Wilbur Addison Smith (born January 9, 1933 in Broken Hill, Northern Rhodesia, now Kabwe, Zambia) is a best-selling novelist currently residing in London. Smith is probably the most famous author to write about an Egyptian eunuch, the main character in his four Egyptian novels.  Set in the land of the ancient Pharaohs, this quartet vividly describes ancient Egypt and has a cast of unforgettable characters, especially Taita – a wise and formidably gifted eunuch slave.
River God tells the story of the talented eunuch slave Taita, his life in Egypt, the flight of Taita along with the Eygptian populace from the Hyksos invasion, and their eventual return. The novel can be grouped together with Wilbur Smith’s other books on Ancient Egypt. It was first published in 1994.  This historical novel centers around the little-known facts behind the Hyksos invasion of Egypt, circa 1780 B.C. Containing all the standard elements of great adventure–intrigue, romance, greed, cruelty and furious action–the yarn is spun by the clever eunuch Taita, who reports on events with an irony akin to a 20th-century sensibility. Taita is the slave of Egypt’s scheming Grand Vizier Lord Intef, whose daughter Lostris is in love with Tanus, a young army officer whose father’s demise was brought about by Intef’s greed. Knowing of his daughter’s love, Intef devises a plan for her to become the bride of Pharaoh Mamose. These maneuvers set the stage for the story of two warring Nile kingdoms, the arrival of the Hyksos and the ultimate exodus of the Egyptian court, now ruled by Queen Lostris. Taita is a curious creation. He is clever and wise, but we don’t know how he became so learned or what his country of origin is. The brilliant slave invented a system for calculating the rise and ebb of the Nile, is extremely knowledgeable in the ways of healing, improves upon the wheel and trains horses (both of which were brought to Egypt by the invading Hyksos). He is also clever enough to manipulate the Pharaoh into believing that he is the father of Prince Regent Memnon, the offspring of a forbidden tryst between Lostris and Tanus. Somehow, this doesn’t ring true.
The Seventh Scroll, first published in 1995, is the second of the ‘Egyptian’ series of novels by Smith and follows the exploits of the adventurer Nicholas Quenton-Harper and Dr. Royan Al Simma. The tomb of Tanus which is the focus of the book refers to another novel by the author, River God.  It is set in modern times.  A search for the 4000-year-old tomb of an Egyptian pharaoh along the Nile’s headwaters in Ethiopia is the focus of this intoxicating sequel to River God. A heady mix of exotic adventure, romance and Egyptology, it pairs blueblood, devil-may-care Sir Nicholas Quenton-Harper, who recently has lost his wife and children in a tragic accident, and half-English, half-Egyptian archeologist Royan Al-Sima, herself recently bereaved, in a desperate race to unearth Pharaoh Mamose’s fabulous treasures. Their rival in this quest is Gotthold von Schiller, an old, crazed, murderous German collector of antiquities whose mistress, a porno actress, dresses up as an ancient Egyptian queen to titillate him. The major clue is the eponymous seventh scroll, key to the tomb’s location, written by ancient Egyptian scribe and eunuch Taita, who figured prominently in River God. As the novel opens, thugs hired by von Schiller steal the scroll, and thereafter the rival archeologist teams play a cat-and-mouse game with Taita across the millennia, avoiding lethal traps and deciphering red herrings, which will fool the reader too. The colorful cast includes alcoholic ex-KGB operative Boris Brusilov and ruthless Texan Jake Helm, von Schiller’s slavish sidekick. Fans of intricate adventure and Egyptian lore will be captivated by Smith’s capacious saga, which should serve to increase his audience in the States. This prolific and popular British writer-with 24 previous novels, he is a bestseller in England and elsewhere, to the tune of 65 million copies-is a master of the genre.
Warlock, first published in 2001, is the third installment of this series of novels by Smith set to ancient Egypt and follows the fate of the Egyptian Kingdom through the eyes of Taita, the multi-talented and highly skilled eunuch slave of the previous two novels.  Lengthy but seamlessly composed tracks a power struggle in ancient Egypt between false pharaohs and a true royal heir, evoking the cruel glories and terrible torments of the era. The kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt have been at war for 60 years. Upper Egypt is ruled by Tamose, Lower Egypt by Apepi, king of the Hyksos. Treachery and assassination eliminate both rulers, allowing two false pharaohs to unite in an orgy of tyranny and oppression. Tamose’s son, Prince Nefer, is his father’s rightful heir, but the false pharaoh, Lord Naja, denies Nefer’s birthright and plots to kill the young prince. Aided by the royal sorcerer, a warlock named Taita, Nefer escapes Naja’s plots. Nefer and Taita outwit assassins, evil magicians, pursuing armies and even the treachery of Nefer’s own sister, as they raise their own army in the lost desert city of Gallala. Taita’s magic spells and occult powers protect, teach and guide Nefer on his tortuous path to regain the throne and save the woman he loves, Princess Mintaka, daughter of slain King Apepi. However, as Nefer’s strength grows, so does that of his enemies, and it will take all of Nefer’s courage and Taita’s mystical powers to prevail when the chariot armies of evil sweep across the desert wasteland to the gates of Gallala. This is a very bloody and violent yarn, set in an age when merciless combat, torture, rape and sacrifice were common. Though timorous readers may wish to steer clear, those willing to brave the blood and gore will be carried away by the sweep and pace of Smith’s tale.
The Quest, first published in 2007, is the fourth and last of the Egyptian novels.  If you read the first three novels in Smith’s ancient Egyptian series and enjoyed them as much as I did, you will welcome the fourth book in the saga, which picks up where Warlock (2001) left off. The powerful magus Taita and his loyal ally, Col. Meren Cambyses, have returned to Egypt after a journey of many years only to find the country beset by a series of plagues that include giant flesh-eating toads and river water turned to blood. Pharaoh Nefer Seti asks the pair to find—and eliminate—the source of his country’s torment, a mission that sends Taita and Meren on a perilous quest in which they must contend with fierce creatures both natural and supernatural. Once again Smith deftly blends history, fantasy and mythology, but newcomers should be prepared for grisly deaths and mutilations.

