5 comments about A Prison Diary.

1. What a shock to the system,but what a good read this was as well.To go from the very top to the bottom in one easy lesson!
   Loryn Potroz



2. I liked it but did expect more. While Archer remains one of my all time favorite authors, and I do feel bad for him. I need to now go and read the details of why he was really sent to prison. Living in the u.s., the details were few and far between. He had it bad, but was it horrible? could have been better, but certainly could have been worse....



3. This is a deep and thought-provoking book. Author Jeffrey Archer never hides his background - he's a millionaire jet-setting author, and a former politician who was convicted and sent to prison on very flimsy evidence in a perjury case.
   
   His dry British humor is delightful, especially when he's quoting rap lyrics heard from the inmate down the hall who insists on playing his music at full volume, usually in the middle of the night.
   
   Yet this book is also serious, with Archer realizing that he has what most prisoners don't - a supportive and intact family, a career, and a network of loyal friends. Most impressive is when Archer ponders the fate of the other inmates he meets during his first two weeks in prison.
   
   Many are illiterate and drug addicted. Others are, like Archer, imprisoned for what seem to be ridiculous crimes - driving without a proper license, a financial crime in which full restitution was made. He asks a valid question: what exactly is the value in sending these men to prison?
   
   More disturbing are the subtle indignities that Archer writes about. Asking a prison guard if he can take a shower before his lawyers arrive for a visit, and being told no, simply because the guard is a major a--hole. He's also denied a shower before his family comes for a visit, and he settles for shaving and washing himself in the same plastic bowl that he uses for his cereal. In a civilized nation, a man's dignity should still be respected, even when he is a prisoner, and especially when he is being incarcerated for a non-violent crime.
   
   The author asks more questions than he answers, and this book is worth reading for anyone who has an interest in the criminal justice system.



4. The entire series is fantastic.
   
   If you like true stories, that you cant put down?
   You have to get these all!



5. This seller was very prompt,good communication, CD was better then advertised, a very enjoyable listening experiance.

5 comments about As the Crow Flies.

1. Charlie Trumper starts his life in the 1900's observing the skills of his grandfather in maneuvering customers to buy his produce from a rickety barrow, which he inherits, and uses his constant mental and physical skill to be one step ahead of what people want...eventually owning the largest department store in Chelsea Terrace. You will follow his journey (sitting on a bench and dreaming) with his intuitive and witty wife, Becky (who you come to admire!) From street people to politicians and Ministers, Charlie treats them with his down-to-earth nature, at times changing his accent to connect with them.
   Energetic Charlie constantly has his eyes open to new ideas, traveling to the U.S. to observe Blooomindales, Marshall Fields and other department stores, to grab all the knowledge he possibly can to better his store, taking you on a journey with him, learning the details of where we once were and how far we've come (imagine...many years ago they were even thinking of tagging items in stores to prevent theft!)
   The revengeful Mrs. Trentham is always a threat, which leaves you to wonder what will this woman do next?
   Charlie's first encounter with the Trentham's starts with World War 1 and continues through generations.
   This book is not only about an ambitious man but about the loves and people in his life throughout this long journey.
   Loved the ending...only Archer would have thought of this!!



2. I've only read the first section and am really enjoying the story. This is a book I look forward to freeing up my time to get back to reading! It's my first Jeffrey Archer book and it certainly won't be my last!



3. On first glance As the Crow Flies seems daunting at 600+ pages. Let me say that this story needs this many pages and is well worth the time put in to read it. Archer is one of my favorite authors, and this novel does not disappoint. It is the life of Charlie Trumper, beginning with him working alongside his grandfather's fruit and vegetable barrow, through World War I and II, and into his life building a shopping empire, one store at a time.
   
   What makes this book such a great read is that it is told from the perspective of those around Charlie. The dates overlap so you see events from different perspectives, and although it sounds confusing, reading it, you gain an appreciation for the author and ability to wholey develop the characters. The storyline is intricate yet realistic, and by the turn of the last page, I found myself hoping for a sequel.



