A Sparrow Falls (1977)

by Wilbur Smith

Other authors: See the other authors section.

Series: Courtney Family Saga (13)

Members	Reviews	Popularity	Average rating	Mentions
767	8	29,297	(3.9)	10
'Mark never heard the Mauser shot for the bullet came ahead of the sound. There was only the massive shock in the upper part of his body, and then he was hurled backwards with a violence that drove the air from his lungs. The earth opened before him, and as he fell, there was a sensation of being engulfed in a swirling vortex of blackness and he knew for just a fleeting instant of time that he was dead' From the trenches of France, General Sean Courtney comes back to fame, fortune and a seat in the Government. Mark Anders, the courageous young South African whom he has come to regard as his own son, returns to nothing, his grandfather murdered, his property seized by an unknown company. At the bottom of the mystery is Sean's son Dirk, the jealous, violent and power-crazed genius whose all-consuming hatred can only end in blood...… (more)

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English (5) Spanish (2) Italian (1) All languages (8)

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I (Sean Courtney) feel like an old Zulu chief. I just want to sit in the sun, drink beer, grow fat and count my cattle.
(574)

Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing?
And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father?
(459)
Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. (Matthew 10:29)

He (Mark Anders) thought perhaps that the nearest human being was forty miles distant, the nearest white man almost a hundred -and the thought was strangely comforting.
(177)
Da qui il titolo nell'edizione italiana: Gli eredi dell'Eden...

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NewLibrary78 | Jul 22, 2023 |

I had forgotten what great tales this guy could spin, he is one of the best! (

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myers3 | Apr 17, 2020 |

Hmmm, something about this one didn't appeal as much. It followed in the footsteps of the previous two books but I felt like it was almost predictable. It hasn't deterred me from tackling another Wilbur Smith book, however, if I find the same type of storyline repeated, I may very well put it down and move on. (

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paulhock | Oct 17, 2017 |

This is the third of Wilbur Smith's Courtneys series, set in South Africa. Sean Courtney, the hero is the first two books, is an old man: a millionaire, war hero and respected member of parliament. He takes a back seat in the narrative, which focuses on his prodigy Mark Anders, and his battle with Sean's son Dirk.

A Sparrow Falls ticks all the boxes of a Wilbur Smith book: adventure, fighting, women and an interesting historical setting. A little bit lightweight maybe, but fun. (

)

tregonning | Dec 23, 2011 |

This is my favourite Wilbur Smith novel, the 3rd in the Courtney Series. Sean is an old man now...he is General Sean Courtney now in France during WWI. I loved the side story of the young South African sharpshooter turned sniper...very sad. (

)

Lynxear | Aug 27, 2008 |

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▾Other authors

» Add other authors (2 possible)

Author name	Role	Type of author	Work?	Status
Wilbur Smith	—	primary author	all editions	calculated
Grinbergs, Ansis	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Westerweel-Ybema, J.	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed

▾Series and work relationships

Belongs to Series

Courtney Family Saga (13)

Belongs to Publisher Series

Gli Oscar Mondadori - Bestsellers (52)

Is contained in

The Courtneys Trilogy: When the Lion Feeds / The Sound of Thunder / A Sparrow Falls by Wilbur Smith

Elephant Song [and] A Sparrow Falls by Wilbur Smith

Wilbur Smith Omnibus: A Sparrow Falls / The Diamond Hunters by Wilbur Smith

Wilbur Smith Omnibus: Wild Justice / Cry Wolf / A Sparrow Falls by Wilbur Smith

Ung manns land ; En spurv til jorden by Wilbur A. Smith

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Canonical title

A Sparrow Falls

Original title

A Sparrow Falls

Alternative titles

Original publication date

1977

People/Characters

Sean Courtney

Important places

Africa

Important events

Related movies

Epigraph

[None]

Dedication

For Danielle

First words

A sky the colour of old bruises hung low over the battlefields of France, and rolled with ponderous dignity towards the German lines.

Quotations

Last words

Information from the Italian Common Knowledge. Edit to localize it to your language.

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Disambiguation notice

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Blurbers

Original language

Information from the Italian Common Knowledge. Edit to localize it to your language.

Inglese

Canonical DDC/MDS

Canonical LCC

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▾Book descriptions

'Mark never heard the Mauser shot for the bullet came ahead of the sound. There was only the massive shock in the upper part of his body, and then he was hurled backwards with a violence that drove the air from his lungs. The earth opened before him, and as he fell, there was a sensation of being engulfed in a swirling vortex of blackness and he knew for just a fleeting instant of time that he was dead' From the trenches of France, General Sean Courtney comes back to fame, fortune and a seat in the Government. Mark Anders, the courageous young South African whom he has come to regard as his own son, returns to nothing, his grandfather murdered, his property seized by an unknown company. At the bottom of the mystery is Sean's son Dirk, the jealous, violent and power-crazed genius whose all-consuming hatred can only end in blood...

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