– Customer review on 24/02/2011

There is some criticism of this book it's too short or too simple, and in a way, it's justified. This book is 37 years old! Would you compare a 37 year old movie with today's movies? Or even fashion, or a football team's playbook? Things get better, writers improve.

Having said that, I still like this book. I don't know anything about gold mining, but it seems technically sound. True, the characters are simplistic, the plot is simplistic. Villians are evil and get their just due. Good guys win. There are no double or triple twists in the book. It's just simple straightfoward story about gold mining and a few characters in it.

A simple straightfoward story with a nice ending. Heck, that sounds better by the minute! In fact, that's what I wish the world would be like today, where you know who the good guys are and you know who the bad guys are and they lose! Yeah, that's what we need more of! Two thumbs up, definitely!

– Customer review on 03/08/2008

Set, as the name suggest, around the mining industry of Africa. A brutal tale of violence and greed, mixed with the lust of men. Packed with action and excitement, it surges along to a riveting climax. Only a relatively short novel, about 250 pages, but filled with the stuff that makes Wilbur Smith the best at what he does.