4. I enjoyed the book very much. It is over 700 pages and I read it in one weekend.



5. I read this many years ago. My husband got me interested in Jeffrey Archer books. This is a good book and easy read, with a good story line.

5 comments about A Prisoner of Birth.

1. The UK paperback edition's backcover hosts an exerpt from the Sunday Time's review of this book according to which Mr. Archer is "well placed to be the British John Grisham". This might be partly true in the sense that the legal technicalities of the trials Danny - the main character - is subjected to are finely explained and presented in a way which is never boring. However, this statement is also inaccurate as whereas Mr. Grisham's books often denounce the moral and systemic corruption of the US Legal system, in this book judges, lawyers and even prison institutions are mostly depicted as highly moral pillars of society...obviously with the exception of Mr. Spenser Craig, QC whom the reader will soon discover to be a veritable black sheep of his profession. The character of Mr. Frasier Munro, a Scottish lawyer who assists Danny in connection with his succession troubles brings the reader back to a concept of the legal profession which unfortunately I believe has long disappeared when lawyers still had a truly intense personal relationship with their clients and sincerely cared for them. The book has some slow passages, not many though. The last 50 pages are truly engaging, to be swallawed in half an hour intense page turning. Overall a very good read.



2. I have read all of Jeffery Archer's books and usually find them terrific. This one, however, is a real loser. The story makes little sense, the characters are unbelievable and it is difficult to stay with it. The character switch in prison makes one wonder how anybody could fall for such a thing. The story just falls flat. Don't waste your time on this one.



3. Writing: Unadorned
   Plot: Easy To Follow
   Suspense Factor: Almost None
   Entertainment Value: Medium
   
   First and foremost, "A Prisoner of Birth" is long. If you can make it through the long opening court scene, you'll have an idea that this novel stretches out its plot points. I think Jeffrey Archer wanted to write something that feels as long to read as Alexandre Dumas' "The Count of Monte Cristo." He succeeded. This isn't James Patterson country. It's Charles Dickens. The writing is plain, spare. The verbiage is unadorned. It's pure story. The suspense is almost non-existent. We know that unfairly prosecuted Danny Cartwright will exact revenge. The plotting is clever, however, and the question becomes how he'll manage it and what kind of obstacles he'll have to overcome to pull it off. If you buy that Danny can slip into the life of a fellow prisoner and if you can buy that he is released on parole in the dead prisoner's name, you'll have no problem swallowing the rest.
   
   Once he's out of the inescapable Bellmarsh prison, it's all about Cartwright's effort to set up the revenge. What follows is a long series of conversations (note--not action sequences) involving collector postage stamps, wills, passports, death certificates, bank accounts and a missing key. This section is mostly talk and scheming. There are lots of meetings and some land dealings in the run-up to the 2012 U.S. Olympics in London. And, since it's England, there is plenty of "Lord Chancellor" and "My Lord" that.
   
   There is another long courtroom battle at the end it's plenty slick and neatly crafted.
   
   Too long? For my tastes, by a couple hundred pages or so.
   
   Fun ride nevertheless? In the "light entertainment" category, yes.



4. This one really hooked me at the beginning. I was telling my wife after the first disc (I listened to audio version) that she needed to read this. By the 3rd or 4th disc (of 13), my enthusiasm for the story had begun to seriously wane; it's as though Mr. Archer started with full creative powers, and then made a decision to mail it in. The characters, language, and conversations all become trite and predictable. And there is very little shading to the characters - each one is either a pillar of his society or the blackest villain to ever populate the earth...no in-between. The book does however create its own momentum, and so though increasingly disappointed, I did get to the end. At the end, there are a couple of plot/logic holes that made me a bit disgusted that I had continued. If you decide to read this, see if you can spot them - they both occur when the chief villain is in court on the stand being questioned by Sir Matthew, and have to do with incompleteness of the scenarios setup by the lawyer for how the murder and wounding had occurred, and the inability of the witness to see a question coming that anyone of the witness' intelligence would have prepared for...



