Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #29778 in Books
• Published on: 2000-06-01
• Binding: Paperback
• 680 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Before there was empire, there was trade, and military force to protect that trade. Wilbur Smith's new, full-blooded historical novel starts with the commissioning, by King William III of Sir Hal Franklin. Franklin's mission is to rid the Indian Ocean of the pirate known as al-Aouf, the Bad One, and tells us more than we knew about the East India trade, Channel smuggling, the Arab slave trade and the struggle to keep Oman free from the Ottoman Empire.

Smith's solid, competent prose does not always avoid the hackneyed, but effectively conveys both the heat of battle and the savoury smells of lands experienced for the first time. Hal Franklin has four sons and the complex tragedy of their relationships dominates the book as brother is pitted against brother in love, and war, and treachery. The plot, though, is only a part of what is important here; the Indian Ocean trade was the site of one of the great confrontations between the English-speaking world and Islam--a conflict, between the brash mariners with their shiny new guns and the long-established, scholarly, brave, pious rulers of Arabia and the East African coast. A conflict whose outcome was open to doubt.--Roz Kaveney

Synopsis
Monsoon, set in the dawn of the 18th century in England, East Africa and Arabia, takes over where "Birds of Prey" left off and follows the lives of the three sons of Hal Courteney.

Customer Reviews

Rip-roaring!
Monsoon is by far the best novel by Wilbur Smith that I have read. It is an epic generation-spanning tale of war, violence, love, lust, deceit and despair, all rolled in to one. It's an endlessly gripping novel that follows the Courtney boys through childhood into manhood, through England, Africa into the Middle East and back to Africa again. Smith manages to paint a vivid picture of many different lands, cultures and personalities with apparent ease.

In my eyes, this novel stands apart from others by Smith, it is great escapism and a terrific read. Whether your a fan of Wilbur Smith or not, this is worth buying. At times I have been dissapointed by his books, but I certainly wasn't on this occasion.

Definitely worth your time and money!!!

The ultimate easy read
The ultimate long, lazy holiday read. Its fantasy with a bit violence, love and mystery all thrown in for good measure, set in a bygone age. Its a long read but perfect for a two week holiday in which you are comfortable putting the book down for a while. Its very easy to pick up the plot again and it is still enjoyable reading half a chapter at a time unlike many other novels.

Simply the best book I have ever read.
I have now bought four copies of this book, because I keep recommending to people, lending it to them and not getting it back. Everyone says the same thing "they didn't think it would be their cup of tea, but they were totally blown away by it".
This story is captivating, it has everything, wonderful characters, family rivalry, amazing locations, pirates, battles, passion, love, sadness, and joy. I have read this five times now; something I haven't done with any other book, this includes reading it to my wife who also adored it. Wilbur smith describes whatever he is writing about so vividly that you feel you aren't just watching, you are really there experiencing it with all your senses. Please read this book you will not regret it.