The Sound of Thunder

Well Wilbur Smith has me hooked. I will be reading the rest of the Courtney series, to follow the characters he has managed to engross me with. Being a writer of historical fiction, I am always intrigued when actual history plays a big part, and South Africa has a lot of history. I would highly recommend this book. I find his style of writing timeless.

Wilbur Smith always delivers a rattling good yarn. I like the South African settings of this book and the history of this developing country as it created its identity.

Loving the saga aspect of this series, but this book spent a lot of time on battles and fights and wars so I found myself flipping past scenes where the author describes endlessly what is happening in what is merely a competition, whether it be between two men (Sean and Jan Paulus for example, more than once) two peoples two brothers etc. Hopefully, the future books got the competition/battle thing out of the way and there won't be as many and it'll focus more on the other aspects of the characters and stories that are making this series enjoyable to read. On to the next book now.

The Sound of Thunder is a boys' book: brawling, drinking, women, horse racing and war. This is the second of Wilbur Smith's Courtney series, and follows the adventures of Sean Courtney, who was introduced in When the Lion Feeds.

Set in South Africa at the start of the twentieth century, Sean spends the first half of the story working his way up through the ranks of the British Army during the Boor War. Then, he heads home to rebuild his fortunes (again).

A light, fun book - I've already got A Sparrow Falls, the third book, waiting on my shelf.

There was a guileless simplicity in Sean's approach to life - in his mind any problem when met with direct action disintegrated.
If you became obsessed with a woman, you tumbled her. If that didn't produce the desired effect, then you married her.
If you wanted a piece of land or a horse or a house or a gold mine, then you paid your money and took it. If you didn't have the money, you went out and found it.
If you liked a man you drank with him, hunted with him, laughed together. If you disliked him, you either punched him in the head or subjected him to a ponderous sarcasm and mockery. Either way you left him in no doubt of your feeling.
(414)

The year is 1899. The British Empire is at the height of its power. But in South Africa, proud Dutch colonists defy the Queen and her army--and a lush, wild world is torn apart by guns, spears, and swords.

Sean Courtney had been tragically separated from his family, but the Boer War has brought him back to his homeland--and into the sights of his enemy's guns. It has also returned him to Ruth Friedman, the only woman Sean can love, even though he shouldn't. As Sean's loyalties--to nation, man, and blood--are tested, a saga of duty and betrayal unfolds....

### Review

**Praise for *The Sound of Thunder***

"A violent saga-type story set on Boer War South Africa and told with vigour and enthusiasm, the author of When the Lion Feeds spins a show more fine tale."– *Evening Standard*

"A highly readable novel of history and adventure ... Wilbur Smith has a sense of character too." – *Books and Bookmen*

"An extravagant and vigorous novel ... its many pages provide constantly changing incidents and a gallery of memorable portraits." – *Liverpool Daily Post*

"The pace would do credit to a Porsche, and the invention is as bright and explosive as a fireworks display."  – *Sunday Telegraph*

***Praise for Wilbur Smith***

“Smith is a master.” —*Publishers Weekly
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“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
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"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 world¹s 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. show less

From the book box that dutch-flybabe sent to me.