5. Jeffrey Archer was one of my favorite authors before this book, and this may be his best.
   I have given all my friends a double your money back guarantee on this book (which I do very rarely) and no one has yet collected.
   I would also recommend reading his book A Prison Diary (about his time in prison), from which you can see several characters emerge into his work of fiction.

5 comments about A Twist in the Tale.

1. Jeffrey Archer's 1988 collection of twelve short stories is not entitled *A Twist in the Tale* for nothing. The concluding paragraphs of each story--sometimes just the final sentence--inevitably offer the reader some kind of surprise, whether slight and easily swallowed ("A La Carte") or groan inducing ("Just Good Friends") or the product of a sort of dishonest storytelling that leaves one feeling ill treated ("The Perfect Murder"). Among the best of the lot are "A La Carte"--the story of a young man compelled by his father to delay entering his chosen profession--and "Honor among Thieves," in which a wine connoisseur is put to the test by a "humbug." But all of the stories (ten of them are reportedly based on actual events) are worth a read. Archer writes in a commendably straightforward style that is easily digested: it is not surprising that, as the jacket copy of the book informs us, Archer has been hailed as "the natural successor to Maugham."**
   
   **See Somerset Maugham's autobiographical *The Summing Up* for his discussion of the three qualities for which he strove in his writing: lucidity, simplicity, and euphony.
   
   Reviewed by Debra Hamel, author of Trying Neaira: The True Story of a Courtesan's Scandalous Life in Ancient Greece



2. Whilst Arhcer's latest collection of short stories 'To Cut a Long Story Short' disappointed fans worldwide, only managing to keep up the pace for half the book, this collection keeps the high standard up all the way. These stories are brilliantly written and they mostly have twists at the end but sometimes midway. I don't really want to get into the plots of any of these stories as otherwise because of the twist I would give it away for people who haven't read the collection yet and I hate it when people do that. Settings are in the kitchen, courtroom and other places and characters roam across the gender and species. Anyway you'll enjoy this collection, just don't waste your money on 'To Cut a Long Story Short' as only the first couple of stories are good in that collection.



3. The 12 stories were all good but I specially liked the first (the Perfect Murther) and the last stories (Cristina Rosenthal, which made me cry).



4. 
   "A" is for Archer. "A" is also what readers give to the political thrillers flowing from the pen (always felt tipped, we're told) of this popular British author. He's often been found at the top of the New York Times best-selling list.
   
   Also top listed is Martin Jarvis, talented stage and film performer who gives voice to these tales of duplicity, cupidity, and suspense. (Jarvis also reads Archer's "A Matter Of Honor," another Audio Renaissance edition.)
   
   Archer is so skillful that it seems he almost teases the listener by dropping clues that allow us to think we've figured the matter out when we haven't at all.
   
   "A Twist In The Tale" is a bit of a departure for the author as it is a collection of 12 short stories all plot and character driven, all intriguing listening. We find an unfaithful husband who does a great deal more than cheat on his wife , and in another story discover that chess is not just a game.
   
   Knowing Archer, we must have a corrupt diplomat, and in another yarn a controlling father learns a sad lesson.
   
   Someone once said that a first-rate short story is much harder to write than a full length novel. Jeffrey Archer has mastered both genres.
   
   - Gail Cooke



5. two stories at best were worth reading in this book of short stories.i guess i expected far too much as kane and abel is so very awesome[same author].

5 comments about Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less.

1. I was expecting more out of this book by the heralded author. I now realize after reading that this was his first novel, and I have to say it is apparent in the storytelling. Though the story is good, and interesting, I can liken it to a great tale whose characters have been efficiently cuttout from cardboard. I would have expected more treachery, and more emotion from a character (4 in-fact) who has lost everything, and worked hard to get it all back. There is no backstabbing, or in other words, depth to the story.
   
   The main character (the one who stole all those pennies) steals in a very well-thought out plot involving the stock market. The men he dupes group together to take revenge on him to the tune of the money they lost, not a penny more, and not a penny less.
   
   The title itself quickly becomes a cliche, and though the reader can expect a twist or two, the tale is a quick one, with very little character development.



