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Ballantyne
Series · 7 books · 1865-2020

Books in series

Call of the Raven book cover
#0.5

Call of the Raven

2020

The action-packed and gripping historical adventure by global sensation Wilbur Smith, about one man's quest for revenge. 'An exciting, taut and thrilling journey you will never forget' - Sun THE DESIRE FOR REVENGE CAN BURN THE HEART OUT OF A MAN The son of a wealthy plantation owner and a doting mother, Mungo St John is accustomed to wealth and luxury - until he returns from university to discover his family ruined, his inheritance stolen and his childhood sweetheart, Camilla, taken by the conniving Chester Marion. Mungo swears vengeance and devotes his life to saving Camilla - and destroying Chester. As Mungo battles his own fate and misfortune, he must question what it takes for a man to regain his power in the world when he has nothing, and what he is willing to do to exact revenge . . . Call of the Raven is the prequel to Wilbur Smith's bestselling novel, A Falcon Flies (1980), part of the Ballantyne Series. Don't miss the rest of the series, Men of Men, The Angels Weep, The Leopard Hunts in Darkness, Triumph of the Sun and King of Kings, all available in paperback and ebook now. Praise for 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 'Call of the Raven' was a Sunday Times bestseller w/e 06-09-2020.
A Falcon Flies book cover
#1

A Falcon Flies

1980

In 1860, a man and woman approach the coast of Africa aboard a swift clipper—in the command of an American who knows no law. Robyn Ballantyne and her brother Morris have waited years to return to Africa, to search for their missionary father who had disappeared somewhere in the wilderness. Traveling north from Cape Town, they follow a map left by a madman—into an uncharted world of waterfalls and jungle, teeming wildlife, murderous disease, and the ghastly ruins of an astounding city. Uncovering their father's trail, Robyn and her brother are in the midst of a slave trade that pours out of Africa like a bloody wound. Now, to survive what they have found, they must make their separate ways out—through pitched battles on land and on sea…and through the pride, passions and fury of their hearts…
Men of Men book cover
#2

Men of Men

1865

Men of Men by Wilbur Smith It was called The Devils' a steep scar in the African earth, around which men toiled with picks, shovels, and dreams of the milky treasures that would become prized, polished diamonds. In this demonic race, native tribesmen became miners. Sometimes they became thieves. And then they became rebels. Zouga Ballantyne, an African-born Englishman, sees the Devil's Own mine as his ticket to the a realm of waterfalls and fertile plains, teeming wildlife, and seeded fields of gold. But what happens in the diamond mines of the fledgling Boer Free State sets the course for Ballantyne and a cast of comrades, enemies, and lovers—and for the continent itself. From the visions of imperialists to the fury between a father and a son, from the lengths a man will go for a woman and a woman for her convictions, a tragic clash of generations and civilizations was shaking 19th-century Africa, where some warriors fought for their gods—and others for the men who came before them...
The Angels Weep book cover
#3

The Angels Weep

1982

In The Angels Weep by Wilbur Smith, on a continent of breathtaking beauty and bitter suffering, two vastly different cultures clashed, mingled, and recoiled. Here, amidst mist-shrouded mountains and gold-studded plateaus, ancient tribesmen lived close to the earth, as white men dug fortunes out from beneath them and laid plans for a new civilization. Out of Southern Africa the enigmatic Cecil Rhodes built an empire in the late 1800s and attracted the brightest and bravest of a generation—including a remarkable far-flung family named Ballantyne. But for the natives, another day was a day of retribution... From a courageous woman doctor to a fierce, one-eyed slave trader turned soldier, the whites of Africa were buffeted by two horrific waves of war. And just when a bloody peace seemed possible, the seeds of future turmoil were sown …
The Leopard Hunts in Darkness book cover
#4

The Leopard Hunts in Darkness

1984

In Manhattan, Craig Mellow is the toast of the literary world, a young writer whose bestselling novels and larger-than-life adventures are fueled by natural-born charisma. But Craig lost a limb and a legacy in Africa. And his heart still clings to the land. A representative of the World Bank recruits Craig to return to his war-torn homeland—to use his knowledge of Zimbabwe's people, languages, and wildlife to stabilize its future. But once he sets foot on the continent, Craig cannot resist what runs in his blood… Soon, this scion of a legendary family is caught in a new era of massive ivory poaching, of tribal warfare waged with modern killing tools, and international politics hardwired directly to Washington and Moscow. With a woman by his side and a traitor behind his back, Craig is about to learn a lesson of a brutal new age—if he can survive Africa one more time.
The Triumph of the Sun book cover
#5

The Triumph of the Sun

2005

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... But in Khartoum is a legendary British general, a brilliant, mercenary trader, a beautiful woman and a courageous soldier whose fates have 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, 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.
King of Kings book cover
#6

King of Kings

2019

BOOK 6 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 DIVIDED BY WAR. UNITED BY LOVE. On a beautiful September day, General Penrod Ballantyne and his fiancée, the successful travel writer, Amber Benbrook, stroll hand in hand through the busy streets of Cairo. The future is theirs for the taking. But when Penrod's jealous former lover, Lady Agatha, plants doubt about his character, Amber leaves him and travels to the wilds of Abyssinia with her twin sister, Saffron, and her adventurer husband, Ryder Courtney. On a mission to establish a silver mine, they make the dangerous journey to the new capital of Addis Ababa, where they are welcomed by King Menelik II, the King of Kings. He knows of a plot to invade his beloved Abyssinia, and he needs the Courtneys to help him win. Back in Cairo, a heartbroken Penrod seeks oblivion in Lady Agatha and the city's opium dens, descending into ruin. He is rescued from himself by an old friend, who is now in the Italian army, and offered the chance restore his honour and to join the military efforts. Italy has designs on Abyssinia, and there are rumours of a plan to invade . . . With storm clouds gathering, and on opposing sides of the conflict, can Penrod and Amber find their way back to one another - against all the odds? An epic historical adventure of love, betrayal, courage and war. King of Kings brings together two of Wilbur Smith's greatest families, the Courtneys and the Ballantynes in this sequel to his worldwide bestseller, The Triumph of the Sun (Sunday Times, Jul 2018). The sixth book in the epic Ballantyne Series and the second title in an exciting crossover sequence between Wilbur Smith's two iconic family sagas, the Ballantynes and the Courtneys. The adventures of the Ballantynes and Courtney's continue in Book 7 of the Ballantyne series, Mafeking, coming soon

Author

Wilbur Smith
Wilbur Smith
Author · 59 books

Wilbur Smith was the bestselling author of many novels, each researched on his numerous expeditions worldwide. His bestselling Courtney series includes Assegai, The Sound of Thunder, Birds of Prey, Monsoon, and Blue Horizon. His other books include Those in Peril, River God, Warlock, The Seventh Scroll, and The Sunbird. His books have been translated into twenty-six languages and have sold over 120 million copies. Smith was born to a British family in Northern Rhodesia, now Zambia, in Central Africa, and attended Rhodes University in South Africa. By the time of his death in 2021 he had published 49 books and had sold more than 140 million copies. Wilbur Smith died at his Cape Town home on November 13, 2021. He was 88 years old at the time of his death.

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