A Hand Full of Diamonds

Norwoods second book, A Hand Full of Diamonds is subtitled Further Adventures and Experiences in the Jungles and Diamond Fields of Guiana and Brazil.
I haven't read his first book, titled Man Alone!, but the first chapter in this book provides a summary overview of that book. This book is set up to be the redemption of his earlier experiences.

The experiences and this story is similar to a couple of other books I have read, Diamond River, which takes place in nearly Venezuela and a little like Steps to a Fortune, which focuses more on Inca gold. Both these books are very good also.

So the main thrust of this is Norwood is a prospector / miner interested in diamonds in Guiana (British Guiana, independent Guyana since 1966). His first book tells of his finding a site rich in diamonds and gold, and in trying to make is way back to civilisation, his colleague is killed, and he is robbed and left for dead by bandits. At the start of this second book he has recovered, and sets about to plan a return to his secret location.

Much of the book covers periods of Norwood's great stress in raising funds, negotiating and making deals with shady characters often through desperation, and in managing finances between the actual mining and prospecting. In some respects it would have been beneficial to edit this side of the story a bit harder, and add a bit more detail of the mining and prospecting - but this is a minor criticism.

Although failure is more prevalent in this story than success, it is a stimulating enough rollercoaster ride of his time, often double crossed and ripped off. He puts his own health in jeopardy in even visiting South America against his doctors orders, returning to Britain for a series of operations, desperately raising funds the whole time he was there, only to return to Guiana to find his team had broken up after various arguments. Returning with better funding, better equipment and a much more ambitious plan, the last 50 pages of the book lead up to an ending which promises more! No doubt a third book will follow! (“Drums Along the Amazon” appears to be that third book, published 1964.)

From what i can see Norwood's books are fairly obscure, but I would take any opportunity to pickup his other books.

4 stars.