Diamond Hunters [Mass Market Paperback]

Wilbur Smith (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0449216144 | ISBN-13: 978-0449216149 | Publication Date: February 28, 1990

Johnny Lance and Benedict van der Byl, almost brothers, have come to the crossroads of their lifetime rivalry. Far beneath the African earth waits a fabulous cache of mineral wealth that can enrich Johnny beyond his wildest dreams -- or destroy him utterly. And years of hate that have festered in Benedict's soul are about to tip the balance . . .

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Wilbur Smith leaves fans feeling that they sailed alongside Sir Hal because the geography and the era appear so genuine. This is what makes a Smith book worth reading."
--"Midwest Book Review "on "Monsoon"
"Smith's novel is far more than your typical pirate script...A fascinating account...Smith deftly evokes not only the horrific but also the beautiful, particularly the lush landscape of Africa."
--"The Washington Post Book World" on "Birds of Prey"
"As usual, Smith...peoples his tale with unforgettable characters...Swashbuckling and sensuous, "Birds of Prey" is not for the faint-hearted. This latest epic transcends the average action-adventure yarn."
--"The Orlando Sentinel"
"A rich, compelling look back in time when history and myth intermingled."
--"San Francisco Chronicle" on "River God"
"Throughout "The Seventh Scroll," as in all Wilbur Smith novels, the plot twists and turns with constant surprises...This old-fashioned adventure novel keeps the reader enthralled all the way to its very exciting conclusion."
--"The Washington Post Book World"
--This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

From the Publisher

6 1.5-hour cassettes --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Fawcett (February 28, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0449216144
• ISBN-13: 978-0449216149
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,988,208 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Wilbur Smith was born in Central Africa in 1933. He was educated at Michaelhouse and Rhodes University. After the successful publication of WHEN THE LION FEEDS in 1964 he became a full-time writer, and has since written 30 novels, all meticulously researched on his numerous expeditions worldwide. His books have been translated into twenty-six different languages

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I rank this one 7th in my Wilbur Smith collection, January 7, 2001

By 

Flippers - See all my reviews

This review is from: Diamond Hunters (Mass Market Paperback)

I am a huge Wilbur Smith fan. "River God" is the best novel I have ever read. My second favorite Smith book is his newest: "Monsoon", 3 "Men of Men", 4 "The Sunbird", 5 "Golden Fox", 6 "Burning Shore", 7 "The Diamond Hunters". If you have read all the Wilbur Smith books like I have, you'll yearn for more, but it takes him years to come up with a new book these days. You might look at "Churchill's Gold" by James Follett after you have read all of Mr. Smith's books. It is very similar in style and quality to "The Diamond Hunters".

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Gritty action and suspense, August 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Diamond Hunters (Mass Market Paperback)

THE DIAMOND HUNTERS revolves around the mining of beach and offshore deposits for diamonds, and the rivalry and jealousy of two "brothers" involved in this mining. The detailed and accurately depicted diamond mining methods described will be unfamiliar and informative to most readers. Wilber Smith's novels are characterized by hard edged characters in harsh, unforgiving environments and situations, against implacable foes. When one of Smith's "heros" succeeds, his victory is usually pyrrhic-as is often the case in the real world. This gritty pioneer mentality is appropriate to South Africa. I imagine that many readers will conclude that many of the characters in Smith's novels lack dimension. But that's a failure of people, not of the author. There ARE nasty, vengeful people in the world who are NOT complex, and Smith describes such people accurately. Smith does not attempt to explain such people-which I appreciate (in contrast with most modern novels filled with dreary shallow pop-psychology). Smith's heros are men who manage to exceed the sum of their heredity and environment-as is often the case in the real world. In my opinion, the plot is a bit more complex than it could be, and characters could be filled-in a little more, and more numerous and more detailed descriptive passages would have been appreciated. Even so, THE DIAMOND HUNTERS is a good read.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars rated comparatively with Wilbur's others, August 1, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Diamond Hunters (Mass Market Paperback)

i have read all of Wilbur's books and found that one learns a lot about Africa (with a few exceptions). you learn african history, economics, social problems, environmental problems, natural history, etc. in this one, you learn about the diamond industry and the history of the Namibian diamond coasts, while Wilbur weaves it into his "unputdownable" story. kind of like the Master of the Game with substance. for an even better look at Namibian history, try the Burning Shore.