Apr 10, 11am ~~ One little project for 2023 is to read five of Wilbur Smith's standalone titles, books that were not part of any series he had written. So far I have read just one, Hungry As The Sea. When I was finished with Chaim Potok's Davita's Harp, I decided to visit Ethiopia with Smith since one of the characters in Davita's Harp spent time as a nurse in Ethiopia. I thought I would be able to read a bit of historical fiction about the chaos that Italy caused in the country when they invade...

It's good. But it doesn't quite feel like a classic Wilbur Smith novel. If you're looking for an honest book review of Cry Wolf, this one is definitely a departure from his usual style.

Cry Wolf by Wilbur Smith is a heartbreaking story of tanks, artillery, bombers, and mustard gas pitted against barefoot men wielding nothing but swords. With such a brutal backdrop, I almost felt guilty laughing at the Count's antics. I found Jake much more likable than Gareth, who could be grating with his constant "old son" remarks. However, in the end, Gareth truly redeemed himself with a heroic move that perfectly recalls Sydney Carton’s sacrifice in A Tale of Two Cities. If you are looking ...

I really enjoyed this one. Cry Wolf by Wilbur Smith is packed with action and tells a fantastic story. I’m not entirely sure if the events depicted actually took place leading up to WWII, but it certainly feels like they could have. Regardless, it’s a brilliant adventure novel and definitely worth a read if you're looking for a gripping historical thriller.

I've seen Cry Wolf by Wilbur Smith everywhere over the years. It always seems to pop up in one thrift store or another, and to be honest, that kind of put me off. Sure, you can always find a Wilbur Smith book in a used bookstore—he’s an old-school author with a massive back catalog, and you could say the same about Stephen King or Jack Higgins—but why always this specific title? Well, I finally decided to give it a try a few weeks ago, and I have absolutely no idea why it gets donated so often b...

Cry Wolf by Wilbur Smith is a classic, old-school adventure novel that definitely requires a fair amount of suspension of disbelief to truly enjoy. That said, it remains a highly readable page-turner featuring strong, compelling lead characters. While the pacing occasionally dips whenever the focus shifts to the antagonists, the narrative momentum held my attention well enough. I originally picked this up as a holiday read and found myself compelled to finish it even after returning home. It’s a...

Cry Wolf by Wilbur Smith was hugely unsatisfying right up to the last 50 pages. And then the book drew its lines quickly, everything started making sense, and the heroes were finally defined. Gareth Swales is the character who truly saves the book. In terms of narration, the story doesn't offer much, but it’s redeemed by larger-than-life characters and a gritty war background. It is essentially a war novel with a fair bit of spice thrown in. My best advice for this book review is to read it quic...

Wilbur Smith masterfully guides us through the history of the Italian invasion of Ethiopia with a powerful, fast-paced narrative that never loses its momentum. We experience the chaos through the eyes of Jake Barton, an American with a knack for breathing life into broken-down vehicles, and Gareth Swales, a charming Englishman with a penchant for swindling everyone in his path. Both men find themselves competing for the attention of Vicki, an award-winning journalist on the ground to document th...

This is a fairly early work from Wilbur Smith. It’s easy to see that he hadn’t yet fully refined the style and narrative skill that would define his later career. The first part of Cry Wolf moves quite slowly as the characters and the setting are introduced, though the pace eventually picks up to the breakneck speed Wilbur Smith became famous for later on. The story tackles the Italian fascist invasion of Ethiopia, which is a fairly unique historical topic. Smith is well-known for his meticulou...

My latest Wilbur Smith read. I'm tackling his books in chronological order as they were written, and I've now reached the mid-'70s. Cry Wolf isn't as entertaining as some of his earlier works—particularly those Courtney novels—purely because of the dark, almost depressing subject matter of the story.Cry Wolf tackles the Italian army's invasion of Ethiopia in 1935. Under Mussolini, Italy sent a division incorporating infantry, tanks, armored vehicles, artillery, and aircraft support against a tri...