I have a LOT of respect for Wilbur Smith as an historical novelist, but Courtney’s War is absolutely the worst book he has ever produced. I’d like to place the blame on his ghost, David Churchill, but I think Smith should have done more to oversee the project. The plot is thin, confused, and implausible. Set in WWII, it involves two (or more?) star crossed lovers on opposite sides. There are numerous side vignettes and detailed descriptions of atrocities that have virtually nothing to do with the story line. In one extended scene, a tank pulverizes a field gun, perhaps 500 miles from anything relevant to the story. In another, a single engine light plane beheads two soldiers in a truck, then flies off apparently without damage. In caricature straight out of Hogan’s Heroes, Americans and Brits are portrayed as clever, heroic, and nimble, while Germans are either dimwitted or vicious. The hapless Belgians are (again) totally confused about where their loyalties should lie. C’mon, there is tons of historical material available that could have made Courtney’s War a thrilling and accurate tale rather than the comic strip that it is.