The ambitions of Keith Townsend, son of a millionaire newspaper owner, and Richard Armstrong, son of an illiterate Jewish peasant, who escapes the Nazis, changes his name, and embarks on a ruthless campaign for power, collide on a global scale.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Utilizing his extensive theatrical experience, Martin Jarvis handles the difficult task of narrating Jeffrey Archer's bestseller, The Fourth Estate, quite admirably. As in his extremely popular novel, Kane & Abel, Archer has once again created dual protagonists--in this case, chronicling the parallel lives of two rival media tycoons, each bent on global domination of the newspaper industry. Because of this doubly complex plot device, the narrator must possess a very flexible voice to differentiate not only the two lead characters, but each of their large supporting casts as well. Jarvis tackles the challenge quite capably.
Although the work is billed as fiction, the personalities and events bear a striking resemblance to actual stories seen in headlines. So recognizable, in fact, that lawsuits were filed in an effort to halt publication of Archer's book altogether. Perhaps that can explain his relatively safe, methodical effort here. As usual, he has devised an absorbing and intricate plot, but the story follows the action forward so closely that there is little time allowed for insight into the character's motivations or for philosophical narrative. Still, Archer's considerable talent as a storyteller and the noteworthy performance by the very talented Jarvis make The Fourth Estate a compelling look at the cause and effect of ruthless corporate behavior and provides an intriguing peek behind closed boardroom doors. (Running time: six hours, four cassettes) --George Laney
Review
"Archer turns raw male ambition into fast and furious fun." -- -- Entertainment Weekly
"Archer turns raw male ambition into fast and furious fun." -- -- Entertainment Weekly --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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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.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent read,
By
This review is from: The Fourth Estate (Mass Market Paperback)
To those who have read Kane & Abel, The Fourth Estate is a bit of deja vu. The plot is essentially the same. Two men - one a refugee from a war, the other an Ivy League-educated millionaire get pitted against each other and will not cease until the other man is driven out of business. The action is rivetting and makes the book a compelling page-turner.The book is actually based on real-life characters, and a few real incidents too. Readers will find it tough not to see the similarity between Keith Townsend and Rupert Murdoch. The way the story is woven is also reminiscent of Kane & Abel, however the book does not sag one wee bit in action. I assign five stars to this book because that's the maximum!
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Read,
By
This review is from: The Fourth Estate (Mass Market Paperback)
Jeffrey Archer is one of those authors - the kind that people love to hate. He writes fiction that requires no real thinking to get through, just a great sense of wanting to be entertained.In the Fourth Estate, Archer describes the lives of two ficticious (although clearly based on some well-known real life moguls) newspaper barons. He explains their differing beginnings (one humble, one rich) and intersperses this with the story of a battle to win a business empire. The story is every part the cliche "page turner", especially towards the end, when the climactic chapters and the way they build up a great sense of suspense is testament to the enjoyable experience you have reading this book. This was my first Jeffrey Archer novel that I'd read - if you're in the same position it's a great place to start.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must-read summer vacation book!,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Fourth Estate (Hardcover)
At last, Archer brings us back to the classic man-against-man novel, as in his successful "Kane and Abel". This is a must-read novel, full of wonderful character development, clever, yet manipulative story lines and riveting endings at each chapter.From the opening chapter the reader is totally immersed in the two main characters -- Armstrong and Townsend, from two completely different backgrounds. Their lives seem lifelike, and not plastic and phony, like many authors characters. The reader becomes emotionally attached to one of the charcters, and cheers for their favorite one, right until the bitter end. The plot twists are so remarkable, and riveting, it is easy to read 200+ pages in one sitting! One wonders how Archer continually comes up with such brilliant ideas. The only bad thing about this 750 page novel was reading the last chapter. If only all novels were this excellent
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