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Die by the Sword
A heart-stopping chase across South Africa to find Napoleon’s priceless lost sword, by the master of adventure, Tony Park.
Three bodies are found scattered across South Africa. One on the shores of the Indian Ocean, one in a farm invasion in modern KwaZulu-Natal, and one in 1880, in the aftermath of the Anglo-Zulu War.
Detective Sannie van Rensburg and marine biologist and former soldier Adam Kruger are each on the trail of a mystery, while more than a century ago colonial police officer Peter Gregory has a secret to find the lost sword of the great Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. But he’s not the only one who wants it.
From the blood-soaked battlefields of colonial-era Zululand to the modern-day political struggles over land and poaching in South Africa and war in the Middle East, these investigations are on a dangerous collision course. Because people will kill for a symbol of power.
Three bodies are found scattered across South Africa. One on the shores of the Indian Ocean, one in a farm invasion in modern KwaZulu-Natal, and one in 1880, in the aftermath of the Anglo-Zulu War.
Detective Sannie van Rensburg and marine biologist and former soldier Adam Kruger are each on the trail of a mystery, while more than a century ago colonial police officer Peter Gregory has a secret to find the lost sword of the great Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. But he’s not the only one who wants it.
From the blood-soaked battlefields of colonial-era Zululand to the modern-day political struggles over land and poaching in South Africa and war in the Middle East, these investigations are on a dangerous collision course. Because people will kill for a symbol of power.
475 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 1, 2025
51 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
Tony Park
37 books298 followersTony Park was born in 1964 and grew up in the western suburbs of Sydney. He has worked as a newspaper reporter in Australia and England, a government press secretary, a public relations consultant, and a freelance writer.
He served 34 years in the Australian Army Reserve, including six months in Afghanistan in 2002.
Tony and his wife, Nicola, split their time between Australia and Africa, where they own a house on the edge of of the Kruger National Park.
His 18th African novel, Last Survivor, went to number 1 in South Africa. His 19th novel, Blood Trail, will be released worldwide on August 1, 2021.
Praise for Tony Park
“Wilbur Smith...fans will not be disappointed to have found a spiritual heir,” The Times, London
“Tony Park is Australia’s premier adventure writer.” Canberra Weekly
“One of our best and most consistent thriller writers.” Sydney Morning Herald
“Since Wilbur Smith in his heyday, no one has written as well about southern Africa than Tony Park.” Crime Review (UK)
The Delta: “Break-neck in pace, with narrow escapes from death on every page, its charm is infectious.” Daily Mail, UK
“Tony Park exudes a love and deep knowledge of southern Africa in every line and character he creates in his books.” The Citizen, South Africa.
Far Horizon “Watch your back, Wilbur,” Qantas, The Australian Way
Zambezi: “a compulsive page turner” Sydney Morning Herald.
African Sky: “Rootin’ tootin reading” Sun-Herald
Safari: “He just gets better and better” Sun-Herald
Silent Predator: “Memorably exciting” Sydney Morning Herald
The Prey: “Another ripping yarn based on realistic scenarios,” Daily Telegraph
An Empty Coast: “Another winner which will keep you turning pages.” Crime Review UK
Red Earth: “One helluva fine thriller.” Booklist (US)
The Cull: “A fascinating insight into a life and death struggle.” Daily Telegraph
Captive: “A compelling and fascinating read.” Sunday Tribune
Scent of Fear: “A first-rate thriller.” Canberra Weekly
Ghosts of the Past: “A fabulous tale of betrayal, greed, intrigue and love.” Drum Magazine, South Africa
Last Survivor: “Sure-footed plotting and regular gunfire makes this one of Park’s best books. Recommended.” Canberra Weekly.
He served 34 years in the Australian Army Reserve, including six months in Afghanistan in 2002.
Tony and his wife, Nicola, split their time between Australia and Africa, where they own a house on the edge of of the Kruger National Park.
His 18th African novel, Last Survivor, went to number 1 in South Africa. His 19th novel, Blood Trail, will be released worldwide on August 1, 2021.
