Bestselling author Wilbur Smith dies aged 88

The Zambian-born writer published 49 books and sold more than 140 million copies worldwide

Author Wilbur Smith died at his home in South Africa on Saturday after a decades-long career in writing, his office said. He was 88.

With 49 titles under his belt, Smith became a household name, with his swashbuckling adventure stories taking readers from tropical islands to the jungles of Africa and even Ancient Egypt and World War II.