The Dark of the Sun

by Wilbur Smith

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From the master storyteller and number one bestseller comes another thundering good readThe bend in the road rushed towards them, just a few more seconds. Then, with a succession of jarring crashes that shook the whole body of the car, a burst of fire hit them from behind. The windscreen starred into a sheet of opaque diamond lacework, the dashboard clock exploded powdering Shermaine's hair with particles of glass, two bullets tore through the seat ripping out the stuffing like the entrails show more of a wounded animal.' Bruce Curry is the leader of a mercenary band with the dubious support of three white officers. His mission is to relieve a mining town cut off by the fighting and to retrieve a priceless consignment of diamonds. Ranged against his ill-disciplined unit are bandits, guerrillas and hostile tribes that infest the land. But there is another, even deadlier enemy - one of his own men . . . show less

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4 reviews
The Dark of The Sun – Wilbur Smith **** ½

Set in Africa during the Congo crisis Bruce Curry is given the mission of liberating a towns citizens (and the diamonds) from the marauding rebels.

There are only him and 3 other white men with him, a disgraced alcoholic doctor, a repressed homosexual and the ever bullying Wally Hendry. They have to lead a small mercenary band on this mission encountering bloodshed at every turn.

A page-turner of a novel with some very nice gory touches which include torture and cannibalism.

A few parts were a bit too slushy for me… (Why do they always fall in love after about 6 hours…?) but a very good read all the same. I especially like the way Smith shares the characters thoughts as well as what they show more say.

Will definitely be seeking out more works by this author.
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½
In Congo, the Belgians have just left and the country is in upheaval. In the midst of all the fighting, mercenary captain Bruice Curry is in charge of rescuing a group of whites from a remote village in the path of General Moses and his band of terrorists. To get there, and back again, is going to take a lot of courage, and a lot of sacrifice...
The Congo. Situated at the heart of sub-Saharan Africa, it is a place where men die for diamonds. For love. And for the unholy pleasure of others… Bruce Curry is the leader of a mercenary band with the dubious support of three officers. His mission: To relieve a diamond-mining town cut off by the fighting and retrieve a priceless consignment of diamonds. Along the way, he meets a beautiful Belgian woman. Shermaine is a dream come true. But the rest of Curry’s journey is about to become a living nightmare. Ranged against his ill-disciplined unit are bandits, guerillas, and hostile tribes that infest the land. In a sinister atmosphere of omnipotent evil, Curry fights to stay alive—and protect Shermaine, his one true love. But to do show more so, he must face another, even deadlier enemy: one of his own men…   Review Praise for *The Dark of the Sun* 'In places this novel is horrific; always it is exciting, strong and clear' – Daily Mail, 1967 'If the phrase ' a man`s book' has any meaning, it describes this powerful, savage ... gripping, fast moving novel.' – Books and Bookmen, ' A well-knit, fast -moving, adventure story ... The action is swift, taut and convincing ... The portrayal of men and situations, of jungle and outpost is colourful and alive. It is a 'big' book, quite irrespective of its length.' – Scotsman, 1997 Praise for Wilbur Smith “Smith is a master.” *—Publishers Weekly
“One of the world’s most popular adventure writers.” —The Washington Post Book World
“A rare author who wields a razor-sharp sword of craftsmanship.” —Tulsa World* “Wilbur Smith is one of those benchmarks against whom others are compared.” —The Times (UK)      
"Best Historical Novelist--I say Wilbur Smith, with his swashbuckling novels of Africa.  The bodices of rip and the blood flows.  You can get lost in Wilbur Smith and misplace all of August."--Stephen King
"Action is Wilur Smith's game, and he is a master."--The Washington Post Book World “The world’s leading adventure writer.” —Daily Express (UK) "Wilbur Smith rarely misses a trick."--Sunday Times “Smith is a captivating storyteller.” —The Orlando Sentinel “No one does adventure quite like Smith.” —Daily Mirror (UK)
"A thundering good’ read is virtually the only way of describing Wilbur Smith’s books.” —The Irish Times   From the Publisher These audiobooks from Macmillan UK offer abridged readings of some of the world's most popular authors. Handsomely packaged, they feature readings by eminent actors of the stage and screen, including James Fox, Martin Shaw, Tim Pigott-Smith and David Rintoul.
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½
LA REBELLION SIMBA DES ANNEES 1960

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Stories set on African soil
183 works; 2 members

Author Information

Picture of author.
152+ Works 38,538 Members

Some Editions

Noble, Peter (Narrator)

Awards and Honors

Work Relationships

Common Knowledge

Canonical title*
De laatste trein
Original title
The Dark of the Sun
Alternate titles*
The Train From Katanga
Original publication date
1965
People/Characters
Bruce Curry; Sergeant Ruffararo
Important places*
Congo-Kinshasa
Blurbers
King, Stephen
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.

Classifications

Genres
Fiction and Literature, Suspense & Thriller, General Fiction, Historical Fiction
DDC/MDS
813Literature & rhetoricAmerican literature in EnglishAmerican fiction in English
LCC
PR9405.9 .S5Language and LiteratureEnglishEnglish LiteratureEnglish literature: Provincial, local, etc.
BISAC

Statistics

Members
586
Popularity
49,840
Reviews
4
Rating
½ (3.47)
Languages
12 — Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian (Bokmål), Spanish, Turkish
Media
Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
ISBNs
57
ASINs
23