Assegai - Wilbur Smith

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Consigned item sold "As Is/ Where Is" with no guarantees, warranties, refunds or exchanges. Assegai (novel) Assegai is Wilbur Smith's thirty-second novel, it follows The Triumph of the Sun in which the author brought the Courtney and Ballantyne series together. Assegai tells the story of Leon Courtney (son the Ryder Courtney) and is set in 1906 in Kenya. The events in the story are linked to and precede the outbreak of World War One. Plot summary After a fallout with his father, Leon Courtney leaves home and joins the army with a little help from his uncle - General Penrod Ballantyne. Leon Courtney rises to become a second lieutenant in the King's African Rifles regiment based in Nairobi, and early in the story narrowly avoids being court-martialled by a vindictive superior officer. Despite his acquittal Leon's duties do nothing to improve his falling morale and he considers quitting the army. General Penrod Ballantyne then recruits Leon to spy on movements of man and machine in German East Africa, suspecting the Kaiser of preparing for war. Leon is placed as apprentice to professional hunter - Percy Phillips. Leon's aptitude for the vocation and learning new languages makes him suitable for the job. His contacts in the local population, specially the Maasai tribe with whom he forges a strong bond, make him adept at espionage. Among Leon and Percy's colourful clients are Theodore Roosevelt and his son Kermit, and a fifty-two-year-old dominatrix German princess. The first half of the story establishes Leon's credentials as the protagonist. Like many of Wilbur Smith's heroes, Leon is a hunter and marksman, comfortable in the wild, and respectful and adaptable to local people and customs. The antagonist Graf Otto von Meerbach appears in the second half, along with his mistress Eva von Wellberg. Leon is forewarned by Ballantyne that Meerbach is closely linked with the German war effort and that Leon should keep an eye on his new client. Eva however complicates the matter as Leon falls in love with her at first sight. Meerbach's prowess as a hunter is revealed, along with his true intentions. And in the end Leon is left alone to take down the larger than life enemy. The major parts of the story are set in the wild outside Nairobi, with rich descriptions of hunters' strategies, local Maasai customs, big game hunting and lion hunting. Wilbur Smith has won acclaim worldwide as the master of the historical novel. Now, in Assegai he takes readers on an unforgettable African adventure set against the gathering clouds of war. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assegai_(novel) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It is 1913 and Leon Courtney, an ex-soldier turned professional hunter in British East Africa, guides the rich and powerful from America and Europe on big-game safaris. Leon had never sought fame, but an expedition alongside U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt has made him one of the most sought-after hunters on the continent. Soon, he finds that with celebrity comes not just wealth―but also danger. Leon is recruited by his uncle Penrod Ballantyne, commander of the British forces in East Africa, to gather information on one of his clients: Count Otto von Meerbach, a German industrialist whose company builds aircraft and vehicles for the Kaiser's burgeoning army. While spying, Leon falls desperately in love with von Meerbach's beautiful and enigmatic mistress, Eva von Wellberg. On the eve of the World War, Leon stumbles on a plot by Count von Meerbach that could wipe out the British forces in Africa. He finds himself left alone to frustrate von Meerbach's plan, and in grave peril as he learns more about the enigmatic Eva. Set amidst the tensions that will spark a war across continents, Assegai delivers the fast-paced action and vivid history that has made Wilbur Smith an internationally bestselling author. Amazon Reviews Good overall, better than Quest & Triumph of the Sun for sure! By Online on June 2, 2009 First, I've read all of Wiber Smith's books. Every single one. So now I have to wait until he published new ones to get my fix. I'd consider this one above average, but not fabulous. Its better than his last two, but not as good as the earlier books in the Courntey or Ballantyne series. Second, be aware the some of these early reviews on Amazon are plants. They either come from the publisher or other promoters. Mine does not. Third, Assegai is a good book that is more in-line with Smith's work. Its back to the bacis of developing Africa, the relationship between Whites and Blacks, and between the Germans, Boers and British. Compared to some of Smith's other works I'd consider this one average. If you've read any of his African series featuring the Courtney's or Ballantyne, this is a similar concept all over again. For readers new to smith, I loved the first three books of the Egyptian series, (River God, Seventh Scroll & Warlock). The last one, Quest, was terrible and shifted way to far into mysticism. Avoid it. Triumph of the Sun was not very good. It was fine until about the last 50 pages, when it became clear the editor must have phoned up Smith and said "We need the book ASAP", because instead of the story playing out, he just summarized everything into a conclusion. Even the narative changed to speed things up. The long build up to a climax was completely deflated. I would definately recommend the Courtney Series and their spin offs. The original series begins with "When the Lion Feeds". The entire second series of the Courtney's That begins with "Buring Shore" is also great. In the third series, the first three nautical books are also excellent, (Birds of Prey, Monsoon, and Blue Horizon). All of the books in the series are classic Wilbur Smith books that are epics. They start with one generation and moves through the centuries. Kind of a modern War & Peace played out in several books. Having read all the series, you really get a feel for the economic and social development in sub-saharan Africa, the race issues, and gold/diamond development. They are very captivating and informative. In conclusion, Assegai is typical Wilbur Smith, but for weeks of excellent reading, start with his earlier Courtney and Ballantyne series. You can't go wrong. Wikipedia has a good description of his series. I read them out of order, with a few of his stand alone novels in between. But the ones I did read in order, were even more compelling because you follow the characters or their offspring through the generations. Different Branch of Courtney Family By J. D. Andersen on May 19, 2009 While Wilbur Smith writes engrossing novels, his real talent is in the description of his native Africa. One only has to read a few chapters of any of his novels to understand his love for his native land. Assegai does not fail in this regard. The descriptions of the hunts for African game are enough to make the reader feel he/she is on safari with Leon Courtney. The time line of this novel falls just before the beginning of World War I. Readers who have followed the Courtney saga will recognize this to be about the same time frame as The Burning Shore. As there is no mention of Sean Courtney or Michael Courtney in this novel, one has to assume it is the family name, but the English Courtneys, not the South African Courtneys. Penrod Ballantyne, Leon Courtney's uncle, was featured in The Triumph of the Sun. For those who are new to Wilbur Smith's work, and from reading some of the other reviews there are people who have not discovered Smith, I would suggest that you start the Courtney series with Birds of Prey, not necessarily When the Lion Feeds (the first Courtney book Smith penned). Then move to Monsoon, Blue Horizon and then pick up the beginning, When the Lion Feeds, The Sound of Thunder and A Sparrow Falls. Then the reader can move to The Courtneys of Africa series. http://www.amazon.com/Assegai-Courtney-Family-Adventures-Wilbur/dp/0312570406