By Jack Smith
Wilbur Smith was born in Zambia in 1933. Educated at Michaelhouse, a private senior boys school in South Africa, and then Rhodes University, Smith became a full-time writer in 1964 after his first book, “When the Lion Feeds,” met with great success. Since then, he’s used his worldwide travels as a basis for thirty novels, a South African novelist specializing in historical fiction about the international involvement in Southern Africa across four centuries seen from the viewpoints of both black and white families. This varied perspective helps provide insights into both sides of simmering issues still relevant today. Smith’s series on ancient Egypt covers the history of Egypt from the eyes of a eunuch slave. Taita, as eunuch, is the advisor and confidant to several generations of the Egyptian royal families and if you thought Rome was decadent, you need to visit the Upper Nile circa 1800 B.C.
Smith introduces the white man to Africa through the perspective of two families, the Courtneys and the Ballantynes. From Cecil Rhodes and his quest for diamonds on, this is swashbuckling action that ranges from battles on the high seas to the trenches of World War One. So, if you want to experience adventure and history through the eyes of a pirate, pharaoh or the guardian of a colorful harem, Smith is your guy. When asked about his four children during a BBC interview Smith said “They have no real desire to see me and it’s best they go their own way. I’ve got so much going on in my life that I can’t afford to pick up fallen baggage.” In that same interview, asked if he was a good father Smith said, “No, I think I’m a good writer, that’s what I do well.” And indeed he does. Smith grew up during a time in Rhodesia where traditional gender roles were very much enforced, and this is evident in his writing. Love or hate him, Smith tells it like it really was. Enjoy.
