His books in the Courtney family series number more than a dozen. Other Wilbur Smith books have been adapted for movies, including 1974’s “Gold” and 1976’s “Shout at the Devil.” ...

Born to a nature-painting, book-loving mother, Elfreda, who read to him every night, Wilbur Smith grew up as a bookworm who loved the adventure series of the pilot Biggles – fitting for a boy ...

Wilbur Addison Smith was born on Jan. 9, 1933, in Broken Hill, Northern Rhodesia (now Kabwe, Zambia). He was named for Wilbur Wright, the aviation pioneer.