The Triumph of the Sun was published by Macmillan in 2005. The novel is set during the Siege of Khartoum (1884-1885), when the Mahdi’s forces surrounded the Sudanese capital and General Charles Gordon — sent to evacuate the garrison — instead chose to defend the city and wait for a relief expedition that arrived two days too late.
Smith places members of the Dobie and Ballantyne families inside the besieged city: Ryder Dobie is a trader whose riverboats could evacuate civilians; Rebecca Dobie is a young woman trapped with her family. The siege conditions — starvation, disease, the constant threat of the Dervish assault — are rendered with Smith’s characteristic physical immediacy. Gordon himself appears as a secondary character: brilliant, messianic, doomed.
The novel demonstrates Smith’s ability to work at the intersection of historical fiction and family saga. The fall of Khartoum is meticulously researched (it draws on the same events Churchill covered in The River War), while the fictional characters provide the emotional engagement that pure history sometimes lacks. The Mahdi’s warriors are treated with surprising respect — their courage and conviction are acknowledged even as their violence is unflinchingly depicted.
The Fall of Khartoum
The historical Siege of Khartoum (1884-1885) remains one of the defining military disasters of the Victorian era. Gordon’s death — killed as the Mahdi’s forces stormed the city on January 26, 1885, two days before the relief expedition arrived — became a symbol of imperial hubris and heroic martyrdom simultaneously. Smith’s rendering of the final assault is among his finest set-pieces.
Collecting The Triumph of the Sun
First edition (Macmillan, London, 2005): Boards with dust jacket.
Approximate market values:
- First edition, fine/fine: $20–$50
- Very good/very good: $10–$25
Projected values (2026–2036): Moderate appreciation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened at the fall of Khartoum? On 26 January 1885, Mahdist forces breached the defences of Khartoum after a 317-day siege. General Charles Gordon was killed on the steps of the Governor’s Palace. The relief column arrived two days too late. Gordon’s death became one of the defining moments of the Victorian era.