I am planning for author spotlights to be a regular feature of this blog.  If any of you out there are avid readers and would like to make some suggestions, please feel free.  I will also be more than happy to accept contributions from my readers of reviews of books that might be of interest to the readers of The Closet Professor.

As I was working on a post about eunuchs in Pharonic Egypt, I thought about this post I did for Cocks, Asses, and More a few weeks ago.  I began to think about my knowledge of homosexuality in Ancient Egypt and about what I knew about Egyptian eunuchs. The result was: not much about homosexuality and only a little about eunuchs in Egypt. Despite Ancient Egypt being a pre-Christian culture and one of the world’s oldest civilizations, there is very little mention of sex, sexuality, or homosexuality. Why is that? Well, I began to think and do a little research. I remembered that I had read that not only were the Ancient Egyptians prudish, but also the Egyptologists who have written their history were prudish. I read a great deal, so it took me a little bit to remember where I had read this. Then I remembered that it was in Geoffrey Knights book, The Riddle of the Sands. Geoff has written two wonderfully fun books in his Fathom’s Five Series. If you were a fan of Indiana Jones, then these are the books for you. Think of five hot adventurers and treasure hunters who are all gay, then you have Fathom’s Five. I think it is best to read the books in order. The first one, The Cross of Sin, was just recently re-released as an e-book with missing chapters, deleted scenes, secret files, and a new short story “The Amazing Adventures of Elsa Strauss: The Dame of Notre Dame”, and over 70 pages of bonus material. I love reading adventure/historical books such as by Dan Brown, Steve Berry, Paul Christopher, and my personal favorite Will Adams, but all of these have one thing in common, they are written for a heterosexual audience and are not really gay oriented (though Will Adams is more so). This is why I love Geoffrey Knight’s books, all of the characters are gay and that just makes it more fun. You can get the re-released version of The Cross of Sin by clicking on the link, or you can get the original version through Amazon.com. Here are the links for those: The Cross of Sin and The Riddle of the Sands. Both are also available in the Kindle Edition, which is how I read them. So if you have enjoyed my history posts, here are some great books to read that I think you would also enjoy. You can check out Geoff’s two blogs: Geoffrey Knight and Geoffrey Knight XXX. (Geoff knows great eye candy, and it is a great way to keep up with his book releases.) Geoff also has three new books in the works and coming soon:

Drive Shaft: Jensen Rivers wasn’t looking for trouble. As the new kid on the block at Clyde’s Body Shop, all Jensen wanted was a job, a place where he could put his head down and ass up. Young and handsome, he was the kind of simple, honest guy who was happiest when he was working hard, with oil smeared across his chest and grease up to his elbows.
But Dean ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson plans on getting more than just Jensen’s hands dirty! Reckless and arrogant, drenched in sweat and dripping with a masculinity that cannot be tamed, Hutch challenges Jensen to a series of perilous night races. The prize: sexual domination! Night after night, wheels burn, passions flare and the no-holds-barred lust between two testosterone fuelled daredevils ignites. But losing a race is one thing. Losing your heart is something altogether more dangerous. Will Jensen risk everything to find the love trapped behind Hutch’s fearless façade? Will Hutch bury the secret tragedy of his past before he throws away his last chance at a future? Kickstart your need for speed, fire up your lust for life and buckle up for hottest thrill-ride of the year—Drive Shaft. (I couldn’t find a picture of the book cover to post, so I used a picture from my vast collection instead).
Scott Sapphire and the Emerald Orchid: Meet Scott Sapphire—lover of French champagne, Belgian chocolate and dangerous men. He is suave. He is sexy. He is a man of the world—and a man that the world desperately wants to catch. For Scott Sapphire is the greatest jewel thief of our time. Dashing. Daring. And always neck-deep in trouble. When Scott’s latest heist lands him in possession of a map to a rare and precious orchid, it’ll take more than bedroom eyes and a charming smile to stay one step ahead of the world’s deadliest drug baron, as well as keep the CIA off Scott’s back and a handsome special agent out of his pants—or maybe not. From New York City to the Amazon jungle, from Rio de Janeiro to the French Riviera—and from the writer of the world’s Number #1 gay adventure series, Fathom’s Five—comes a brand new hero as irresistible as diamonds and pearls. Adventure has a new name! And that name is Scott Sapphire.
The third book in the works is the next in the Fathom’s Five Series. I can’t wait.