Praise for Tony Park
“Wilbur Smith...fans will not be disappointed to have found a spiritual heir,” The Times, London
“Tony Park is Australia’s premier adventure writer.” Canberra Weekly
“One of our best and most consistent thriller writers.” Sydney Morning Herald
“Since Wilbur Smith in his heyday, no one has written as well about southern Africa than Tony Park.” Crime Review (UK)
The Delta: “Break-neck in pace, with narrow escapes from death on every page, its charm is infectious.” Daily Mail, UK
“Tony Park exudes a love and deep knowledge of southern Africa in every line and character he creates in his books.” The Citizen, South Africa.
Far Horizon “Watch your back, Wilbur,” Qantas, The Australian Way
Zambezi: “a compulsive page turner” Sydney Morning Herald.
African Sky: “Rootin’ tootin reading” Sun-Herald
Safari: “He just gets better and better” Sun-Herald
Silent Predator: “Memorably exciting” Sydney Morning Herald
The Prey: “Another ripping yarn based on realistic scenarios,” Daily Telegraph
An Empty Coast: “Another winner which will keep you turning pages.” Crime Review UK
Red Earth: “One helluva fine thriller.” Booklist (US)
The Cull: “A fascinating insight into a life and death struggle.” Daily Telegraph
Captive: “A compelling and fascinating read.” Sunday Tribune
Scent of Fear: “A first-rate thriller.” Canberra Weekly
Ghosts of the Past: “A fabulous tale of betrayal, greed, intrigue and love.” Drum Magazine, South Africa
Last Survivor: “Sure-footed plotting and regular gunfire makes this one of Park’s best books. Recommended.” Canberra Weekly.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 22, 2025
I enjoyed the book. The concept was good and I thought it worked really well.
I like the cover. It has a good colour palette. I really liked the sword. The attention to detail on it was beautiful.
The book was well written and flowed nicely.
The historical element was excellent. I loved that Napoleon's sword was a focal point of the book. It was very well researched.
I enjoyed the setting in Africa. It's such a beautiful country and I enjoy reading about it.
The characters were good and fit in well. I liked Adam. He was interesting and excellent at what he did.
I recommend this to you all.
I like the cover. It has a good colour palette. I really liked the sword. The attention to detail on it was beautiful.
The book was well written and flowed nicely.
The historical element was excellent. I loved that Napoleon's sword was a focal point of the book. It was very well researched.
I enjoyed the setting in Africa. It's such a beautiful country and I enjoy reading about it.
The characters were good and fit in well. I liked Adam. He was interesting and excellent at what he did.
I recommend this to you all.
August 3, 2025
Die By The Sword, Tony Park’s twenty-third novel, is a sweeping, dual timeline story, from the battle fields of the Anglo-Zulu war, to present day KwaZulu-Natal. It’s an absolutely ripping yarn, with masses of fast moving action, historical facts, a touch of romance and, as always, a strong emphasis on the importance of animal conservation.
1880: Former Captain Peter Gregory of the British Army, second son of an aristocratic British family and veteran of the ferocious battle of Isandlwana, Zululand the previous year is attempting without much success to farm in the Natal Midlands, and working as a member of the Natal Mounted Police. Peter has been ordered to escort an American woman to meet up with the Empress Eugenie who is travelling to the memorial site where her son, the Prince Imperial of France, lost his life fighting with the British army in the Anglo-Zulu war. Peter is also tasked with tracking down the sword the prince carried into battle, which had belonged to his great-uncle, Napoleon Bonaparte.
The present day: Adam, who is now Professor Kruger, is working with two of his young students, researching sea turtles at the beach at Bhanga Nek. Adam’s partner, Lieutenant Colonel Sannie van Rensburg, is in the KZN hinterland, having taken temporary charge of the Hawks’ Stock Theft and Endangered Species unit. Sannie and Warrant Officer Marilyn Msani are investigating a case of cattle theft as well as the alleged slaughter of sixteen rhinos.
