Wilbur Smith uses the Ballantyne novels, particularly Men-of-Men, and Angels weep, to tell the story of Rhodesia. Several of his characters are based on one or more historical figures.
Wilbur Smiths character Fuller Ballantyne marries Hellen Moffat. = The explorer David Livingstone married Mary Moffat.
WS says Zouga Ballantyne is so named because he was born on the banks of the Zouga River. = David and Mary Livingstone’s son William was nick-named Zouga within the family, because he was born on the banks of the Zouga River in 1851.
WS refers to The Zouga River as being in Khama’s Land. = The Zouga is a seasonal river, now known as the Boteti or Botetle, in Botswana. Khama was a tribal chief of the Bamangwato, in what was then Bechuanaland. At independence one of his descendants Seretsi Khama became the 1st President of Botswana. Hence Khama’s land.
WS character Ralph Ballantyne :- 1st Primeminister of Rhodesia, buried beside Rhodes, & Great Grandson of Robert Moffat (Although WS twice refers to Ralph as Robert Moffat’s Grandson. and only once as Great-Grandson)
= Hybrid of two actual people:
Charles Patrick John Coghlan :- 1st Prime minister of Rhodesia, buried beside Rhodes.
Howard Unwin Moffat :- 2nd Primeminister of Rhodesia, Grandson of Robert Moffat.
WS. Zouga writes a book called ‘Hunters Odyssey’. = Fredereck Courtney Selous wrote ‘A hunters wanderings in Africa’
WS. Zouga leads Roosevelt on Safari. = Fredereck Courtney Selous lead Roosevelt on Safari.
WS. Tom Harkness gives Zouga a map to a gold field. = Thomas Baines wrote ‘The Gold fields of South & East Africa’ which contained a map in a pocket in the cover.
WS. Robyn Ballantyne wrote ‘Trooper Hackett of Matabeleland’. = Olive Schreiner wrote ‘Trooper Peter Halket of Mashonaland’.
WS. Jordan Ballantyne becomes secretary to Cecil Rhodes. = Philip Jourdan was secretary to Cecil Rhodes.
WS. Ralph forms a company called Rholands (Rhodesian Lands) = This is obviously a play on Lonrho (London Rhodesian). This shows that Wilbur Smith has a sense of humour as Lonrho was run from 1962 to1993 by Roland Rowland, better known as ‘Tiny’ Rowland.
There are loads of other parallels which I will add as I remember them.