Auringon pimennys (1965)

In Congo, the Belgians have just left and the country is in upheaval. In the midst of all the fighting, mercenary captain Bruice Curry is in charge of rescuing a group of whites from a remote village in the path of General Moses and his band of terrorists. To get there, and back again, is going to take a lot of courage, and a lot of sacrifice... ( )

The Congo. Situated at the heart of sub-Saharan Africa, it is a place where men die for diamonds. For love. And for the unholy pleasure of others… Bruce Curry is the leader of a mercenary band with the dubious support of three officers. His mission: To relieve a diamond-mining town cut off by the fighting and retrieve a priceless consignment of diamonds. Along the way, he meets a beautiful Belgian woman. Shermaine is a dream come true. But the rest of Curry’s journey is about to become a living nightmare. Ranged against his ill-disciplined unit are bandits, guerillas, and hostile tribes that infest the land. In a sinister atmosphere of omnipotent evil, Curry fights to stay alive—and protect Shermaine, his one true love. But to do so, he must face another, even deadlier enemy: one of his own men…   Review Praise for *The Dark of the Sun* 'In places this novel is horrific; always it is exciting, strong and clear' – Daily Mail, 1967 'If the phrase ' a man`s book' has any meaning, it describes this powerful, savage ... gripping, fast moving novel.' – Books and Bookmen, ' A well-knit, fast -moving, adventure story ... The action is swift, taut and convincing ... The portrayal of men and situations, of jungle and outpost is colourful and alive. It is a 'big' book, quite irrespective of its length.' – Scotsman, 1997 Praise for Wilbur Smith “Smith is a master.” *—Publishers Weekly
“One of the world’s most popular adventure writers.” —The Washington Post Book World
“A rare author who wields a razor-sharp sword of craftsmanship.” —Tulsa World* “Wilbur Smith is one of those benchmarks against whom others are compared.” —The Times (UK)      
"Best Historical Novelist--I say Wilbur Smith, with his swashbuckling novels of Africa.  The bodices of rip and the blood flows.  You can get lost in Wilbur Smith and misplace all of August."--Stephen King
"Action is Wilur Smith's game, and he is a master."--The Washington Post Book World “The world’s leading adventure writer.” —Daily Express (UK) "Wilbur Smith rarely misses a trick."--Sunday Times “Smith is a captivating storyteller.” —The Orlando Sentinel “No one does adventure quite like Smith.” —Daily Mirror (UK)
"A thundering good’ read is virtually the only way of describing Wilbur Smith’s books.” —The Irish Times   From the Publisher These audiobooks from Macmillan UK offer abridged readings of some of the world's most popular authors. Handsomely packaged, they feature readings by eminent actors of the stage and screen, including James Fox, Martin Shaw, Tim Pigott-Smith and David Rintoul. ( )

The Dark of The Sun – Wilbur Smith **** ½

Set in Africa during the Congo crisis Bruce Curry is given the mission of liberating a towns citizens (and the diamonds) from the marauding rebels.

There are only him and 3 other white men with him, a disgraced alcoholic doctor, a repressed homosexual and the ever bullying Wally Hendry. They have to lead a small mercenary band on this mission encountering bloodshed at every turn.

A page-turner of a novel with some very nice gory touches which include torture and cannibalism.

A few parts were a bit too slushy for me… (Why do they always fall in love after about 6 hours…?) but a very good read all the same. I especially like the way Smith shares the characters thoughts as well as what they say.

Will definitely be seeking out more works by this author. ( )