They recognised in each other that same restlessness that was always driving them on to new adventure, never staying long enough in one place or at one job to grow roots, unfettered by offspring or possessions, by spouse or responsibilities, taking up each new adventure eagerly and discarding it again without qualms or regrets. Always moving onwards – never looking backwards.
The wartime race to save a country . . .
When Jake Barton, American engineer, teams up with English gentleman and hustler Gareth Swales to sell five battered old Bentleys in 1930s East Africa, neither of them could have imagined that they’d soon be attempting to smuggle the vehicles into Ethiopia to support the war effort, in return for a huge reward.But to do this, they’ll have to manoeuvre past several extremely hostile European forces, as well as managing their feelings for Vicky Camberwell, the beautiful journalist who has been sent with them to report on the brutal violence of the Italian invasion of Ethiopia. The three adventurers are about to discover that some battles are more than they can handle . . .
Wilbur Smith was born in Central Africa in 1933. He became a full-time writer in 1964 following the success of When the Lion Feeds, and has since published over fifty global bestsellers, including the Courtney Series, the Ballantyne Series, the Egyptian Series, the Hector Cross Series and many successful standalone novels, all meticulously researched on his numerous expeditions worldwide. An international phenomenon, his readership built up over fifty-five years of writing, establishing him as one of the most successful and impressive brand authors in the world.
The establishment of the Wilbur & Niso Smith Foundation in 2015 cemented Wilbur’s passion for empowering writers, promoting literacy and advancing adventure writing as a genre. The foundation’s flagship programme is the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize.
Wilbur Smith passed away peacefully at home in 2021 with his wife, Niso, by his side, leaving behind him a rich treasure trove of novels and stories that will delight readers for years to come.
