How many books has Wilbur Smith written?

Wilbur Smith published 57 novels, 1 children's book and 13 other books that we list, as of September 2026.

What order should I read Wilbur Smith's books in?

Read each series in its own order: start The Courtney Novels with Birds of Prey and The Ballantyne Novels hexalogy with Men of Men. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.

What is Wilbur Smith's most famous book?

River God (1994) is Wilbur Smith's most widely read book.

Are Wilbur Smith's books connected?

27 books belong to 2 series (The Courtney Novels and The Ballantyne Novels hexalogy); the other 44 books stand alone.

Which Wilbur Smith books have been adapted?

2 books have been adapted for film or TV, including The Diamond Hunters (as The Kingfisher Caper, film, 1975) and The Burning Shore (as Mountain of Diamonds, TV).

Wilbur Smith books in order

South African novelist

Lived: 1933–2021
Country: Zambia
Books: 71
Series: 2

Wilbur Smith published 57 novels, 1 children's book and 13 other books, beginning with When the Lion Feeds (1964). The 2 series include The Courtney Novels (25 books, starting with Birds of Prey) and The Ballantyne Novels hexalogy (2 books, starting with Men of Men). The best-known is River God (1994).

Updated September 2026

The Courtney Novels books in order (25)Series page

Reading order: 1 Birds of Prey (1997) · 2 Golden Lion (2015) · 3 Monsoon (1999) · 4 Tiger's Prey (2017) · 5 Blue Horizon (2003) · 6 Ghost Fire (2019) · 7 Storm Tide (2022) · 8 Nemesis (2023) · 9 Warrior King (2024) · 10 When the Lion Feeds (1964) · … all 25 below

1.
Birds of Prey (1997)
554 pages
Buy
2.
Golden Lion (2015)
400 pages
Buy
3.
Monsoon (1999)
624 pages
Buy
4.
Tiger's Prey (2017)
432 pages
Buy
5.
Blue Horizon (2003)
624 pages
Buy
6.
Ghost Fire (2019)
432 pages
Buy
7.
Storm Tide (2022)
432 pages
Buy
8.
Nemesis (2023)
480 pages
Buy
9.
Warrior King (2024)
Buy
10.
When the Lion Feeds (1964)
572 pages
Buy
11.
The Triumph of the Sun (2005)
506 pages
Buy
12.
King of Kings (2019)
472 pages
Buy
13.
Fire on the Horizon (2024)
Buy
14.
The Sound of Thunder (1966)
464 pages
Buy
15.
Assegai (2009)
484 pages★ 4.4 (5 ratings)
Buy
16.
The Burning Shore (1985)
632 pagesAdapted for TV
Buy
17.
War Cry (2017)
496 pages
Buy
18.
A Sparrow Falls (1977)
587 pages
Buy
19.
Power of the Sword (1986)
880 pages
Buy
20.
Courtney's War (2018)
464 pages
Buy
21.
Crossfire (1943)
Buy
22.
Legacy of War (2021)
480 pages
Buy
23.
Rage (1987)
896 pages
Buy
24.
Golden Fox (1990)
473 pages
Buy
25.
A Time to Die (1991)
483 pages
Buy

The Ballantyne Novels hexalogy books in order (2)

Reading order: 1 Men of Men (1981) · 2 The Angels Weep (1982)

1.
Men of Men (1981)
528 pages
Buy
2.
The Angels Weep (1982)
659 pages
Buy

Where to start with Wilbur Smith

Start here
River God
Wilbur Smith's most-read book.

Standalone novels in order

Roar of Thunder (1966)
437 pages
Buy
Gold Mine (1970)
264 pages
Buy
The Diamond Hunters (1971)
287 pagesAdapted for film
Buy
The Sunbird (1972)
510 pages
Buy
Eagle in the Sky (1974)
429 pages
Buy
The Eye of the Tiger (1975)
320 pages
Buy
Cry Wolf (1976)
420 pages
Buy
Shout at the Devil (1976)
344 pages
Buy
Hungry as the Sea (1978)
418 pages
Buy
Wild Justice (1979)
486 pages
Buy
Falcon Flies (1980)
523 pages
Buy
The Dark of the Sun (1981)
288 pages
Buy
The Delta Decision (1981)
393 pages
Buy
The Leopard Hunts in Darkness (1984)
374 pages
Buy
The Courtneys of Africa (1988)
1267 pages
Buy
River God (1994)
550 pages★ 4.4 (12 ratings)
Buy
The Seventh Scroll (1995)
496 pages
Buy
Warlock (2001)
627 pages
Buy
Eagle in Sky (2002)
Buy
The Leopard Hunts in Darkness & When the Lion Feeds (2005)
562 pages
Buy
The Quest (2007)
257 pages
Buy
A Time to Die, [and], Elephant Song (2008)
522 pages
Buy
Those in Peril (2011)
501 pages
Buy
Vicious Circle (2013)
229 pages
Buy
Desert God (Oct 2014)
425 pages
Buy
Golden Lion: A Novel of Heroes in a Time of War (The Courtney Novels) (2015)
400 pages
Buy
Pharaoh (2016)
485 pages
Buy
Predator (2016)
416 pages
Buy
Tiger's Prey, The: A Novel of Adventure (Courtney Family Novels) (2017)
432 pages
Buy
On Leopard Rock (2018)
352 pages
Buy
New Kingdom (2021)
432 pages
Buy
Thunderbolt (2021)
288 pages
Buy

Children's books in order

Cloudburst (2021)
320 pages
Buy

Other books in order

The Sunbird Part 2 of 2 (1972)
Buy
Men Of Men Part 2 Of 2 (1981)
Buy
Rage Part 1 of 2 (1987)
Buy
Elephant Song (1991)
Buy
Wilbur Smith - Header (1992)
Buy
Wilbur Smith Double (2001)
Buy
Bound to Talk (2002)
Buy
Wilbur Smith X 3 Spl (2012)
Buy
Call of the Raven (2020)
Buy
Titans of War (2022)
Buy
Testament (2023)
Buy

Film and TV adaptations

The Kingfisher Caper (1975)Film · from The Diamond Hunters
Mountain of DiamondsTV · from The Burning Shore

About Wilbur Smith

Wilbur Addison Smith was a Rhodesian-born British-South African novelist specializing in historical fiction about international involvement in Southern Africa across four centuries.

Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

Wilbur Smith FAQ

How many books has Wilbur Smith written?: Wilbur Smith published 57 novels, 1 children's book and 13 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
What order should I read Wilbur Smith's books in?: Read each series in its own order: start The Courtney Novels with Birds of Prey and The Ballantyne Novels hexalogy with Men of Men. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
What is Wilbur Smith's last book?: Nemesis (2023).
What is Wilbur Smith's most famous book?: River God (1994) is Wilbur Smith's most widely read book.
Are Wilbur Smith's books connected?: 27 books belong to 2 series (The Courtney Novels and The Ballantyne Novels hexalogy); the other 44 books stand alone.
Which Wilbur Smith books have been adapted?: 2 books have been adapted for film or TV, including The Diamond Hunters (as The Kingfisher Caper, film, 1975) and The Burning Shore (as Mountain of Diamonds, TV).