As the Crow Flies [Hardcover]

Jeffrey Archer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 24, 1992

Spanning seven turbulent decades, this story traces the fabulous rise of poor but ambitious Charlie Trumper, a man who becomes embroiled in one family's battle to build London's greatest department store against overwhelming odds and undermining enemies.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

When Charlie Trumper inherits his grandfather's fruit and vegetable barrow, he inherits as well his enterprising spirit, which quickly lifts him out of poverty in London's East End. Success, however, does not come easily or quickly, particularly when World War I sends Charlie into combat and into an ongoing struggle with a vengeful enemy who will not rest until Charlie is destroyed. Charlie Trumper's epic journey carries him across three continents and through the triumphs and disasters of the twentieth century, all leading toward the fulfillment of his greatest dream. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Practiced raconteur Archer ( Kane & Abel ) engagingly presents the rags-to-riches story of Charlie Trumper, a man who learns to buy and sell by working at his grandfather's vegetable cart in the early 1900s. He and his devoted wife Rebecca quickly become known for fair but cunning business practices as they purchase shops and determinedly develop a department store encompassing most of a London block. They have dangerous enemies, however: Guy Trentham, Charlie's traitorous WW I nemesis and the philandering father of Rebecca's illegitimate son, and Ethel, his wealthy and ruthless mother, both trying to protect the tarnished Trentham family name by undermining those who know of Guy's misdeeds. The Trumpers cut a predictable path through the early years, comfortable and optimistic despite the Trenthams' attempts to foil them; later, legal wranglings, tragedy and questions of patrimony decades old threaten the Trumper empire, while the reader, privy to solutions thanks to dramatic irony, roots in earnest for the good guys. His prose simple and direct, Archer spins a compelling yarn with well-drawn characters, suspenseful pacing and interesting background detail of England's social classes. 300,000 first printing; major ad/promo; Literary Guild main selection; author tour.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Random House Value Publishing; First Edition edition (November 24, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517092220
• ISBN-13: 978-0517092224
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (83 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,292,912 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jeffrey Archer was educated at Oxford University. He has served five years in Britain's House of Commons, fourteen years in the House of Lords and two in Her majesty's prisons, which spawned three volumes of highly acclaimed Prison Diaries. All of his novels and short story collections--including Kane and Abel, Sons of Fortune, and False Impression--have been international bestsellers. Archer is married with two children and lives in London and Cambridge.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

58 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars By far Archer's most superb book!, October 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: As the Crow Flies (Mass Market Paperback)

Ever since I read my first Jeffrey Archer novel a year ago, I have never failed to be impressed by the fluid and seemingly uncanny flair for writing he appears to posess. I managed to cover every book of his, from Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less to The Eleventh Commandment within a space of six months, apart from As the Crow Flies as I felt that it would be quite a chore to plough through 738 pages (UK paperback edition). How wrong I turned out to be. Right from the very moment I completed the first chapter of ATCF to the very last page, I simply could not get the incredible story out of my head- the enterprising and brilliant Charlie, the scheming Mrs. Trentham, the practical, intelligent Daphne- just kept flooding my thoughts. I finished the book within three days, which was a rather short period of time by my standards. This is one book which is equal to, if not better than, Archer's classic novel, Kane and Abel, especially in terms of plot twists. Jeffrey Archer tells the story from a multitude of viewpoints, making the book all the more interesting, given the fact that we, the readers, actually get to sample the feelings of the many characters. Archer's strength lies in his ability to tell the story of a person right from his or her birth (take K&A or The Fourth Estate for example), which is also evident in ATCF. Without the slightest doubt, As the Crow Flies justifies the fact that, to quote the Mail on Sunday, Jeffrey Archer is 'probably the greatest storyteller of our age'!

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jeffrey Archer Is Undisputed Master of Storytelling, May 10, 2004

By 

Antoinette Klein (Hoover, Alabama USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: As the Crow Flies (Hardcover)

This is the third novel by Jeffrey Archer that I have read and I can't wait to read more. His amazing storytelling ability, completely enchanting characters, and surprising twists all combine to make a totally enjoyable novel.

