Wilbur Smith Books in Order: Complete List & Chronology

If you’re looking for the Wilbur Smith books in order, this guide covers the Courtney, Ballantyne, Ancient Egyptian, Hector Cross, Jack Courtney, and Prey Zone series, along with his standalone novels and memoir.

I recommend publication order for a first read. The connected family sagas reveal their characters and relationships in the order Smith originally introduced them, while the chronological lists are a fun option when you’re ready for a reread.

Jump to:

• Where to Start with Wilbur Smith
• Courtney Books in Publication Order
• Other Wilbur Smith Books by Series
• Wilbur Smith Standalone Books
• Wilbur Smith Books in Chronological Order
• Wilbur Smith Nonfiction
• Who is Wilbur Smith?

Where to Start with Wilbur Smith

The Courtney saga is the best place to begin with Wilbur Smith. Start with When the Lion Feeds, then continue in publication order. It introduces the family the way readers first met them and makes the later prequels and crossovers more rewarding.

For the other major series, start with A Falcon Flies for the Ballantynes, River God for Ancient Egypt, and Those in Peril for Hector Cross. Younger readers can begin with Cloudburst or Prey Zone.

Courtney Books in Publication Order

Wilbur Smith’s Courtney series follows several branches of the family across centuries of African and European history. For your first time through the Courtney reading order, publication order is the simplest choice.

Do you need to read the Courtney series in order? I would. Some branches can stand on their own, but the recurring family connections, returning characters, and later prequels make more sense when you follow the books in sequence.

1. When the Lion Feeds (1964)
2. The Sound of Thunder (1966)
3. A Sparrow Falls (1977)
4. The Burning Shore (1985)
5. Power of the Sword (1986)
6. Rage (1987)
7. A Time to Die (1989)
8. Golden Fox (1990)
9. Birds of Prey (1997)
10. Monsoon (1999)
11. Blue Horizon (2003)
12. The Triumph of the Sun (2005) (Courtney and Ballantyne crossover)
13. Assegai (2009)
14. Golden Lion with Giles Kristian (2015)
15. War Cry with David Churchill (2017)
16. The Tiger's Prey with Tom Harper (2017)
17. Courtney's War with David Churchill (2018)
18. King of Kings with Imogen Robertson (2019) (Courtney and Ballantyne crossover)
19. Ghost Fire with Tom Harper (2019)
20. Legacy of War with David Churchill (2021)
21. Storm Tide with Tom Harper (2022)
22. Nemesis with Tom Harper (2023)
23. Warrior King with Tom Harper (2024)
24. Fire on the Horizon with Imogen Robertson (2024) (Courtney and Ballantyne crossover)
25. Crossfire with David Churchill (2025)
26. Vengeance with Tom Harper (2026)
27. Flashpoint with David Churchill (2026)

The Triumph of the Sun, King of Kings, and Fire on the Horizon also belong to the Ballantyne series. You only need to read each crossover once.

Other Wilbur Smith Books by Series

Ballantyne Books

The Ballantyne series follows generations of the family through the history of southern Africa. Start with the publication order below. The crossover novels also appear in the Courtney list.

1. A Falcon Flies (1980)
2. Men of Men (1981)
3. The Angels Weep (1982)
4. The Leopard Hunts in Darkness (1984)
5. The Triumph of the Sun (2005) (Courtney and Ballantyne crossover)
6. King of Kings with Imogen Robertson (2019) (Courtney and Ballantyne crossover)
7. Call of the Raven with Corban Addison (2020)
8. Fire on the Horizon with Imogen Robertson (2024) (Courtney and Ballantyne crossover)

Ancient Egypt Books

The Ancient Egyptian series begins with River God and follows Taita and later generations through war, political upheaval, and the struggle to unite Egypt. Publication order is the better reading order for a first visit to the series.

1. River God (1993)
2. The Seventh Scroll (1995)
3. Warlock (2001)
4. The Quest (2007)
5. Desert God (2014)
6. Pharaoh (2016)
7. The New Kingdom with Mark Chadbourn (2021)
8. Titans of War with Mark Chadbourn (2022)
9. Testament with Mark Chadbourn (2023)
10. House of Two Pharaohs with Mark Chadbourn (2025)

The Seventh Scroll is set in the modern day, but it is closely tied to the discoveries and writings from River God.

Hector Cross Books

The Hector Cross thrillers follow one continuing story, so read the series in order.

1. Those in Peril (2011)
2. Vicious Circle (2013)
3. Predator with Tom Cain (2016)

Jack Courtney Adventures

The Jack Courtney Adventures are contemporary action novels written for younger readers. Start with book one and continue from there.

