Wilbur Smith’s War Cry as Intellectual History

Abstract

The authenticity of historical narratives has always been questioned but the genre has existed from 2000 BC and thrives today as one of the best sources of entertainment in print and media. The genre is born when philosophical and theological disputes arise to preserve a particular culture or belief. Such Intellectual histories have structures of their own and they have contributed to the restructuring of the historical field. This paper analyses this Intellectual history and its parameters, revealing how truth is hidden in fiction while history itself is contorted to suit political ideals.

Keywords: Historical fiction, New Historicism, Metahistory, war writings, Wilbur Smith