Archer uses his rags-to-riches theme with Charlie Trumper, young barrow boy from the Whitechapel area of London's East End. Charlie masters the fine craft of becoming the best fruit and vegetable man in all of the East End, a talent he hones at his grandfather's side and one that stays with him for life and gives him his greatest thrill.

The reader watches Charlie grow from eight-year-old urchin to World War I soldier and chairman of his own London department store. Along the way both triumph and tragedy are his companions, but it is his bitter and hate-filled feud with the Trentham family that will leave you aghast and shocked, but always mesmerized and turning the pages.

For Jeffrey Archer has written here the ultimate page-turner, one you will be loathe to put down for such mundane tasks as going to work or sleeping. And as always with Jeffrey Archer, you will never guess the ending. He will surprise you and make this reading experience one you'll long savor.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent introduction to Archer, December 20, 2006

By 

Steven Sabin (Lake Tahoe, NV USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: As the Crow Flies (Mass Market Paperback)

Somewhere in my past, I had heard Jeffrey Archer criticized as writing "kitsch for the masses" and had avoided his books based on little more than a one liner from someone. Meanwhile, Archer's personal life has been the source of scandals that rival those of the characters in his novels.

So, it was with some trepidation that I picked up this novel in a used bookstore and decided I'd see what the fuss over this author was all about.

I have to honestly say that I enjoyed this book as much as any I've ever read. He's been called one of the top 10 storytellers in the world, and I'd have to agree with that assessment.

This book chronicles the life and times of Charlie Trumper, a fictional character who goes from destitute street vendor to department store magnate over the course of his lifetime. When we first meet Trumper in the early 1900s, he is living hand-to-mouth with his two sisters, fed only by the meager income of his grandfather who sells produce from a tiny wheelbarrow-like cart (or 'barrow as the British like to call it) in one of London's poorer districts. Trumper's father is a ne'er-do-well who drinks away his paycheck, does nothing to support the family, and hasn't been seen in years. Charlie's mother is not in the picture either.

When not in school, Charlie tags along with his grandfather each day, enchanted by the old man's remarkable salesmanship, and the boy dreams of nothing more than someday having his own 'barrow - his single passion in life. When the grandfather dies and leaves his 'barrow to Charlie, the boy is suddenly thrust into the role of chief breadwinner, a role that thrills him rather than overwhelms him. He drops out of school before he's barely hit his teens and quickly shows a brilliant ability to sell that surpasses even that of his grandfather.

The saga takes us through Charlie's life as his dream grows from a single 'barrow, to a storefront, to a series of storefronts, to the idea of building the world's largest department store - and the ups and downs along the journey. When Trumper's patriotism compels him to join the army in WWI, he meets up with several individuals who will prove to play central roles in his personal and business life for years to come, and the story's main antagonist arises from a most unlikely place.

This is the type of book that could easily be made into a mini-series because it covers 60+ years of the characters' lives, and Archer does an outstanding job developing those characters quite fully. I found myself getting quite attached to the characters and when the book came to a close, there was a sense of sorrow at having to say goodbye to these people with whom you had shared so many of life's triumphs and disappointments.

Archer chooses to write this book from the alternating viewpoints of various characters in the story, ranging from Trumper to Trumper's wife to the story's main antagonist, to various others. He does so quite masterfully, and it is interesting to view the same events in the story through the eyes of different characters.

In all, the story itself and the way it was told were both top-notch. I have read several of Archer's books as a result of reading this one, and have found all to be highly plausible storylines that never come across as contrived, impossibly complicated, or boring. The dialog is authentic, and Archer's formidable intelligence is evident with an outstanding command of history, politics, commerce, and human nature. His books span the gamut from espionage thrillers to political sagas to business sagas, and although Archer is a Brit, I have found his command of American politics to be just as fluent as his command of British politics. Although the details of his personal life are somewhat bizarre, no one can fault his intelligence or storytelling ability.

If you have not read Jeffrey Archer, I heartily recommend this as an excellent starting place. If you are already a Jeffrey Archer fan, you will need little coaxing and I consider this one of his very best efforts.