21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
4 tight election races by political insider, December 8, 1999
(The following refers to the unabridged audiobook version)
First Among Equals profiles the lives of four fictional British politicians from their entry into the House of Commons until one becomes Prime Minister. Since Archer was a politician through some of the period that First Among Equals covers, the novel possesses an insider's knowledge. It also contains scheming, shady deals, sex, personal tragedy and terrorism. It is an enjoyable story but a little too orchestrated to be plausible.
Archer starts by introducing the reader to four different characters, all of whom have different skills and different reasons for wanting to be the Prime Minister. While the reader is given some background on the characters, the novel really begins in earnest with the 1964 British general election. Two are Conservative Party and two are Labour Party members. For the next 27 years, Archer guides the readers through the ups and downs of the men's careers, their personal challenges, and their conflicts. The reader gets a sense of the hard work and sacrifice that is required for a politician to be a good MP and Cabinet Minister. It is also clear that good luck has a lot to do with progress; supporting the right leadership candidate at the right time and picking the right issues to tackle.
Archer tells a story and tells it well. He effectively builds suspense, can lead the reader in one direction and then switch direction quickly. First Among Equals is also not a nasty novel. Even the rogues have their redeeming points and are sometimes portrayed sympathetically.
First Among Equals is a good read although I did have some problems. I did find some of the election races just too close. Archer's twists of direction began to get predictable and manipulative. The box cover indicated that only one of the four could get to be Prime Minister and the novel does end with one's appointment. However, the novel doesn't exclude the possibility of another individual achieving the Prime Ministership later. I was also very disappointed by the ultimate resolution of the novel. The last chapter struck me as unrealistic and contrived. I just could not believe that it would actually happen as Archer described it. Archer constructed a Lady and the Tiger ending without any explanation for the ultimate decision. I also had a bit of difficulty believing that politicians are as straightforward as most of the ones portrayed.
Still, First Among Equals is enjoyable and educational to some degree. Politics and politicians can be quite boring. First Among Equals definitely is not boring.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Beware! U.S. v. British Editions, August 5, 2009
I write this review having now read both the British and American versions of the book. I found both engrossing and highly readable, but the British version without the Scott, Fraser, and the different plotline for Simon Kerslake to be a superior story. Beware! The American version does not alert you to the rather substantial difference. I would not have bought it knowing now the difference.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Top-class, May 28, 2002
'First Among Equals' is quite a different tale. Some of my friends told me that they found the initial part boring. Well, I didn't find that assessment to be true. This novel makes a very interesting reading, and like many other Archer novels, it picks up action as you reach 200-odd pages.
This is a tale of four aspiring gentlemen: Fraser, Gould, Kerslake and Seymour who enter the House of Commons in the 1960s, each aspiring to win the highest office - and to reach 10 Downing Street. But only one man can do it. Archer, the master storyteller that he is, narrates in detail the lives of each men - the ups and downs each must face - and winds it up with the final battle.
The suspense is gripping and the man who becomes the Prime Minister is revealed only in the very last paragraph of the novel.
Overall a great story... hats off.
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