Wilbur Smith books in order

Wilbur Smith is a remarkable Zambia-born writer and explorer. He found inspiration for his work in all the adventures he went on and everything he saw during his lifetime. If you want to explore his work further, you’ll find an overview of the correct publication order of his book series and standalone books below.

Wilbur Smith books by series

Below, we present all the books by Wilbur Smith. The books in each series are presented in chronological order.

The Courtney series

1. When the Lion Feeds (1964): Violence sends Sean into exile in the South African wilderness. He faces his own demons, makes friends, and mines a fortune of gold.

2. The Sound of Thunder (1966): A tragic story of a family set against the backdrop of the ravages of the Second Boer War. Sean is back from the wilderness and deals with conflicts with his family.

3. A Sparrow Falls (1977): Sean becomes famous in the trenches in France where he gains a government seat. He deals with his son, Dirk, whose violence and jealousy can only lead to blood.

4. The Burning Shore (1985): A passionate affair between Michael Courtney and a French aristocrat forces her to seek a future for their child in Africa.

5. Power of the Sword (1986): The Courtney brothers become men in Africa and choose sides when WWII comes to the continent. A clash of ideals, blood, and civilizations forges a young nation’s future.

6. Rage (1987): Shasa Courtney faces horrific revelations amongst fugitives, traitors, and heroes who lead the country into a civil war.

7. A Time to Die (1989): A woman and two men go on a hunt that tears the safe African safari apart in a civil war. Sean Courtney fights for love and resistance.

8. Golden Fox (1990): The war tears South Africa apart. The ties of the Courtney family are put to the ultimate test as one member falls to evil.

9. Birds of Prey (1997): The 17th-century war between England and the Netherlands worsens. The story of betrayal traces the lives of good men who may never see their homes again.

10. Monsoon (1999): Hal Courtney returns with his sons to fight pirates attacking the East India Trading Company in exchange for fortune.

11. Blue Horizon (2003): The Courtneys confirm their stake in South Africa. They make it to the land’s wilderness packed with deadly animals and warring tribes.

12. The Triumph of the Sun (2005): A British general and the love of his life fight against the jihadists determined to remove English people from the Nile.

13. Assegai (2009): Leon Courtney becomes one of the most sought-after hunters. In Assegai, he learns the price of being a celebrity.

14. Golden Lion (2015): Hal has to face a personal enemy focused on revenge following the Christian routing of Muslim invaders in 17th-century Ethiopia.

15. War Cry (2017): The focus in War Cry is on Leon and his daughter, Saffron, as they move toward the bloody fight that becomes WWII.

16. The Tiger’s Prey (2017): Tom Courtney is back in an 18th-century saga and a treacherous journey across the ocean to exotic destinations written by Wilbur and Tom Harper.

17. Courtney’s War (2018): Saffron and Gerhard struggle for their lives thousands of miles apart. Gerhard fights for Germany, and Saffron is sent to Belgium during WWII. Their hope of reuniting remains no matter what.

18. King of Kings (2019): Penrod and Amber’s love suffers because of Penrod’s jealous ex-partner. They do everything in their power to get back together in difficult circumstances.

19. Ghost Fire (2019): Connie and Theo Courtney are in 1754 India, inseparable since birth. Their destinies converge as one heads for France and the other goes to fight for Britain.

20. Legacy of War (2021): Hitler’s gone, but his legacy lives. Saffron and Gerhard are still not safe. Back in Kenya, their home is under threat, and the fight for freedom may be the only way out.

21. Storm Tide (2022): Three generations of the Courtney family fight on opposing sides. This novel explores the destiny of the divided family and a country on the verge of a revolution.

22. Nemesis (due out in June 2023): The historical epic of Nemesis depicts three stands of the Courtney family on the path to bloodthirsty revenge in 1794 Paris.

Jack Courtney book series

• Cloudburst (2020): Jack’s journey to find his parents and fight against terrible things his father and uncle did in Congo.

• Thunderbolt (2021): Jack, Xander, and Amelia visit Zanzibar looking for lost treasure.

• Shockwave (2022): Jack goes on an Arctic expedition with friends and cousin Caleb. But Jack becomes suspicious as they reveal the mysterious nature of the adventure funders.

The Ballantyne series

1. A Falcon Flies (1980): Robyn and Morris return to Africa in 1860 to search for their father who disappeared years before. They travel following a map created by a madman.

2. Men of Men (1981): The intriguing description of the clash of civilizations and generations that shook the African continent in the 19th century.

3. The Angels Weep (1982): Africa’s white people suffer two horrific war waves – the Second Matabele War and the Bush War of Rhodesia. Even when peace seems possible, new seeds of turmoil fall on the ground.

4. The Leopard Hunts in Darkness (1984): Craig Mellow gets sent back to Africa where he lost his limb and his legacy. His task is to stabilize the future of Zimbabwe. But once he’s there, he can’t resist the instincts running in his blood.