This was originally supposed to be a post about Homosexuality in Ancient Egypt, but I have gotten a little carried away talking about Geoff’s books. I hope that Geoff won’t mind. So since this one is sort of long, I’ve decided to do a part two about Homosexuality in Ancient Egypt. Stay tuned.
This post about books is a recommendation, not an advertisement.
The next post will be another Author Spotlight, then the hopefully the post I have been working on about eunuchs in Pharonic Egypt.

Jason Goodwin (born 1964) is a British writer and historian. He studied Byzantine history at Cambridge University. Following the success of A Time For Tea: Travels in China and India in Search of Tea, he walked from Poland to Istanbul, Turkey. His account of the journey, On Foot to the Golden Horn, won the John Llewellyn Rhys/Mail on Sunday Prize in 1993.
Subsequently he wrote Lords of the Horizons: A History of the Ottoman Empire. Later, he became popular as the author of the mysteries The Janissary Tree and The Snake Stone, two books which pivot on a Turkish eunuch detective, Yashim, who lives and works in 19th century Istanbul. The Janissary Tree won the coveted Edgar Award for Best Novel in 2007 and will be available in 38 languages. The third Yashim novel, The Bellini Card, was released in the summer of 2008. A fourth novel is set to be published in April 2011 called An Evil Eye (Yashim the Eunuch). The books are a fascinating read. Yashim the eunuch was castrated as a boy by an enemy of his father’s, so he did what anyone during this 1800s in Istanbul who had lost their testicles—he became a eunuch. These books are most certainly not gay books, though they are far from homophobic, it just isn’t part of the stories. As a member of the royal household, Yashim is the detective the Sultan turns to when he needs a mystery solved. Yashim uses his many contact, including his friend the Polish ambassador, Stanislaw Palewski (both feel a kindred spirit because Poland was no longer a country, and thus as Palewski says, he is a man without a country—not fully a man at all, and Yashim is a man without balls—not fully a man either.
The Janissary Tree: A Novel
In 1836, though the corrupt elite troops known as the Janissaries were crushed 10 years earlier, there are ominous signs that their influence still persists in the twisted alleys and secret places of Istanbul. A series of crimes, including the barbaric murders of several soldiers and the theft of some precious jewels, leads eunuch Yashim Togalu to delve into the past in an effort to separate legend from truth. With special access to all areas of the sultan’s royal court, Yashim uses his network of contacts to try to solve the crimes.

The Snake Stone: A Novel
When French archeologist Maximilien Lefèvre begins asking very pointed, well-informed questions about long-lost Greek artifacts and then is found dead outside the French embassy, series hero Yashim, a Turkish eunuch, finds himself suspected of the murder. His efforts to clear his name take him from markets and wharves to palaces and underground tunnels as he uncovers a secret society, unearths sacred relics and hunts the murderer. Goodwin’s secondary characters, particularly Yashim’s close friend Stanislaw Palewski, the world-weary Polish ambassador, are distinct and memorable, and the mystery presents an entertaining challenge to the reader as well as to charming, determined Yashim.
The Bellini Card: A Novel
Near the start of Edgar-winner Goodwin’s fine third historical to feature the eunuch Yashim, who serves the Ottoman rulers of early 19th-century Turkey (after 2008’s The Snake Stone), Yashim’s close friend Stanislaw Palewski, the Polish ambassador to the Turkish sultan, accepts an undercover assignment on the sultan’s behalf. Posing as an American, the diplomat travels to Venice in an effort to locate a portrait of Mehmet the Conqueror (who reclaimed Constantinople from the Christians in 1453), painted by the legendary artist Gentile Bellini. Fortunately for Palewski, Yashim, who has a secret plan for the painting’s recovery, intervenes in time to set the mission on the right track after the murder of two art dealers. While Yashim initially plays a backstage role, the eunuch and a shadowy power broker engage in an exciting and complex duel of wits in the book’s final quarter.