A Falcon Flies (Ballantyne Novels) [Audiobook, Unabridged] [Audio CD]

Wilbur Smith (Author), Stephen Thorne (Narrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2001 | Series: Ballantyne Novels

The first book of the Ballantyne series, A Falcon Flies tells the story of one family's conquest of the untamed lands of Africa. Searching for the father they barely remember, Zouga and Dr. Robyn Ballantyne board Mungo St. John's clipper and head for the wilderness of pre-colonial Africa in this roaring saga of exploration and adventure, of elephant hunting and slave trading, of fierce and ruthless men and of one courageous woman.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Here's a historical novel from Smith (When the Lion Feeds, Audio Reviews, LJ 5/15/98) that listeners should love: it's full of adventure, romance, sex, blood, and gore and set in central and southern Africa and on the surrounding high seas about 1860. Robyn and Zouga Ballantyne set out to make their fortunes selling memoirs of their trek across Africa in search of their father, famous missionary/explorer Fuller Ballantyne, who has been out of contact with his British mission board for some eight years. Major Zouga, on leave from his regiment in India, hopes to augment his fortune with ivory and gold, while Dr. Robyn wants to spread the Gospel and find her place in the world. Incidentally, lots of good, imaginative stuff on sailing, African geography, flora and fauna, safari, African peoples, naval combat, elephant hunting, and the slave trade flow through the book as well. Explicit descriptions of inhumane treatment of persons of all classes, diseases, injuries, and surgery of the times may be a problem for some listeners. Excellently read by Stephen Thorne and well produced and packaged, this is recommended highly for adult collections.
Cliff Glaviano, Bowling Green State Univ. Libs., OH
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Chivers Audio Books; Unabridged edition (August 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0754054322
• ISBN-13: 978-0754054320
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 7.4 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,285,289 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

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The beginning of the Ballentyne Saga......, October 1, 2000

By 

goodoldmac "goodoldmac" (Charlotte, North Carolina United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Falcon Flies (Paperback)

Wilbur Smith is my favorite author, and "A Falcon Flies" is one of his best. You are introduced to the Ballentyne's, Maj. Zouga Ballentyne and his sister, Dr. Robin Ballentyne as they search Africa for their missing father, the famous missonary and anti-slavery cruscader Fuller Ballentyne and have the bad luck to travel to Africa on board the ship of Mungo St.John, who it turns out, is a infamous slave trader himself...With that breathless start, you would expect action and lots of it, and you won't be disappointed. Duels, attack by slave traders on the Ballentyne safari, and ship to ship battles with thundering broadsides are but some of what is in store for the reader. Smith has never been afraid to write a strong woman character, and Robin Ballentyne certainly qualifes, coming close to unsympathic, being saved mainly by her constant concern for human life, never hestiating to place her own in jepoardy to help the ill or injured, but always sure of being right and never hestiating to say so. Neither is Zouga perfect, being more concerned with making the expedition profitable,from gold and ivory, than finding his father.All of Wilbur Smith's books are of the "keep you up late reading it" variety but "Falcon" is ones of his best, which makes it one of THE best, period.....

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wilbur's overlooked gem., July 19, 2003

By 

Forsyth (Seattle) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Falcon Flies (Ballantyne Novel) (Audio Cassette)

This book is, beleive it or not, right on par with Smith's other breathtaking adventures like Birds of Prey, Monsoon, Blue Horizon, Seventh Scroll etc. Only River God can be considered better (and even that is close). None of the books in the Courtneys of Africa series or the others in the Ballantyne series can even come close to this book. A truely marvellous adventure yarn and one of the overlooked gems in the entire genre, A Falcon Flies is a masterpeice which, if had been published after Smith became internatioanlly famous (that is, after River God), would have done as well as any of Smith's other monster bestsellers.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Falcon Flies - A real African Tale, August 15, 2000

By 

Simon Njambi (Harare, Zimbabwe, Africa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Falcon Flies (Ballantyne Novel) (Audio Cassette)

I must say as a fan of Wilbur Smith, this book captures anyone's imagination from the first page to the last and it leaves you wanting to start on the next one in the series. As an African and Zimbabwean in which most of this story takes place I am left with no option but to salute Mr. Smith. He is a briliant researcher and an accurate writer of our historical stories even though he calls them fiction. Some of the facts are so true that you really feel you're in that age. He gives vivid descriptions of the Ndebele state as if he was there during that time. I have no problem rating it 5 out of 5!!!