Anyone needing a quick fix of testosterone-injected excitement is sure to find an answer with this book. True to Wilbur Smith style, this book delivers action-packed machismo in the rugged and primitive setting of early-colonial East and Central Africa. Wilbur Smith is himself a white child of Africa who writes effortlessly about the backdrop to his fast-paced adventures. Leon Courtney, like so many of the protagonists of Smith's earlier works, always comes through in the pinch. And what a pinch! Form his innate hunting skills to military leadership to mechanical prowess, Leon has the complete package when faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles. His coming of age as a great white elephant hunter coincides nicely with the ex-president Roosevelt's great safari. His affinity for the natives and his knowledge of the wildlife is uncanny. Notable also is the mythical one-ness with nature that the protagonist shares with the the Africans in their deep understanding of their environment, which is not shared by the majority of his white contemporaries.

As much as I enjoyed this book, I must say that Wilbur Smith's first book, "When the Lion Feeds", has left the most enduring impression of all of his works, since it was my first encounter with his unique writing style. ( )

I'm glad Wilbur Smith books are easy to read - I think you get my drift. I ave loved his books - transporting me to a time and place combination that are always so special but while this was pleasant enough it was not at all like his others or worthy of that tradition. Perhaps Mr Smith is past it or getting lazy and abusing his readership - I would be delighted if I am proven wrong in his next book. ( )

I enjoyed the way Wilbur Smith added information regarding the native culture, language and native artifacts into the story. That said, I did not enjoy the story all that much; it felt too much like a romance than a historical action novel. I have never read any of Wilbur Smith's other works and I do not know if doing so would make a difference in how I view his current novel. ( )

Assegai is the 13th novel in the "Courtney' series and Wilbur Smith's 32nd overall. Obviously a lot of people like his books. I am not one of them. Having never read Smith, I thought the historical subject looked interesting (early 1900's in East Africa), so I took a chance and requested it from the Early Readers collection of freebies.

I concede that I could not force myself to finish the book because the characters and story line in the opening 100 pages (out of nearly 500!) were so dreadfully stereotyped. Now I see on Amazon, the book is listed at 672 pages, or some 42% additional pages. Maybe the added 200 pages make all the difference, but I suspect they just make it longer.

I enjoy some fairly ephemeral stuff from time to time, but Assegai is basically a historical soap opera. There are too many good books waiting to be read to waste time reading this one. I will exercise more caution before selecting Early Reviewer books. ( )

Got this book as an early reviewer, and I'll be honest, I have had trouble keeping with it. I read halfway through the book and am unsure as to continue since the action and plot flow has ceased. I understand that the book is supposed to have a romantic element and spying plot line, but I guess I haven't reached that point and am losing interest quickly. I guess this style of book just isn't my cup of tea (no pun intended). ( )