Adam and his students make an astonishing find which leads them into dangerous territory; meanwhile, Sannie and Marilyn become involved in their own dangerous discoveries. On the personal side, Sannie is starting to wonder if her relationship with Adam is going to survive his single minded devotion to his new career.
Someone once remarked to me that Tony writes in the style of James A Michener, in equal parts informative and entertaining. I couldn’t have put it better myself. Thank you Pan Macmillan, for my ARC.
1880: Former Captain Peter Gregory of the British Army, second son of an aristocratic British family and veteran of the ferocious battle of Isandlwana, Zululand the previous year is attempting without much success to farm in the Natal Midlands, and working as a member of the Natal Mounted Police. Peter has been ordered to escort an American woman to meet up with the Empress Eugenie who is travelling to the memorial site where her son, the Prince Imperial of France, lost his life fighting with the British army in the Anglo-Zulu war. Peter is also tasked with tracking down the sword the prince carried into battle, which had belonged to his great-uncle, Napoleon Bonaparte.
The present day: Adam, who is now Professor Kruger, is working with two of his young students, researching sea turtles at the beach at Bhanga Nek. Adam’s partner, Lieutenant Colonel Sannie van Rensburg, is in the KZN hinterland, having taken temporary charge of the Hawks’ Stock Theft and Endangered Species unit. Sannie and Warrant Officer Marilyn Msani are investigating a case of cattle theft as well as the alleged slaughter of sixteen rhinos.
Adam and his students make an astonishing find which leads them into dangerous territory; meanwhile, Sannie and Marilyn become involved in their own dangerous discoveries. On the personal side, Sannie is starting to wonder if her relationship with Adam is going to survive his single minded devotion to his new career.
Someone once remarked to me that Tony writes in the style of James A Michener, in equal parts informative and entertaining. I couldn’t have put it better myself. Thank you Pan Macmillan, for my ARC.
August 24, 2025
I have to say that while this is historical fiction it isn’t normally a time period I read about, particularly given one of the timeline focuses on war. However, I do enjoy historical fiction and love a well crafted dual timeline so I wanted to give this a go and I am so glad I did. I can see why Park is a 1# best selling author. Die by The Sword was a sweeping, amazingly paced adventure. What I really loved is how Park tied both timelines together and how well the story worked out. The writing is fantastic, it transports you right beside the characters and brings the scenes to life. The characters are crafted so wonderfully you cannot help but get invested. It’s not often a character from a first chapter stands out but I was invested in Gregory by the first chapter – my first mistake! But this is the power of Park’s writing. You get to see the humanity, whether it is good, bad or somewhere in between and you can’t help connecting.
A perfect read for those who love a good thriller, a good historical novel and an absolute must for those who love both. I’m so happy I tried this one and I am also glad to know I have quite a few more of Park’s books I can go through and no doubt enjoy.
As always thank you to Zooloo’s Book Tours for the copy to review. My review is always honest, truthful and freely given.
A perfect read for those who love a good thriller, a good historical novel and an absolute must for those who love both. I’m so happy I tried this one and I am also glad to know I have quite a few more of Park’s books I can go through and no doubt enjoy.
As always thank you to Zooloo’s Book Tours for the copy to review. My review is always honest, truthful and freely given.
August 23, 2025
What’s not to like about this book? There’s action, adventure, history and a touch of romance, everything you would expect from Tony Park.
The story is told over two timelines each equally interesting. It is obvious that a lot of research went into this book and I found the history of the Anglo-Zulu war fascinating.
The African setting was such a wonderful backdrop for this story and the descriptions brought the location to technicolour life.
The characters in both timelines have amazing adventures that are cleverly tied together by the sword of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Although this book comes in just shy of 500 pages it never felt drawn out. If anything it was almost the opposite as I raced through it in 3 days. I found it totally gripping and was unable to put it down. It’s definitely a ‘one more chapter’ kind of book and is easily one of my top reads for 2025.
Thank you to Zooloos Book Tours and the author for the free review copy.
