Sunbird

I have been reading this book since it’s original release. I guess I have read it approximately 15-20:times in 45 years. It has not lost its pizazz. The characters are befitting of an archeological type adventure and they take you right along the story line so you are right there when they start the dig. For those who are reading archeology adventure books written in he last 5 years...folks this should have been the writers primers on how to write good old fashioned adventure books. The best part of the book is in what I believe is the “hero dig leader” has a sport induced hallucination and he takes the spirit of an ancient warrior priest. Smiths descriptions of an ancient civilization and the characters makes you feel, if you close your eyes, like your are in ancient times hunting, eating and drinking.As I said this isn’t my first read of this book and I enjoyed it as much as I did the first time.

I have read a number of Wilbur Smith novels over the years and for the most part I have found the adventures exciting and hard to put down. I first read the condensed version on the Sunbird in Reader's Digest many years ago. I was so enthralled with it that I bought the book as soon as I could. From time to time I go back and read it again, it's that special to me. Now you are wondering why I would buy it on my Kindle? I was going on a trip and I did not want to take a big book along, the Kindle is the perfect way to travel and read.The story is so intriguing it is hard to describe. The author writes about his favorite subject, African history. There is a wonderfully complex main character, romance, betrayal and then you are taken back in time. It's not exactly a time travel story in the usual sense, but I don't want to give too much away. This is a story that I look forward to reading again, I never get tired of it. As soon as I start to read it, I get lost it it again. That's the best endorsement I can give.After reading some of the reviews, I find that I must comment on the few negative reviews. Stop being so Politically Correct. This is a made up story, it entertains and asks viable questions. Not all whites are perfect and not all blacks are perfect. The characters that he made up are intriguing and the story can carry you along with it if you don't have your own political bias. Lighten up, we all have to accept flaws in ourselves. I have to wonder if some of the negative reviewers even read the book because of their ill-informed comments.

Edit note: The Kindle version is just appalling. Definitely the worst Kindle book I've seen. At times I couldn't figure out what was meant due to the extensive and frequent errors.===================="The Sunbird" is imaginative, robustly plotted, and has well-developed characters in exotic locales, with fast-paced action, and an interesting reworking of ancient history make this a terrific read if you can overlook the paternalistic "great white man" tone of the first half of the novel. African wildlife gets a pretty hard time of it as well what with all the great white hunters taking pot shots at them in the first half and the unlimited slaughter in the second half.The first half of the book is really an elaborate set-up for the second half of the novel which packs an authentic emotive tale of friendship, love, war, and betrayal. The second half is set in an imagined Punic colony which considers itself civilized although it is wantonly cruel. It is a civilization that should not continue, yet the author makes it sympathetic through the focus on close relationships among the protagonists, each of whom mirror the protagonists in the 1972 world of the first half of the book.The setting is somewhere in Botswana in the region of the Zambezi river in Africa of today, (1972 at time of original publication), and also as it might have been between the fall of Catharge, (146 BCE), to somewhere in the mid-5th century. There is a clever mirroring of ancient and modern characters that helps create suspense.The Kindle version seems to have been scanned without benefit of correction. The price is the same as the paperback version (which is actually more expensive than the hardback) but at least the paperback does not contain thousands of typological errors. Often you have to figure out what is meant from context because the errors can be extensive. Apparently not even a basic spell check was run on this text after it was scanned. It is a pity that Amazon does not have some kind of quality control over text that it sells for its Kindle.

Very very much enjoyed this work! I have no idea why others indicate the first half of the book is in any way inferior to the last half ... what? Not enough gore? That's perhaps the only difference in quality.Also, I just read the Kindle version and it is FLAWLESS. So either it's been fixed, or the one who previously whined so loudly about it isn't a very skilled reader. Will leave it to you to guess.I'll give no summary here, others have done that well. The story is awesome, the pace - perfect. Read it in two days, without too many breaks. Now among my favorites, and I've read quite a few.

Read this (and many other Wilbur Smith books) several years ago and always regretted giving away the copy we had. Wilbur Smith is a prolific writer covering diverse subject matter but almost all are centered in/around South African locales. His books make the African continent come alive in your mind's eye but they can be violent and this one isn't an exception. There are many reviews here that have story/plots details and so you can determine your interest in this particular novel. My review is more about Wilbur Smith and his body of work. For action, adventure, exotic locations, love and even hate... he is an author that you should not overlook.

