Kapuscinski is an author of great travel books, he wrote very good ones about Russia (which is called "Empire", not quite sure about the title in English) and Africa, he has very good knowledge of countries he discribes and a lot of sense of humour, just try it!
Yeah, I think it's possible to buy them in English cause Kapuscinski is known not only in Poland, also in Germany and in some other European countries. I reckon his books should be available in English, too.
Unfortunately I haven't read any book of Wilbur Smith, but maybe someone else can help you? And I've been talking about Ryszard Kapuscinski all the time
Here you have some info from English wikipedia about him:
- White Eagle, Red Star: The Polish-Soviet War, 1919-20. - Poland, Past and Present. - God's Playground. A History of Poland. Vol. 1 P - Heart of Europe. A Short History of Poland. - Heart of Europe : The Past in Poland's Present - Jews in Eastern Poland and the USSR, 1939-46. - Europe: A History - Auschwitz and the Second World War in Poland - Red Winds from the North. Able Publishing - Microcosm. Portrait of a Central European City - Rising '44. The Battle for Warsaw - Europe East and West: A Collection of Essays on European History
Kapuscinski is most definitely not a 'travel writer'. He is a keen observer and a social and political commentator. Do not expect to find descriptions of famous sights and good hotels in his books. He is a journalist, a reporter by profession.
He has written a book about the Ethiopian emperor and another one about the football war between Honduras and El Salvador.