Triumph of the Sun [Hardcover]

Wilbur Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 28, 2005

In the Sudan, decades of brutal misgovernment by the ruling Egyptian Khedive in Cairo precipitate a fierce and bloody rebellion and Holy War headed by a charismatic new religious leader, The Mahdi or "Expected One". The British are forced to intervene to protect their national interests and to attempt to rescue the hundreds of British subjects stranded in the country. Along with hundreds of others, British trader and businessman, Ryder Courtney is trapped in the capital city of Khartoum. It is here that he meets Captain Penrod Ballantyne of the 10th Hussars, as well as the British Consul, David Benbrook and his three beautiful daughters. Against the vivid and bloody backdrop of the siege of Khartoum, in which British General Charles George Gordon is killed and the British retreat, these three powerful men fight to survive. Rich with vibrant historical detail and infused with his inimitable powers of storytelling, "The Triumph Of The Sun" is Wilbur Smith at his masterful best.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Set in colonial Egypt at the end of Victoria's reign, this sweeping romantic epic reprises Smith regulars—scions of the Courteneys and Ballantynes. (The two fictional British families have provided character fodder for least half of Smith's 30 novels.) Bloodthirsty legions of Arab dervish troops under the command of the Mahdi, or ruling successor to the Prophet Muhammad, have surrounded (but not taken) Khartoum, trapping comely 17-year-old Rebecca Benbrook; her consul general father, David; and her younger twin sisters, Saffron and Amber. The appearance of a cargo boat owned by the dashing, entrepreneurial Ryder Courteney, as well as the subsequent appearance of Capt. Penrod Ballantyne of Her Majesty's 10th Hussars, give hope. Naïve Rebecca falls in love with Ballantyne, who deflowers her before racing off to warn the rescue force commander that the commander is outnumbered 25 to one. The dervish, led by the fearsome Emir Osman Atalan, overrun Khartoum, and Rebecca's father is brutally butchered; the saga continues with Penrod heroically leading troops against Osman. Steamy romance alternates with gore, and it's all done by-the-numbers in a good way—like a junky, absorbing miniseries. Fans will not be disappointed. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

As popular as he is prolific, and as masterful a storyteller now as he has ever been, Smith once again visits Africa, the continent where he was born, the source of his inspiration, and the setting for his supremely adventuresome novels that make authentic and riveting use of history. He took readers to ancient Egypt in the marvelously wrought River God (1994), and now he returns there, this time in the late nineteenth century, at the apex of the British Empire. Smith bases this tightly woven narrative on an actual incident in British colonial history: the holy war conducted by a Sudanese man proclaiming himself the Mahdi, or savior, and his forces' siege of the British garrison at Khartoum, at the convergence of the White and Blue Nile in the Egyptian-held Sudan. Readers who appreciate World War II-era spy thrillers will enjoy this tale of espionage, disguise, and stabbings in the dark, as Smith deliciously elaborates on all the military and religious issues and events surrounding the siege. He marshals telling detail into a story that is--like the Nile itself--swift and powerful. Brad Hooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Macmillan; 1st Us Edition edition (March 28, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 140500570X
• ISBN-13: 978-1405005708
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 5.8 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (58 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,979,201 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

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Triumph of the Sun is another triumph for Smith !, October 22, 2006

By 

Ric Wasley "Ric - Author - Shadow of Innocen... (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Triumph of the Sun (Hardcover)

Once again Wilbur Smith confirms his mastery of meticulous historical research coupled with a good old fashioned 'rip-roaring' yarn!
As with his dozens of other tales that span the history of his of his fictional Courtney family, this tale keeps the reader literally on the edge of their seat throughout all 500 plus pages.
As with the other superb books which track over four centuries of the lives, loves and struggles the Courtney clan, Triumph of the Sun is set against the sprawling backdrop of Africa.
This novel covers the adventures of Ryder Courtney and pits him against the fanatical Mahdi and the infamous dervish troops during the long siege of Khartoum defended by the legendary British General Gordon.
In this novel however Courtney's heroics almost pale in comparison to a member of the other fictional family of Smith's African saga's, Captain Penrod Ballantyne.
Ballentyne plays the role of the handsome, dashing, fearless young British officer that was most typified in the swashbuckling films of the 30' and 40's, by Errol Flynn.
The almost Hollywood style love interest is supplied by the beautiful teenage daughter of the British consul general, Rebecca Benbrook. In a neat little package that would have done a Hollywood director proud, Smith also manages to throw two preteen younger sisters, Saffron and Amber, into the mix as well.
As the story weaves in and out to cover the long years of the siege and battles, Smith cleverly develops the pair of young sisters into love interests as we watch them grow up under the most adverse but exciting of conditions.
In the hands of a lesser author, this tale of dashing hero's and winsome maidens in peril could have turned into a hackneyed 'Saturday matinee' of a novel.
But Smith is a master when it come to the historical saga. And although both Ryder and Penrod make escapes from certain death, survive fiendish tortures and rescue fair maidens, Smith spices the mix with liberal doses of really good history and cunningly woven and often shocking detail, so that the reader is truly caught up in the adventure and never bored.
As a matter of fact there is one incident when Penrod is held captive by a dervish prince, who suspects him of treachery, where I actually find myself getting choked up. The dervish decides to expose Perod by torturing in the most gruesome manner imaginable, a poor little slave girl that Penrod has befriended.
For the rest of the novel, I perused the pages with a vengeance, waiting for Penrod to even the score by plunging a saber into the dervish's guts!
It is a powerful writer who can evoke that sort of emotion in a reader, and Smith never disappoints.
I heartily recommend Triumph of the Sun as yet another in Wilbur Smith's long list of triumph's.

Richard S. Wasley "Ric - Author - Shadow of Innocence - coming January 2007 from Kunati" (Boston, MA USA)

20 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't waste your time or money, May 29, 2005

By 

Robert Hansohn "Smith Fan" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Triumph of the Sun (Hardcover)

I am an avid reader of Wilbur Smith and have read all his novels. To me he has been an excellent story teller. But this novel is among his worst if not the worst he has written. Among the many flaws are poor character development, improbable plot twists and gratuitous sex scenes that lend little if anything to the story. He, his editors and publishers let us down on this one. It is not worth the hardback price, or even the paperback price. Wait until it comes to your local library. In the meantime you are not missing a thing. What a disappointment to loyal fans who have in the past revered most of his works.

19 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mr. Smith Brings History to Life Again!!, September 25, 2005

By 

John R. Linnell (New Gloucester, ME United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Triumph of the Sun (Hardcover)

Having finished this novel, I have now read all of Wilbur Smith thirty novels and I must say that the man never strays far from what made us start reading him in the first place. His novels are not for the faint of heart as there is considerable cruelty in them, both with animals and our fellow man, but that is the way things happened during the times he writes about. There are also some fairly graphic sexual accounts. If that is not your cup of tea, you had probably better find a different author. However, Smith in his books always follows the thread of history in whatever part of the African continent he is writing about and gives life and color to a part of the world that many of us know too little about. This book is set basically in The Sudan and brings to life the seige of Khartoum and it's aftermath in a most interesting and realistic way. As in many of his books, a Ballantyne and a Courtney are prominently featured along with many other characters from both history and Mr. Smith's most fertile mind. My only criticisim of the book is that with 50 or so pages to go I was looking forward to the sequel. Alas, that is not to be. However, the story is vintage Wilbur Smith and if he is someone you enjoy reading, this novel will not change that.