A Sparrow Falls

HARDCOVERS

(UK)

(US)

SOFTCOVERS

Synopsis

Sean Courtney, who made 5 million on the goldfields of the Witwatersrand and fought his way through the bloody battlefields of the Anglo-Boer War, now makes his final appearance as soldier, statesman and power in the land.

War and bitter estrangement have lost him his own sons, but when Mark Anders, a man as dear to him as his own blood, Sean is drawn into a drama as turbulent as any in his life. From the devastation of the trenches in northern France, through the violence of the Johannesburg strikes during the early twenties, to the serene spleadours of the African wilderness, this novel vibrates with Sean's towering personality and is driven forward with unquenchable energy by young Mark, relentless in his pursuit of justice.

Characters
Sean Courtney		Businessman, gold digger, hunter, warrior, adventurer, hero of the story.
Garrick Courtney		Sean's younger twin brother. He is awarded the Victoria Cross after being wounded in battle which leaves him with a limp.
Mark Anders		Sean Courtney's father and owner of Theunis Kraal. Killed at Rorke's Drift during battle.




Interesting Information
	Published in 1977 by William Heinemann Ltd.
	Book dedication: for Danielle
	Click here to find out more about the Courtneys of Africa family tree.
	The spelling of the name 'Courteney' originally had an extra 'e' for the first two Courtney novels, but was omitted in the third one A SPARROW FALLS due to an editorial error. That was a bit of lax editorial which I didn't pick up, because I'm not good at editing my own books, because I just tend to read the story rather than looking for little things. And, after we'd published the book, then it was pointed out that we had now had a discrepancy in the spelling, and we now had to standardize on one or the other. So we decided on Courtney without an 'e'.




Reader Reviews
	The power of South African history and landscape has rarely had such a talented advocate as Wilbur Smith. He packs humanity into a bag already overflowing with adventure, excitement and realism. - Yorkshire Post
	A two-fisted blockbuster of power, passion and parricide. - The Observer

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