The Burning Shore |
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Wilbur Smith
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Pages: 448 (Paperback)
ISBN: 0330292277
Pub: Pan Books
Pub date: 1998-03-06
Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 8691
Reader Reviews:
Best of his earlier works (8/10 people found this helpful)
I was first attracted to Smith not as a writer of novels about Africa, but by his novel 'Birds of Prey' which is a historical sea adventure. I enjoyed that book so bought his two novels set in Ancient Eygpt (River God & Warlock), which were also great. I then bought a couple of books from his two established series, ie Courtney (When the Lion feeds) and Ballantyne (A Falcon Flies). I found these to be rather boring and hard going compared with those I have previously mentioned. This lead me to move on to other authors. However I recently bought 'A Sparrow Falls' and 'The Burning Shore'. These two novels are set at the same time, starting in France in WW1 and ending in post war southern Africa and the main characters from each play small roles in the other. However that is were the similarity ends. 'A Sparrow Falls' is dull and centred on petty rivalry etc which you can see in every day life, while 'The Burning Shore' has all the characteristics that made me love the first few Smith novels I had read. That is adventure along with beautiful description of the exotic world that the novel is set in. The difference in quality of these two novels makes it hard to believe that they are written by the same author. All I can add is buy this book, you will not regret it. I am now going to buy the sequel to this book, and I hope that it will be in the style of this book rather than the two other Courtney novels I have read (Lion and Sparrow).
Couldn't put it down! (7/9 people found this helpful)
This is a fantastic book. The first book i have read by Wibur Smith. Its full of adventure, twists and turns, not in the least bit predictable. The detail Smith goes into is so well described that you feel that you are actually there or that you lived what the characters are going through. Don't usually cry when i read books, but a certain part of the story brought me to tears. I shall definatley read Smith again. Go read this book and enjoy it just as much as i did!
Wilbur Smith has done it again! (12/12 people found this helpful)
This is another work of art by Smith. It's a historical adventure like his other novels I have read, with the usual coloring of romance. This novel is however a little different from Smith's others, in that far from the usual plot of people going on missions to discover African treasures, this novel is about a woman who has had, and lost. She had wealth and a good family, and lost it all. She knew love, and lost that too. In the face of all this and as if this is not enough, she suddenly finds herself in a strange land and amongst strange people. Simply existing in this new land is a struggle. As we go through this ordeal with Centaine de Thiry, we find ourselves more riveted as the chapters go by, and we find ourselves learning more about this "dark" continent called Africa. Smith's novels do more than entertain, they educate, and this is what makes them literary genius. This one is no exception.
a rip roaring read (4/6 people found this helpful)
What a book, the great author has surpassed himself this time, the delicious imagery and heartfelt emotion will blow your socks off.
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Amazon.co.uk places this book into the following categories:
Books -> Subjects -> Fiction -> Authors, A-Z -> S -> Smith, Wilbur
Books -> Subjects -> Fiction -> General
Books -> Subjects -> Fiction -> Contemporary Fiction: 1970 Onwards -> Popular Fiction
Books -> Refinements -> Language (feature_browse-bin) -> English
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