The first seems to roll along quite placidly with a few dramatic exchanges and incidents to keep your focus. Dr Benjamin Kazin and his close friend and benefactor Louren Sturvesant set out to find an ancient civilization in Central Africa. They find the site but it's not all plain sailing as Ben's peers dispute his findings and they are beset with more than a couple of dangerous situations.The second part is much more intense and full of energy and excitement as the tale of the City of Opet's fall and desecration is powerfully told. Finishing with stark similarity to the ending of the first part.The truth that man still makes the same mistakes and history is a repeating lesson that requires a whole new outlook are powerfully made.. we still haven't learned to live together in harmony.. and sadly that is as true today as in the eras in which the novel is set.

I'd somehow managed to not read a single Wilbur Smith book until three months ago, when on a whim I picked up the first in the Courtney series. I liked this so much that I worked through all of the Courtneys (all three arcs), the Ballantyne series, and am now reading all of Wilbur's standalone novels. The Sunbird is thus the 22nd Wilbur Smith book that I've read in the past twelve weeks.The book is divided into two parts. The first tells the story of an experienced archaeologist (who happens to be a hunchback), who could easily be a distant relative of Indiana Jones. Ridiculed by some in the profession for his belief that that there was once a Phoenician settlement in Botswana, he goes in search of the lost city of Opet when he sees what he thinks is proof of the city's existence in some aerial photographs. He's accompanied (and funded) by his rich friend Louvren, and his female assistant with whom, inevitably, he is in love. The book's name comes from Louvren's nickname for his friend - the Sunbird.For me, this first part of the story wasn't convincing. It was obvious that he would uncover the city (it's not giving any spoilers to say this), and on the way there are a series of struggles, with reluctant natives and with terrorists. The latter seemed shoehorned in just for effect, and approaching halfway through the book, I was on the verge of giving up as I didn't really care about any of the characters, and it seemed to be a typical Smith story - but just not as good.However, it was only when reaching the 'end of part one' that I realised that the book is split into two sections. The second goes back in time almost 2000 years and tells the story of the end of the city's life, and how it fell - coincidentally, a key player in this is also a hunchback, also nicknamed the Sunbird. This is where the book came into life for me, as I was gripped by the story of the city, in what I consider to be perhaps the best 200 pages that I've so far read by Smith. The detail is fantastic, the story convincing, and one can scarcely believe the brutality of what happens - although complete fiction, however, it's easy to picture these events (or similar events) taking place at some point in the distant past.If the book had consisted purely of part two (ie was set in the ancient city, with no reference to the modern day), then I'd be giving this five stars - more, if I could, it's that good. However, given that part one was a disappointment, I can only give it four stars. If you do read this, and find part one disappointing, then stick with it; it's more than worth it. I'm now looking forward greatly to reading Smith's River God Egyptian series; if that series set in ancient times is half as good as part two of the Sunbird, it will be very good indeed.

I have read a lot of Wilbur Smit's novels and have 5 started many of them. This one although well-written was not my cup of tea. I found it pretty hardgoing and times and wondered if I would actually manage to finish it. It was in 2 parts. The first part was about an archaeological dog in the 20th century, as discovery of a sealed tomb from a 6th century civilisation with vast amount of riches gallore which had been sealed for about 2000 years. The second part was the story of those people from that civilisation and how the bodies found and the vast treasures came to be in the tomb. Archaeology and ancient civilisations are not really my thing and I think that my be why I found this book heavy going. It was well-written and well researched as are all of Wilbur Smith's books, but this one not for me.

Typical Wilbur Smith =a decent story well told, although the modern day ending to the story appeared somewhat rushed and unsatisfying. Pity that that Amazon chose to market this as a 2018 publication (that is a reprint date) as the book was originally published over 30 years ago; a marketing ploy meant to confuse rather than deceive, but nonetheless..................................

This is probably one of the best books I have ever read. Wilbur Smith has always been one of my favourite authors and I own all the books he has written; to my knowledge. There is something about this novel that grabs the reader from the very start and the two main characters who are separated by many centuries and yet whose lives seem to connect is an unusual concept that works well. Normally I read a book once and that is the last time I visit it; this book I have read three times and am looking forward to the day when the storey has faded enough from my memory that I can enjoy it again! I believe Wilbur Smith may have been laying another parallel storey of the collapse of the white empire of Modern day Rhodesia / Zimbabwe when he wrote the book. Anyone who has never read a Wilbur Smith novel will be turned into an instant fan. If you have read a number of his books but this one has escaped you this is not to be missed!