▁centuries , ▁seen ▁from ▁the ▁view points ▁of ▁both ▁black ▁and ▁white ▁families . ▁ ▁An ▁account ant ▁by ▁training , ▁he ▁gained ▁a ▁film ▁contract ▁with ▁his ▁first ▁published ▁novel ▁When ▁the ▁Lion ▁Fe eds . ▁This ▁encourag ed ▁him ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁full - time ▁writer , ▁and ▁he ▁developed ▁three ▁long ▁chron icles ▁of ▁the ▁South ▁African ▁experience ▁which ▁all ▁became ▁best - s ellers . ▁He ▁still ▁acknowled ges ▁his ▁publish er ▁Charles ▁Pick ' s ▁advice ▁to ▁" write ▁about ▁what ▁you ▁know ▁best ", ▁and ▁his ▁work ▁takes ▁in ▁much ▁authentic ▁detail ▁of ▁the ▁local ▁hunting ▁and ▁min ing ▁way ▁of ▁life , ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁rom ance ▁and ▁conflict ▁that ▁goes ▁with ▁it . ▁As ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁his ▁ 3 5 ▁published ▁nov els ▁had ▁sold ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 2 0 ▁million ▁copies , ▁ 2 4 ▁million ▁of ▁them ▁in ▁Italy . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁ ▁Smith ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Bro ken ▁Hill , ▁Northern ▁Rh odes ia ▁( now ▁Kab we , ▁Z amb ia ). ▁His ▁father ▁was ▁a ▁metal ▁worker ▁who ▁opened ▁a ▁sheet ▁metal ▁factory ▁and ▁then ▁bought ▁a ▁cattle ▁ran ch . ▁" My ▁father ▁was ▁a ▁t ough ▁man ", ▁said ▁Smith . ▁" He ▁was ▁used ▁to ▁working ▁with ▁his ▁hands ▁and ▁had ▁mass ively ▁developed ▁arms ▁from ▁cutting ▁metal . ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁box er , ▁a ▁h unter , ▁very ▁much ▁a ▁man ' s ▁man . ▁I ▁don ' t