I am a Wilbur Smith fan, so consider that when reading this probably biased review of Shout at the Devil. This was Wilbur Smith’s second book, first published in 1968. The movie of the same name, with Lee Marvin and Roger Moore, was released in 1976 and can be watched on YouTube.
As usual, Wilbur Smith provides plenty of action, suspense, violence, and thrills as we delve into his world in Africa. Shout at the Devil is based in a part of Africa I know and have studied at some length. The Rufiji Delta is a beautiful place nowadays, full of wildlife, and an excellent off-the-beaten-track holiday destination.
However, during World War One, it was a hotbed of intrigue and fighting. The river was the line between German land and Portuguese Mozambique, and it was aligned with the Allied forces.
We meet Sabastian, a wastrel on the run from hard work in the UK trying to find his way to Australia, and a like-minded but older Flynn Patrick O’Flynn, a bushwhacker, fly by the seat-of-your-pants ivory hunter. Through very dubious means, Flynn manages to get Sebastian on his side, and they head into the Rufiji Delta to cull a massive herd of elephants. The only issue is the elephants are on the German side of the river. This leads to many scrapes with the local German Governor and his askaris.
A fast withdrawal by Sebastian and Flynn leaves them adrift in the Indian Ocean, where only by chance do they make it back to shore. Flynn needs to recover his costs, so he sends naïve Sebastion on a mission as a tax collector into occupied German territory. After lengthy marches and no tax collected, Sebastion has to run for his life.
To this point, the book is a lovely race through the African bush with lots of laughs and scrapes. Flynn always seems to come out on top, and Sebastian grows into a man from a boy.
Book two takes on a more sinister feel as the First World War starts, and the German Governor can take some revenge on his archenemy across the river. This leads to a vendetta and a fight to the end for vengeance.
A German light cruiser ends up marooned in Flynn’s backyard, and the British Navy needs some help tracking her down. Flynn, always on the lookout to make a few easy gold sovereigns, decides to rope in his daughter and new son-in-law Sebastian whilst also getting payback for the wrongs done against him and his family.
Sebastian finds himself working for the British as a spy sent into the thick of the Germans as a native porter; you have to read the book to get the details!
The climax of the book takes an unexpected turn from books written today. Wilbur Smith was looking to shock us all in the final chapters of Shout at the Devil, and he certainly manages that. Wilbur Smith takes us from joy to the depths of despair, with the final dagger of revenge plunged into the villain’s black heart.
I thoroughly enjoyed Shout at the Devil, as I do with all of Wilbur Smith’s books. I live in Africa and write for a living. Wilbur Smith brings out the beauty and cruelty of this continent and the terrible violence inflicted by the colonial powers as they dragged peaceful native tribesmen into a war that meant nothing to them, and he does this with a skill I only wish I had.
It’s a great read and well worth the time. This book was also made into a film starring Lee Marvin and Roger Moore, which is also a fun Sunday afternoon film to watch. I think the celluloid version of Shout at the Devil has a better ending. But it is up to your taste in these things.
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Below are some more useful links about Safaris in Africa- Enjoy!
Mark Dawson | The Vault
James A. Ross | Hunting Teddy Roosevelt
Wayne Stinnett, John Cunnigham, Nick Sullivan, Nicholas Harvey| Graceless
Through the Leopard’s Gaze | Njambi McGarth
The Sahara Legacy | Ernest Dempsey
Stephen King | A Memoir of the Craft
Petter Rimmer- Echoes From the Past
Top Tips for an African Safari and Beach Holiday
African Safari Which is the Best Country to Choose and Why?
Top Tips for the Perfect African Safari Vehicle
The Naming of Kenya-How and Why!
Zanzibar Tanzania-A must for your Bucket List
A Trip to Monsoon Restaurant Mtwapa
Kerosene Harvesting Stories from Kenya