1. Cloudburst with Chris Wakling (2020)
2. Thunderbolt with Chris Wakling (2021)
3. Shockwave with Chris Wakling (2022)

Prey Zone Books

The Prey Zone trilogy follows teen siblings Ralph and Robyn Ballantyne in contemporary South Africa. Read the trilogy in publication order.

1. Prey Zone with Keith Chapman and Steve Cole (2022)
2. Prey Zone: The Serpent's Lair with Keith Chapman and Steve Cole (2023)
3. Prey Zone: The Scorpion's Sting with Keith Chapman and Steve Cole (2024)

Wilbur Smith Standalone Books

Wilbur Smith’s standalone novels can be read in any order.

1. The Dark of the Sun (1965)
2. Shout at the Devil (1968)
3. Gold Mine (1970)
4. The Diamond Hunters (1971)
5. The Sunbird (1972)
6. Eagle in the Sky (1974)
7. The Eye of the Tiger (1975)
8. Cry Wolf (1976)
9. Hungry as the Sea (1978)
10. Wild Justice (1979)
11. Elephant Song (1991)

Wilbur Smith Books in Chronological Order

The chronological reading order works best for a reread. Several novels overlap in time, so these lists follow the main setting and the most useful sequence for reading complete books.

Courtney Books in Chronological Order

The Courtney chronology stretches from the seventeenth century through the late twentieth century. The early twentieth-century books and the World War II novels overlap, but this order keeps their connected storylines together.

1. Birds of Prey – 1667
2. Golden Lion – 1670s
3. Monsoon – 1690s
4. The Tiger's Prey – 1700s
5. Blue Horizon – 1730s
6. Ghost Fire – 1754
7. Storm Tide – 1774
8. Nemesis – 1794-1807
9. Warrior King – 1820
10. Vengeance – 1829-1835
11. When the Lion Feeds – 1860-1890
12. The Triumph of the Sun – 1884
13. King of Kings – 1887
14. Fire on the Horizon – 1899
15. The Sound of Thunder – 1899-1906
16. Assegai – 1906-1918
17. The Burning Shore – 1914-1920
18. A Sparrow Falls – 1918-1925
19. War Cry – 1918-1941
20. Power of the Sword – 1931-1948
21. Courtney's War – 1939-1945
22. Crossfire – 1943
23. Flashpoint – 1943-1946
24. Legacy of War – 1951
25. Rage – 1952-1960s
26. Golden Fox – 1969-1979
27. A Time to Die – 1987

Ballantyne Books in Chronological Order

The Angels Weep begins in the 1890s and later jumps to 1977. Read Fire on the Horizon first if you want to keep the later Ballantyne storyline together without splitting a novel.

1. Call of the Raven – 1840
2. A Falcon Flies – 1860
3. Men of Men – 1870s
4. The Triumph of the Sun – 1884
5. King of Kings – 1887
6. Fire on the Horizon – 1899
7. The Angels Weep – 1890s and 1977
8. The Leopard Hunts in Darkness – 1980s

Ancient Egypt Books in Chronological Order

This chronology is approximate because several books revisit overlapping periods and connected conflicts. I still recommend publication order for a first read.

1. The New Kingdom – around 1710 BCE
2. Titans of War – around 1660 BCE
3. River God – around 1650 BCE
4. Warlock – around 1600 BCE
5. Testament – around 1600 BCE
6. House of Two Pharaohs – around 1600 BCE
7. The Quest – around 1590 BCE
8. Desert God – around 1575 BCE
9. Pharaoh – around 1550 BCE
10. The Seventh Scroll – modern day

Wilbur Smith Nonfiction

Wilbur Smith recounts the real experiences, travels, and family history that shaped his fiction in his memoir.

1. On Leopard Rock (2018) (Memoir)

Who is Wilbur Smith?

Wilbur Smith was born in Northern Rhodesia, now Zambia, and became a full-time novelist after the success of When the Lion Feeds. His adventure stories draw heavily on African history, family dynasties, conflict, exploration, and the landscapes he knew throughout his life.

Smith died on November 13, 2021 at the age of 88. He left behind stories and plans that collaborators have continued to develop, which is why new entries in his established series have appeared after his death.

Looking for more books in order?

If you want more thriller authors and reading-order guides like this one, start with my Thriller Books in Order index.

• Books in Order (Full Index)
• Bernard Cornwell Books in Order
• Ken Follett Books in Order
• Clive Cussler Books in Order