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Wilbur's
Hyksos
Hyksos
The Hyksos translates to 'rulers of foreign lands'. They invaded the Nile Delta in 1650 BC, where they resided for a century, having contributed significantly to the development of Ancient Egyptian society
FIND OUT MOREPapyrus
Papyrus
Papyrus was developed in Ancient Egyptian times, following the development of writing. It is made from the plant of the same name.
FIND OUT MOREMummification
Mummification
Mummification was a tradition in Ancient Egypt. A ceremonial process for the dead, to help guide them on their journey to the underworld.
FIND OUT MORECobra
Cobra
The Cobra is one of the worlds deadliest snakes. In Ancient Egypt the cobra was the symbol of Lower Egypt.
FIND OUT MOREDutch East India Company
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch or United East India Company was the world's first multinational corporation and the first company in the world to issue stock.
FIND OUT MOREElephant
Elephant
Elephants are ever present in the Courtney series. They are the largest land mammals on Earth, and one of the most highly intelligent.
FIND OUT MORERhinoceros
Rhinoceros
One of the most endangered animals in the world, fierce in both size and strength, the Rhinoceros is a beautiful part of the African landscape.
FIND OUT MOREThe Capes of Africa
The Capes of Africa
The Capes of Africa provided critical landmarks for navigating at sea, and were key landmarks on the journey of the Courtneys
FIND OUT MORELion
Lion
Lions are ever present throughout the novels of Wilbur Smith. The ‘King of the Beasts’ has from ancient times been used in language and culture as a symbol of nobility, strength, power and courage.
FIND OUT MOREEthiopia and Prester John
Ethiopia and Prester John
Historically known as Abyssinia, Ethiopia is Africa's oldest independent country. In the 12th century, a letter sent to a number of European capitals from an Ethiopian emperor indicated that the kingdom of Prester John was in Ethiopia . . .
FIND OUT MOREDiamonds
Diamonds
Coming from the Greek word for invincible, Adamas, the diamond is the purest and most concentrated form of carbon and the hardest material on Earth. Since the 15th century, when the art of cutting diamonds to reflect their full beauty was developed, the diamond has been a symbol for love and commitment.
FIND OUT MOREPietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg, the capital of KwaZulu Natal, lies some 50 miles north east of Durban in the valley of the Msunduzi river. It was founded in 1838 by Voortrekkers led by Andries Pretorius and named in honour of two former Voortrekker leaders, Piet Retief and Gerrit Maritz, who had been killed by the Zulus at Weenen.
FIND OUT MOREBoer Wars
Boer Wars
In the 1850s the Boers escaping from British rule in the Cape Colony established two independent Boer republics in the north of South Africa, the Transvaal and the Orange Free State. This was done with the consent of the British, the dominant power in South Africa, who were happy to let the troublesome Boers have what were vast tracts of apparently barren land.
FIND OUT MOREApartheid
Apartheid
The National Party was dominated by Afrikaners, descendants of the Dutch settlers who had colonised Southern Africa in the 17th and 18th centuries. These settlers pursued an informal system of racial segregation, which continued to be tolerated, if not encouraged, when the colonies of Southern Africa became part of the British Empire.
FIND OUT MORESiege of Khartoum
Siege of Khartoum
In 1882 the British intervened in Egypt in support of the Khedive of Egypt, who was facing insurrection from his own army. As a result Egypt, became a de facto British protectorate, although technically it was a province of the Ottoman Empire.
FIND OUT MORECape Agulhas
Cape Agulhas
In 1667 the Courtneys were patrolling off Cape Agulhas, at the southernmost tip of the African continent, waiting to waylay (Dutch East India) Company galleons as they rounded the Cape to call in at Table Bay.
FIND OUT MOREWitwatersrand
Witwatersrand
The Witwatersrand, also known as the 'Rand', is the richest gold reef in the world and gives its name to the South African currency.
FIND OUT MOREKimberley
Kimberley
As Johannesburg would later be built on gold, so Kimberley, capital of the Northern Cape Province of South Africa, was built on diamonds.
FIND OUT MORESkeleton Coast
Skeleton Coast
The Skeleton Coast is the name given to the northernmost strip of the Namib Desert's Atlantic coast, running for some 400 miles from the Kunene river, which forms Namibia's border with Angola in the north, to the Swakop river in the south. The San, or Bushmen, of Namibia know the area as 'The Land God Made In Anger'.
FIND OUT MOREAnglo-Dutch Wars
Anglo-Dutch Wars
There were four naval conflicts between England and the Dutch Republic in the 17th and 18th centuries. It was a time when the European nations were fighting each other to establish colonies and trading posts all over the world and the Anglo-Dutch Wars were all about naval supremacy, control of the High Seas and the increasingly valuable trade routes.
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