Courtney #09 - Birds of Prey

✍ Scribed by Smith, Wilbur

• Book ID: 107219015
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 408 KB
• Series: Courtney 9
• Category: Fiction

✦ Synopsis

Amazon.com Review

Look up "classic adventure novel" in the dictionary and you'll find the strong and capable features of South Africa's own Wilbur Smith, who--in books as varied and enjoyable as River God , The Seventh Scroll , When the Lion Feeds , and The Diamond Hunters --displays an awesome storytelling ability. His latest is one of his best efforts: a richly detailed story of war and piracy on the high seas in 1667, 150 years before Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey and Maturin books.

From Library Journal

In 1667, Sir Francis Courteney commands his ship off the coast of Africa in England's war against the Dutch. He has groomed his son Hal to succeed him as captain. Birds of Prey chronicles Hal's swift and bloody passage to manhood after his father's torture and death at the hands of the Dutch. Escaping with the remaining crew, Hal makes his way overland to claim his father's hidden treasure and confront the treacherous English captain who betrayed them. Men are hacked apart in sword fights, blown to bits in shipboard battles, mauled by crocodiles, and more in this tale from the prolific author of such historical fare as The Seventh Scroll (LJ 4/15/95). Short on character development and tight plotting, this meandering escapist novel will be relished by those who enjoy swashbuckling tales with nonstop action. For popular collections.?Kathy Piehl, Mankato State Univ., Minn.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.