Customer Reviews

The Horns of the Buffalo (Simon Fonthill Series)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

he's not copying either Cornwell's style or characters. Wilcox is definitely his own man and his hero is no Sharpe. Simon Fonthill, while capable of handling himself in combat every bit as efficiently as Sharpe, doesn't like the army and seems to be trying his best to stay out of it. Despite all his efforts however, he cannot eliminate the armed forces from his life and becomes involved mainly in political and military intrigue - gathering information for the troops rather than standing by their side and commanding them in battle, although he sometimes finds himself doing this.

I'm reluctant to go into detail regarding the plot because I think it's important that the readers discover for themselves how the story-line unfolds; I know I'd be disappointed if a reviewer revealed too much in a synposis. Suffice to say it's every bit as exciting as anything Cornwell ever wrote, the characters are as well-developed, the story action-packed, and the conflicts exhilarating.

One of the nicest things about it is that there are 3 sequels, each capable of standing on its own and each equally stimulating. If you enjoyed Forester, Cornwell, Reeman, etc., you can't fail to appreciate Wilcox.

While this is not Sharpe and Cornwell it is quite good, well written with good visual images. I've spent time in the relevant part of Africa and it certainly reads true. Interesting and I think accurate portrayal of the British Army at the time.

I don't quite understand the criticism of this book by the gentleman from Tel Aviv, I found it hard to put down, particularly the portion dealing with Isandawana and Rorke's Drift. I am pleased to have discovered a new series and will immediately obtain Wilcox' other Fonthill books.

Okay, it aint "War and Peace", but "The Horns of the Buffalo" was an enjoyable change of pace from my usual reading fare. A fictional account of a historic battle between the British Army and that of the Zulu Empire, the book is informative and fast-paced. As a few other reviewers have noted, the plot is predictible and the characters seem drawn from central casting. But also like other reviewers I found the book entertaining, enjoyable and a nice change of pace.

Great work with a lot of imagination, action, and adventure. An interesting story line that keeps the reader's interest and a very well done prologue that sets the character for the rest of the book.

This is the frst, but certainly not the last, book I have read by John Wilcox. The hero, Simon Fonthill, is a believable character and the entire book is loaded with realistic characters. The author blends historical facts with fiction to blend his fictional character into a realistic historical setteing. There is a romantic interest without overdoing it. For the action fans, there certainly is plenty of that and it's also realistic. No glory here, only the nitty gritty of battle and by being realistic, the glory takes cre of itself. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

This is a five star read from cover to cover. Great book!

Cornwall is a copy of Fraser and this is a (poor) copy of Cornwall. While Cornwall's earlier Sharpe novels were quite a good read, his later ones showed a marked deterioration in plot, characterization and just generally poor(er) writing. However, any of them are preferable to "The Horns of the Buffalo." To put it bluntly, Wilcox sounds like a modern day Englishman trying to sound like his great-grandfather, and not suceeding.

The plot is paper-thin (no pun intended), the character development pathetic and, as another reviewer has pointed out, the deux-et-machina "solution" at the end is the characteristic hall-mark of bad writers. Why two stars and not one? Because one-star is for the truly abysmal writing such as Flint's 1632 series. While Wilcox is bad, Flint is even worse.

If you haven't already discovered the Flashman series, do so and find out how historical ripping-yarns should be written.

Wilcox is not Bernard Cornwall. He is not George MacDonald Fraser.
Fonthill is not Sharp. He is not Flashman.

The biggest issue here is that Wilcox has not done the depth of research--reading the voluminous diaries, etc.--that are available for this historical period to make it live and breathe in a novel. The plot had no surprises. I found the characters to be shallow, as well, without the military minutia--which doesn't need to overwhelm the story, just to be there. For example, there's an incident where his wearing the wrong uniform is perceived as being grounds for charges of desertion. What? Why? A sentence or two could have clarified the point. And, of course, the deus ex machina ending doesn't help either.

Incidentally, the battle of Isandhwala and Rourke's Drift is very significant to the history of South Africa. It would have been well had Wilcox placed his character in a position where he would learn why the British chose to attack the Zulu--other than presenting it as a simple land grab--rather than locking his character up in a Zulu 'prison' for the crucial three or four weeks prior to the battles. See Fraser's 'Flashman at the Charge' for one way that this issue could have been tackled.

Save your money and time for the real thing.

may I point out that the battle at Isandhlwana was in Jan. 1879, not 1897 as it says in your review.