🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About Wilbur Smith
Various books of the well-known African writer became movies. The first one among them was The Dark of the Sun, originally published in the year 1965, which became the film The Mercenaries in 1968. Then it was the turn of Shout at the Devil, who appeared on the big screen with the same title of the literary work in the year 1976. Lee Marvin, Roger Moore and Barbara Parkins were the stars of the movie. Gold Mine, published in the year 1970, became Gold and was released in the year 1974. Once again, Roger Moore was the artist chosen to play the protagonist. Finally, the most recent adaptations: River God (published in the year 1993) and The Seventh-Scroll (published in the year 1995) were converted into a mini series titled The Seventh Scroll, which was released in 1999.
All Book Series by Wilbur Smith
Flashpoint
Latest in the series · book 26 of 26 · published 2026 Co-authored · David Churchill
A Falcon Flies / Flight of the Falcon
Series opener · book 1 of 8 · published 1980
Fire on the Horizon
Latest in the series · book 8 of 8 · published 2024 Co-authored · Imogen Robertson
House of Two Pharaohs
Latest in the series · book 10 of 10 · published 2025 Co-authored · Mark Chadbourn
Predator
Latest in the series · book 3 of 3 · published 2016 Co-authored · Tom Cain
The Dark of the Sun / The Train from Katanga
Series opener · book 1 of 11 · published 1965
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Wilbur Smith?
Various books of the well-known African writer became movies. The first one among them was The Dark of the Sun, originally published in the year 1965, which became the film The Mercenaries in 1968. Then it was the turn of Shout at the Devil, who appeared on the big screen with the same title of the literary work in the year 1976.
Which Wilbur Smith series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Courtney series, the earliest of Wilbur Smith's multi-book series: it opens with When the Lion Feeds (1964) and runs to 26 books across 1964–2026, ending with Flashpoint (2026). Wilbur Smith's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.
How many books has Wilbur Smith written?
Wilbur Smith has 65 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1964 and 2026. 53 of them belong to 6 named series — the largest being the Courtney series with 26 books — and 12 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should Wilbur Smith's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Wilbur Smith's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Courtney (1964–2026, 26 books), Ballantyne (1980–2024, 8 books) and Ancient Egypt (1994–2025, 10 books), plus 3 more.
How are Wilbur Smith's books organised into series?
This guide splits Wilbur Smith's 65 books into 6 named series and 12 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Courtney (26 books, 1964–2026); Ancient Egypt (10 books, 1994–2025); Ballantyne (8 books, 1980–2024); Jack Courtney (3 books, 2020–2022); Hector Cross (3 books, 2011–2016), plus 1 further series.