7 6 ) ▁was ▁a ▁return ▁to ▁historical ▁nov els , ▁set ▁during ▁the ▁Italian ▁invasion ▁of ▁Eth iop ia ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 5 . ▁He ▁then ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁Court ney ▁family ▁of ▁his ▁first ▁novel ▁with ▁A ▁S par row ▁F alls ▁( 1 9 7 7 ), ▁set ▁during ▁and ▁after ▁World ▁War ▁I . ▁Hun gry ▁as ▁the ▁Sea ▁( 1 9 7 8 ) ▁and ▁Wild ▁Justice ▁( 1 9 7 9 ) ▁were ▁contemporary ▁stories — the ▁latter ▁was ▁his ▁first ▁best ▁s eller ▁in ▁the ▁USA . ▁ ▁He ▁emb ark ed ▁on ▁a ▁new ▁series ▁of ▁historical ▁nov els , ▁cent ering ▁around ▁the ▁fict it ious ▁Ball ant y ne ▁family , ▁who ▁helped ▁colon ise ▁Rh odes ia : ▁A ▁Fal con ▁F lies ▁( 1 9 8 0 ), ▁Men ▁of ▁Men ▁( 1 9 8 1 ), ▁The ▁Ang els ▁We ep ▁( 1 9 8 2 ) ▁and ▁The ▁Leop ard ▁Hun ts ▁in ▁Dark ness ▁( 1 9 8 4 ). ▁ ▁The ▁Burn ing ▁Sh ore ▁( 1 9 8 5 ) ▁saw ▁him ▁return ▁to ▁the ▁Court ney ▁family , ▁from ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁on wards . ▁He ▁called ▁this ▁a ▁" break through " ▁book ▁for ▁him ▁" because ▁the ▁female ▁lead ▁k icked ▁the ▁ar se ▁of ▁all ▁the ▁males ▁in ▁the ▁book ." ▁He ▁stayed ▁with ▁the ▁family ▁for ▁Power ▁of ▁the ▁S word ▁( 1 9 8 6 ) ▁( up