5. The Triumph of the Sun (2005): A British general and a beautiful woman prepare for one last fight against the holy warriors of Allah determined to wipe out English people from the Nile.

6. King of Kings (2019): Penrod and Amber try to find their way back after being separated by Penrod’s jealous ex-partner. The journey goes from Cairo to Addis Ababa, Abyssinia, and other places.

7. Call of the Raven (co-authored by Corban Addison) (2020): Augustus Mungo St John is determined to seek revenge in a world of slavery and human imbalance after his family was ruined and the love of his life taken away.

The Ancient Egypt series

1. River God (1993): A remarkable warrior, Tanus, needs to defy Egyptian gods to win the Lady Lostris, a rare beauty the whole nation adores.

2. The Seventh Scroll (1995): After deciphering a message that gives her a clue to the location of Pharaoh Mamose’s crypt, Royan must run for her life from assassins who want the crypt location for themselves.

3. Warlock (1995): Two pharaohs claim power over the Kingdoms of Egypt, but only one can be a true heir. As tyranny and blood thunder make it closer to the city of Gallala, they begin the ultimate fight for Egypt.

4. The Quest (2007): In Quest, Egypt suffers from horrible plagues, and the Nile river fails. The Pharaoh sends in Taita to find the causes of the woes.

5. Desert God (2014): Taita is at the center of intrigue, passion, and danger while on his quest to fight the Hyksos army and start an alliance with Crete. He travels up the Nile to Arabia to Babylon and across the open seas with Egypt’s future on his shoulders.

6. Pharaoh (2016): The Pharaoh is wounded, Luxor is surrounded, and everything seems lost. Taita prepares the army for the final push. An old ally arrives at the last minute and helps Egypt regain control. Taita, however, is branded a traitor. A new era begins.

7. The New Kingdom (2021): A new evil plots in the city of Lahun. Isetnofret, Hui’s stepmother, craves success and seizes power in the city. Hui now leads the battle for Egypt by himself.

8. Titans of War (2022): The Hyksos people have devastated Egypt for decades now. Taita rises beyond his ranks as he tries to resist the enemy. The fate of the kingdom hangs in the balance.

The Hector Cross series

1. Those in Peril (2011): Hazel Bannock, the Bannock Oil Corporation heir, gets her yacht hijacked by Somalian pirates. Her daughter is kidnapped. The story traces Hazel’s efforts to bring back her daughter Cayla.

2. Vicious Circle (2013): Hector Cross tries to move on with his life by marrying Hazel. But he’s forced to fight back as an old enemy strikes again.

3. Predator (with Tom Cain) (2016): Hector’s wife is dead, and only one of the two responsible is alive. Both Hector and the US government want him dead.

Standalone novels

1. The Dark of the Sun (1965): Bruce Curry is determined to relieve an African town besieged by rebels. It doesn’t take long before the journey becomes a nightmare.

2. Shout at the Devil (1968): Two of the greatest hunters of Africa unite to take down one of the world’s greatest battleships at the start of WWI.

3. The Eye of the Tiger (1974): This exciting adventure takes the reader to the Indian Ocean’s peaceful islands where a man named Harry Fletcher is haunted by his past.

4. Delta Decision (Wild Justice on GoodReads) (2001): A beautiful woman and a ruthless man are locked in a fight for power only a few people can imagine. The novel of betrayal, treachery, courage, loyalty, and love and hate is a gripping thriller well worth the time.

5. Gold Mine (2006): For some, gold mining is life. For others, it’s business. For Rod Ironsides, it’s the most dangerous, bloodiest game.

6. Cry Wolf (2018): Set in 1930s Africa, Cry Wolf is a wartime thriller where a Texan, an American reporter, and Englishman try to save the Ethiopians from Mussolini’s forces.

7. The Diamond Hunters (2018): Benedict wants nothing more than to destroy his half-brother, Johnny. However, Benedict’s sister loves Johnny and offers him a concession in the seabeds of the diamond-rich African coast. Still, Benedict is determined to finish what he started.

8. Elephant Song (2018): Dr. Daniel, a sworn protector of Africa’s rain forests and animals, seeks revenge after his best friend is killed in a National Park.

9. The Sunbird (2019): Dr. Ben Kazin has a strong instinct telling him there’s a lost city under the Botswana cliffs. He soon encounters a local tribe that leads him to a great discovery.

10. Eagle in the Sky (2019): A talented pilot tries to win over an Israeli writer and ends up joining the Israeli Defense Force. His choices, however, come at a horrible price.

11. Hungry as the Sea (2019): A man’s fight for redemption and life in the frigid South Atlantic.

Nonfiction work

On Leopard Rock written in 2018 is Wilbur Smith’s first long non-fiction book, detailing the true stories that inspired his fictional series.

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FAQ

What was the last book written by Wilbur Smith?

Storm Tide is the last book written by Wilbur Smith.

Is River God part of a series?

Yes, River God is part of the Egyptian series.

When did Wilbur Smith write the first book?

Wilbur Smith wrote his first book, When the Lion Feeds, in 1964.