Birds of Prey (Courtney Family Adventures 9)

It is 1667 and the Dutch and the English are at war. Sir Francis Courtney and his son Henry 'Hal' Courtney, in their fighting caravel Lady Edwina, are on patrol off the Agulhas Cape of Southern lying in wait for one of the galleons of the Dutch East India Company returning from the Orient laden with treasure to fall into their net. It is the beginning of the quest that will sweep them from the new settlement of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa to the Great Horn of Ethiopia far to the north. The bloody capture of the Dutch merchantman, and three valuable hostages, launches Hal into a perilous adventure which only the bravest will survive... Along the way Hal will encounter many enemies. A dangerous mutineer, sworn to extract to revenge. A fellow Knight Templar, now his father's betrayer. And the most dangerous adversary on the African continent, the Dutch swordsman Schreuder. His spirit will also be tested by love. For the rich and pampered Dutch heiress, Katinka. For the beautiful slave girl, Sukeena. And for a woman whose unstinting courage will outshine them all... From the dungeons of Good Hope to the uncharted wilderness of the Dark Continent and then to the fatal narrows of the Red Sea, Hal's faith will lead him to his destiny. To the defense of the final Christian stronghold in Africa. The kingdom of Prester John, historic guardian of the priceless Holy Grail... Birds of Prey is a Courtney Family Adventure from bestselling author Wilbur Smith.

the Author Of the River God And the Seventh Scroll Turns His Hand To Swashbucking Adventure On The High Seas.

publishers Weekly

swashbuckling Adventures At Sea And On Land Highlight Smith's Latest (after the Seventh Scroll), A Number-one Bestseller In England That's Likely To Climb The Charts Here. Set Along The African Coast During The Mid-1600s, This Fierce And Bloody Yarn Features Hal Courteney, A Classic Seafaring Hero In The Making. The Young Sailor Has Been Raised Under The Stern Tutelage Of His Father, Sir Francis Courteney, And The Somewhat Gentler Guidance Of His African-born Mentor, Aboli. Word Of A Truce Between England And Holland Doesn't Reach Sir Francis In Time To Prevent Him From Capturing A Treasure-laden Dutch Galleon. Falsely Accused Of Piracy, The Corteneys Soon Have More Enemies Than They Can Handle, Including The Insatiable Libertine Katinka Van De Velde, Who Sets Her Sights On The Courteney Charge. Hal's Coming-of-age Is Predictably Spiced With Romance, Sea Battles, Imprisonments, Daring Escapes And An Exotic Voyage From Southern Africa To The Red Sea; Even Buried Treasure And The Holy Grail Figure Into The Plot, As Befits A Tale Of Uncompromising Good Guys And Their Irredeemably Evil Enemies. Smith's Depiction Of The African Coast, And Of Life Aboard Ship, Is Vivid And Believable. He Handles The Action Sequences Well, Opting For Short, Trenchant Paragraphs To Sustain Momentum. After 27 Novels, Smith Knows What His Readers Want, And Once Again He Delivers The Goods.

The year is 1667. Sir Francis Courteney and his son Hal are on patrol in their fighting caravel off the Agulhas Cape of Southern Africa. They are lying in wait for one of the treasure-laden galleons of the Dutch East India Company returning from the Orient. So begins a quest for adventure and the spoils of war that sweeps them from the settlement of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa to the Great Horn of Ethiopia far to the north--at a time when international maritime law permitted acts of piracy, rape, and murder otherwise punishable by death. Martin's Press A 17th century tale of piracy starring Sir Francis Courtney and his son, Hal, privateers licensed by the English king to raid Dutch ships off Africa. They grow rich abducting wealthy men and women, but one day are captured and sold into slavery. By the author of River God Sir Francis Courteney and his 17 year-old son Hal embark on a quest for the treasure-laden galleons of the Dutch East India Company. But soon the torture and execution of the eldest Courneney sends Hal in- to the role of captain. He avenges his father & enjoys 3 women The boy clutched at the rim of the canvas bucket in which he crouched sixty feet above the deck as the ship went about.