The story is told over two timelines each equally interesting. It is obvious that a lot of research went into this book and I found the history of the Anglo-Zulu war fascinating.
The African setting was such a wonderful backdrop for this story and the descriptions brought the location to technicolour life.
The characters in both timelines have amazing adventures that are cleverly tied together by the sword of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Although this book comes in just shy of 500 pages it never felt drawn out. If anything it was almost the opposite as I raced through it in 3 days. I found it totally gripping and was unable to put it down. It’s definitely a ‘one more chapter’ kind of book and is easily one of my top reads for 2025.
Thank you to Zooloos Book Tours and the author for the free review copy.
August 20, 2025
This was such a good read, the book follows two timelines, present day and 1880.
Even though it’s two stories in one it’s incredibly easy to follow and I found both timelines fascinating.
I can safely say I’ve never read anything about the Anglo-Zulu war other than seeing the odd Zulu film when I was young, it’s a book that I may not have picked up but my goodness I’m glad I did. Loved it!
The descriptions of the times and characters in both timelines were so good and the story was full of action with a bit of romance thrown in.
I will definitely be looking up the other books from Tony Park and would recommend this book to anyone wanting a good read.
I’m so glad I was on this tour thank you for adding me ❤️
#diebythesword
#tonypark @tonyparkauthor
#zooloosbooktour @zooloosbooktours
Even though it’s two stories in one it’s incredibly easy to follow and I found both timelines fascinating.
I can safely say I’ve never read anything about the Anglo-Zulu war other than seeing the odd Zulu film when I was young, it’s a book that I may not have picked up but my goodness I’m glad I did. Loved it!
The descriptions of the times and characters in both timelines were so good and the story was full of action with a bit of romance thrown in.
I will definitely be looking up the other books from Tony Park and would recommend this book to anyone wanting a good read.
I’m so glad I was on this tour thank you for adding me ❤️
#diebythesword
#tonypark @tonyparkauthor
#zooloosbooktour @zooloosbooktours
August 21, 2025
Today, I get to return to Tony Park's world. It has been a while since I read anything from him, so I was so happy to be able to dive into Die By The Sword.
Told over duel timelines, the present day and 1880, this was an amazing read. Both the present and past are as immersive as each other. Tony Park's research is crystal clear, and it created a story that was as entertaining as educational.
The action is balanced perfectly with a dash of romance also. The characters and settings were so vivid that I could have been there in person. Yet another cracker of a read from Tony Park!
Told over duel timelines, the present day and 1880, this was an amazing read. Both the present and past are as immersive as each other. Tony Park's research is crystal clear, and it created a story that was as entertaining as educational.
The action is balanced perfectly with a dash of romance also. The characters and settings were so vivid that I could have been there in person. Yet another cracker of a read from Tony Park!
August 5, 2025
A TREMENDOUS STORY INTERLOCKING GENERATIONS
Two separate stories collide with a historical twist. Action packed with great character development. The story of napoleons sword and his last heir to have it before his demise are the premise of this thrilling story The story evolves into modern day what really happened to the sword. Don’t miss this read A Rollicking adventure
Two separate stories collide with a historical twist. Action packed with great character development. The story of napoleons sword and his last heir to have it before his demise are the premise of this thrilling story The story evolves into modern day what really happened to the sword. Don’t miss this read A Rollicking adventure
September 18, 2025
This book does not disappoint. Having grown up in the area in which the book plays out it was great reading about the history of what took place many years ago. A great read from a great author. When’s the next book coming out.
August 20, 2025
Beautiful yet harrowing story about war, love and loss.
Tony Park has done it again ✨✨✨✨✨
Tony Park has done it again ✨✨✨✨✨
August 30, 2025
Absolutely sucked couldn’t even Finnish. I personally meet the author and in his own words, “there is no plot” and honestly I can tell.
September 16, 2025
Another fantastic, thrilling read with some more interesting information on endangered animals from Tony Park
October 8, 2025
An enjoyable read.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews