Book: Assegai
ISBN 978-0-230-52920-5
Wilbur Smith is the authoritative novelist if you want to read about the epic history of Africa, especially the 18th and 19th Century and the European players in the African theatre. Wilbur Smith novels are extensively researched and when he writes about Africa, it comes to life in front of the readers eyes. If it were not for Wilbur Smith the world would not know, so easily, the various regions and tribes of Africa, their warfare and the emergence of the African continent as a major political theatre in the world power games.
It is early 19th century and East Africa is divided into British and German East Africa. Leon Courtney, of the long lineage of the Courtneys of Africa (check Wilbur Smiths other novels) is an ex- soldier and now a professional game hunter who takes the rich and influential on custom made hunt safaris. World War 1 is about to break and Leon is exhorted to gather information on his next client Count Otto von Meerbach, who supplies aircraft and automobiles to the German Africa Kaiser’s Army. Seems a pretty straightforward assignment for Leon, but he never took into consideration his falling for Eva, the counts mistress.
Throw in with story line the fierce Masai warriors, who even the lions of Africa dread, with their Assegai, the long spear of hunt and war. Put in a few adrenaline pumping and gory hunts, the deadly buffalo, the stalking lions and the simmering pre war scenario.
You have an absolute ace of a novel. An absolute awesome read, like most of Wilbur Smith novels.
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