My kingdom for a book!

[Dr. The Viking]

OK soon I will have a time of no work and leaning back!!!

Thus I will long for a good read. Preferably about 'darkest Africa' and Azande/Congo or similar. Something thrilling, even pulpish!

Someone guide me and show me the way! 



(if this topic is out of bounds just delete it  )

[moonshado]

Don't known about the Congo part, but for darkest Africa and pulp can't go far wrong with reading the Tarzan books and/or any H.R.Haggard(though if none other then his Alan Quatermain are essential reading). The best part being that if you have an electronic reader they are all free on the internet. The only Congo related ficxtion that immediately springs to mind is Heart Of Darkness, and that his not exactly a light read.

[VSF Gamer]

Assegai by Wilbur Smith  Can't go wrong with this and it started me reading his other books. All involve Africa. He also wrote Shout at the Devil, another good read.

[Poiter50]

Agree with VSF gamer, big fan of Wilbur Smith's evocative fiction. Somewhat formulaic when you read one after the other but inspirational for a gamer.

[Will Bailie]

One of my favourite Africa stories is 'Mimi and Toutou go forth', by Giles Foden.  Not fiction, because no novelist could ever invent Commander Spencer-Smith and his outlandish mission to drag two motor-gunboats from the Clyde to Lake Tangayika in the middle of World War One.  Cracking good read.

Other than that, I'll join in recommending Wilbur Smith.  CS Forrester's 'The African Queen' is also fun (and incidentally inspired by the story of Mimi and Toutou).  There are a couple of Africa-themed Flashman stories (Flashman on the March, Flashman's Lady and Flash for Freedom).  Forsyth's 'Dogs of War' is a fun, pulpy Africa-themed story as well.

[Poiter50]

Agreed, Will, my models (28mm) of Mimi & Toutou are languishing in my storage as I went out and purchased them after reading Foden's book.

One of my favourite Africa stories is 'Mimi and Toutou go forth', by Giles Foden.  Not fiction, because no novelist could ever invent Commander Spencer-Smith and his outlandish mission to drag two motor-gunboats from the Clyde to Lake Tangayika in the middle of World War One.  Cracking good read.

Other than that, I'll join in recommending Wilbur Smith.  CS Forrester's 'The African Queen' is also fun (and incidentally inspired by the story of Mimi and Toutou).  There are a couple of Africa-themed Flashman stories (Flashman on the March, Flashman's Lady and Flash for Freedom).  Forsyth's 'Dogs of War' is a fun, pulpy Africa-themed story as well.

[Will Bailie]

Just noticed my error - the commander in Mimi and Toutou was actually Spicer-Simpson, not Spencer-Smith.  Doesn't change him from being a right looney, though!

[traveller]

I'll second Wilbur Smith? More than 30 books all on Africa during the Sudan, Zulu, Matabele, Boer, WW1 and WW2 + more wars. I have read all of them except the ones set in Ancient Egypt and they are all great reads. Abebooks.com have them cheap

[Franz_Josef]

There are several good, recent biographies of Sir Richard Burton.  True tales, and they almost read like Pulp.

[Plynkes]

There's also a novelization of Burton and Speke's adventures, if you can find it...



Cracking read, but not really pulpy, as it is a true story. Does have sex and violence, though. The movie "The Mountains of the Moon" was based on this book. The film is nice, but the book is better. In light of one of the newer biographies I have read, I'm not sure I agree with all the characterisation, but I really, really enjoyed it as a novel.



For African Pulp nonsense H.R. Haggard is my favourite, but it is late 19th/early 20th Century Pulp, and some find the language a bit hard to get to grips with. Got to second the calls for a bit of Wilbur Smith, too.

[Hammers]

I've only read one Wilbur Smith and found it to be shallow tripe. Something about 16th century adventurers around the Cape. Completely forgettable. Should I give some other book by him a go, since since several not completely disreputable LAFers keep recommending him?

Churchill's "My Early Life" is a good'n. He's written other books about Africa which I am keen  to read.

[moonshado]

If you are going to go with Wilbur Smith, start with his earlier novels, they were his best. Once he became an international best seller he started to write to a set formulae.
My recommendations are;-
When the Lion Roars- First written of the Courtney Series set in South Afica  about 1860- 1890
Shout At the Devil - WW I in East Africa
Cry Wolf- Italian invasion of Ethiopia
The Dark of the Sun - 1960s Congo
Sunbird - 1980s and a fictional Phonecian city in ancient Rhodesia

Shout at the Devil was made into a film with Lee Marvin & Rodger Moore, The Dark of the Sun was also made into a film starring Rod Taylor.

[traveller]

The early ones are good but I think I am equally fond of the later ones
Triumph of the sun - siege of Khartoum
Assegai - WW1 Africa

A bit older but The Burning Shore - SW Africa is also great

[Plynkes]

I've only read one Wilbur Smith and found it to be shallow tripe. Something about 16th century adventurers around the Cape. Completely forgettable. Should I give some other book by him a go, since since several not completely disreputable LAFers keep recommending him?

Haven't read all that many, but I thoroughly enjoyed "Shout at the Devil" and rather enjoyed "Assegai." Not great literature, perhaps, but I found them very atmospheric and engaging. However, I am the Colonial Adventures guy, so maybe I am biased. 

[Dr. The Viking]

Ok. Given that heart of darkness is only 113 pages and considered a classic I've chosen to start there.  I'll go for Speke after that.