Legal Battle."

Publishers Weekly, January 4, 1991, Sybil Steinberg, review of Golden Fox, p. 59; December 6, 1991, review of Elephant Song, p. 55; December 6, 1993, review of River God, p. 55; March 20, 1995, review of The Seventh Scroll, p. 42; April 26, 1999, review of Monsoon, p. 55; April 9, 2001, review of Warlock, p. 49; June 3, 2002, review of audiocassette edition of Cry Wolf, p. 32; April 28, 2003, review of The Blue Horizon, p. 426; March 19, 2007, review of The Quest, p. 38.

Village Voice Literary Supplement, July-August, 1990, Rob Nixon, review of A Time to Die.

Washington Post, August 3, 1983, Richard Harwood, review of Men of Men, p. B3.

Washington Post Book World, September 20, 1986, Bruce VanWyngarden, review of Power of the Sword; February 24, 1994, Brian Jacomb, review of River God.