28 of 30 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Angels Weep is an outstanding piece of workmanship, Nov 1 1997
By byl@3rdMil.com - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Angels Weep (Mass Market Paperback)
The Angels Weep does what few books can. Smith, as Africa's Michener, skillfully blends the history of Africa with fictional characters, to give the reader both historical insight and a very enjoyable read. This book is two pronged, as it covers the two most important eras of Rhodesian-Zimbabwean history. The late 1800's and 1977 are respectively the eras when the country of Rhodesia was founded, and 1977 the year a black-led revolution took place. In each of these eras, Smith blends a fabric of interwoven and interdependent characters, both black and white, who typify the strength, courage, and keen failures of a land that is both beautiful and dangerous. A warning to the faint of heart, the book is full of violence, a necessary feature of any story about this troubled land. This may be the best book written by a man I think is the world's best author, or at least a peer of the immortal Michener.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
This Effectively Ties Up The Ballantyne Saga, Feb 24 2006
By Chris Ward - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Angels Weep (Paperback)
"The Angels Weep" functions as the closer to the Ballantyne Family series begun with "A Falcon Flies" and "Men of Men." Don't read this before having read these first two. There's another book starring a Ballantyne relation that follows this (and the recent "Triumph of the Sun" an afterthought), but it's dispensible and adds nothing to the arc of these three books.
This is a satisfying closer to the saga-- it tells the story of the birth of Rhodesia, and its death. It's a very bloody tale of black against white-- for those who want a good notion of the historical roots of Zimbabwe, these three books can't be beat. Smith is sometimes accused of racism and sexism, but he's telling a story where these issues can't be ignored, and he does a reasonable job of representing both viewpoints, invader and invaded, black and white, winners and losers. He's clumsy with the romance, but excellent with the battles and the reasons behind them. Worth tracking down.
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not for the faint of heart, Aug 16 2001
By JeffreyG - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Angels Weep (Mass Market Paperback)
I think this book is one of Wilbur Smith's best books. It tells the history of the struggle between the blacks and whites in present-day Zimbabwe. This book probably has more violence and bloodshed than any book I've ever read. However, it tells an important story and has some powerful messages.