The Sound of Thunder: A Courtney Family Novel

I read a lot and came across Wilbur Smith when my next door neighbor kept speaking of him. My ideas of African adventure were far removed from what Smith writes about. If you like DeMille, Flynn, Shaara, and the like you will love Smith. The back cover of his books says it the best. "Wilbur Smith is one of those benchmarks against whom others are compared." Just make sure you read these in order or you will be lost, only sad when the set comes to end.

What a super series! You just dive into the book and experience vicariously all the rugged passion of AFrica. Wilbur Smith, keep writing!

Wilbur Smith is one of those authors who seems to always get it right. I first started reading his books as a teen and have yet to read any that did not measure up. His writing does not deem to be PC (all white activity in Africa is bad...)but writes of conditions as they were for both the colonial settlers and later the natives as they encountered each other. He writes of a way of life in Africa that is considered both evil and deservedly dead in a way that reminds you that those Boers, English, Hottentots, Zulu, Xhosa, etc were human-all full of the foilables of humanity not simply saints and devils. His descriptions of Africa in the 18/19th century mesh well with the later stories of Africa in its post colonial modern nightmares. You can see families as they move through from early settlements to modern times. The characters are robustly developed and the backgrounds well researched, from medical problems/weapons/languages to story lines that are not full of stereotypes, Mr Smith is the master of literature on southern Africa and its history. I cannot recommend his books too highly!

The Sound of Thunder is apparently the sequel to When the Lion Feeds, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I was looking forward to continuing the story of the explosive relationship between Sean and Garrick Courteney, but was somewhat disheartened by the lengthy section of the book dedicated to war. I found myself reading quickly through the parts that dealt with war strategy and killing, and upset by some of the grisly details of the way men and horses suffered and died. I did learn, however, something about the Boer War, and was struck how two European nations (the English and the Dutch) had invaded Africa, and then set to killing off each other for control of it, a land which wasn't theirs to begin with.Getting beyond the war scenes, when the Courteney brothers return home, for me, the juicier, more satisfying part begins. Sean Courteney, the main character, is really quite a character, an unlikely hero who is not always noble in thought or action. He occasionally gets drunk and gets into fights, but otherwise he's simple, honest straightforward, and quite lovable. Unfortunately there's a huge misunderstanding between him and his brother Garrick which has caused an ugly division between them. In this book, it seems that the difficulties they share will be passed on to the next generation, for there is enmity between Sean's children, who are unknowlingly half-brothers. Sean's devilish son Dirk is a disappointment to him, whereas Michael makes him proud. Having read this book, I am set to find out what happens among them in the next book, A Sparrow Falls.

Returning from a four-year ivory-hunt in the hinterland, Sean Courtney is plunged directly into the Boer War. We follow Sean's military career throughout the conflict, with the machinations of his rival twin-brother, now a colonel, always lurking in the shadows. Wilbur Smith has done his research here, the story is painstakingly correct historically, and it gives the reader a very good picture of the many nuances that lay at the heart of the Boer War. Given the sheer volume and span of Smith's writing, obviously, some characters are treated more superficially than others. The turn-of-the-century Sean Courtney is an exception. He is someone the reader truly gets to know. This is a hero for sure, but nonetheless one that is also fraught with weaknesses and flaws that serve to give the character credibility. "The Sound of Thunder" is one of the cornerstones for the reader who wants to follow the Courtney dynasty. The key members of the cast that is to follow originate here. Also, the beginnings of the business empire of the Courtney's appear in this novel. You may read this as an action novel or a history lesson or both, you'll enjoy it regardless. The good news is: there is more to come!