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1930s: Across the goldfields of South Africa to the 1930s Olympics in Berlin…
Power of the Sword
What you need to know before your trail
Across the goldfields of South Africa to the 1930s Olympics in Berlin, this is a story of two brothers who have grown up with very different ideas and paths in life. Shasa has been groomed to take control of the Courtney mining company but Manfred has been trained to kill lions, and men.
When war comes, the two brothers take their own sides. Shasa takes care of his continent and its people whereas Manfred wants to shape the world with a gun
Now, the future of a young nation is being forged amidst a clash of civilizations, ideals, and blood feuds. And as Shasa and Manfred rise to power, a land of beauty and suffering will be remade–for better or for worse–in an image of their own, in Wilbur Smith’s “Power of the Sword.””
Travel Guide
South Africa
From the early days of the Great Depression up to the beginning of Apartheid.
The boys have a very different upbringing. Shasa rubs elbows with the British South African elite and enjoys all the perks and privileges that that entails. Manfred on the other hand lives on the other side of the fence so to speak and becomes indoctrinated with the deeply-rooted Boer sentiment of white South Africans.
Manfred’s uncle Tromp Bierman is a well known and much respected Minister of the Dutch Reformed Church. This showcases the anti-British sentiment about South African rule which was brewing at the time
Berlin
“Berlin was a city of flags and banners”
Shasa and Manfred qualify to represent South Africa at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Manfred however is the brother who gets involved with the Nazis, and he is employed as a secret agent who is to help in bringing down the South African government.
They visit Griinewald district as this is the millionaires district on the western outskirts of the sprawling city.
Booktrail Boarding Pass: Power of the Sword
Destination: South Africa, Berlin Author/Guide: Wilbur Smith Departure Time: 1930s
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