Bondalucci said...
"Birds of Prey" by Wilbur Smith, was an awesome book imho. You could smell the salt air in your nostrils as you read about the piracy adventures of the Courtneys' around the rugged coast of Africa.
-exciting and brutal!
Then there were excellent sequels to look forward to that followed the paths of the next generations.
Anything by Wilbur Smith is brilliant. Hadn't read him in ages but currently halfway through Monsoon. Another Courtney sailing book.
Also anything by Bryce Courtney is very good. He is similar to Smith but with an Australian bent these days. Stand out was for me was The Persimmon Tree, brilliant and set against the backdrop of WWII, but they are all good.
If you want a good classic try "For the term of his natural life" As good as anything these days and written over a 100 years ago...
And finally - "Magician" by Raymond E Feast and the 20+ books that follow it. The absolute must read for anyone who ever dreamed of having the ability to do pretty much anything......