As you would expect, anything written by best selling author Wilbur Smith deserves 5 stars.
This book is a series of memoirs rather than an autobiography. If the reader is looking for details of his relationships and family, they will be disappointed. His first 2 wives are mentioned only in passing and his third wife is not mentioned at all - I had to consult Wikipedia to find out exactly how many times he had been married. Similarly, his 3 children are not named and his sister is only mentioned twice briefly.
The book concentrates on how he became a writer, how he researches each book and how he approaches his work. The publication of his books have sometimes caused controversy during the anti-apartheid era and have been banned for being too explicit, too sexist and too violent at various times. He has mingled with the world's rich and famous but only mentions them when it is relevant to his memoir (Roger Moore playing the lead in Gold).
Wilbur Smith has had a full and interesting life (accountant, pilot, diver, game hunter, deep sea fisherman, skier). He writes with authority from experience and the reader learns a lot from the background of each story. 35 best selling novels published to date and still coming. This memoir has tempted me to read them all again.
This book is a series of memoirs rather than an autobiography. If the reader is looking for details of his relationships and family, they will be disappointed. His first 2 wives are mentioned only in passing and his third wife is not mentioned at all - I had to consult Wikipedia to find out exactly how many times he had been married. Similarly, his 3 children are not named and his sister is only mentioned twice briefly.
The book concentrates on how he became a writer, how he researches each book and how he approaches his work. The publication of his books have sometimes caused controversy during the anti-apartheid era and have been banned for being too explicit, too sexist and too violent at various times. He has mingled with the world's rich and famous but only mentions them when it is relevant to his memoir (Roger Moore playing the lead in Gold).
Wilbur Smith has had a full and interesting life (accountant, pilot, diver, game hunter, deep sea fisherman, skier). He writes with authority from experience and the reader learns a lot from the background of each story. 35 best selling novels published to date and still coming. This memoir has tempted me to read them all again.