2. Jeffrey Archer is an amazing writer. Best known for high intrigue and suspense books such as and Honor Among Thieves and The Eleventh Commandment, many of his books have been on the Times Best Seller's List. As such, whether you're a fan of Archer, or have never heard of him before, it behooves you to check out one of his earliest works.
   
   
   Somewhat lighter than many of his later books, Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less has a plot familiar to most of us. A multi-millionaire (or is it billionaire?) named Harvey Metcalf sets up a fake company, and proceeds to swindle four men out of one million dollars. Unfortunately for those men, Metcalf was smart enough to cover his tracks; the police can't touch him. All four men, each on the brink of ruin due to Metcalf, join together and vow to somehow get their money back from Metcalf, "Not a penny more, not a penny less," hence the title for the book.
   
   What follows is an odd cross between intrigue and suspense and lighthearted fun as hey follow Metcalf around the world, from England, to Monte Carlo, to Boston. Each man plays to his strength (a mathematician, a doctor, an art dealer, and an English nobleman), and comes up with a brilliant, convoluted scheme to get the money. And I haven't even mentioned the effective twist(s) at the end!
   
   So, I would wholeheartedly recommend this book. The writing is easier to read than many of Archer's other books, and it's a delightful story.



3. I love Archer's writing, and I'm only making it through some of his earlier works now. This is one of his better ones.
   
   Summary: an English physician, American professor, French art dealer and an English lord put together four cons to get their money back - penny for penny - from the evil man that conned them.
   
   Here's my two pennies worth of what I liked and it's drawbacks:
   - Wonderfully creative premise, executed with cleverness and fun rather than testoterone driven anger one sees so much of in revenge plots.
   - Enjoyable characters.
   - A quick read and page-turning action.
   - Written back in the 70's. Though this version has been slightly updated. It is a pretty timeless tale, and the only time it distracted me was when they began using some fancy spy radios to communicate - when nowadays they'd just use cell phones.
   
   BOTTOM LINE: Enjoyable and easy read - just right for the pool or plane trip.



4. Archer's first novel shows his penchant for the 'revenge crime', and the white-collar settings of the business and society worlds.
   The story is fairly straightforward, with some dry patches that keep the book from ranking among Archer's later classics(having recently read 'A Prisoner of Birth', it's interesting to see how Archer learned to create more nuanced characters.)
   The 'gang' in this story aren't fleshed out a great deal,compared to protagonists in some of Archer's other works, but eventually, they start to grow on the reader...particularly James, although some of Jean-Pierre's unexpectedly funny lines are also memorable. The touches of humor enhance the story without detracting from it too much...with the possible exception of a few scenes at Oxford! Of course, Harvey is mostly played for laughs, after Archer establishes him with an autobiographical opening that drags on just a bit too long. However, it succeeds in showing that Harvey is a better actor and con man than he is an actual businessman(which accounts for his un-bussinesslike behavior and reactions in some scenes, as other reviewers have complained about),Archer does a good job of peeling away Harvey's reputation for shrewdness, and illustrates the ultimate futility of such convoluted schemes.
   While the plot doesn't quite race along from start to finish, it's a pleasnt ride. A few well-placed topical references(topical at the time of publication, at least), and the occasional cameo by such historical luminaries as Harold McMillan, Billie Jean King, and Linda Lovelace(Archer should have had the three of them walk into a pub!), and the obligatory 'Archer twist',add up to a fairly good start for the future Lord Archer's second career!



5. An easy read on a obvious story line. Keep reminding yourself that this book was written in 1973 and you'll enjot it more.

5 comments about False Impression (Archer, Jeffrey (Spoken Word)).

1. Lots of fast-paced plot in this novel by Jeffery Archer! I took it to the pool with me on my first outing of the summer and nearly missed getting in the water. It captured me from the beginning and kept my interest through the entire thing.
   
   The main characters are interesting and believable. As you might expect in a suspense novel, they aren't fleshed out as fully as they would have been in one of Archer's family sagas, but then they really don't need to be. The secondary characters, whether wicked or good, are also very interesting.
   
   As is usual with an Archer novel, there are lots of twists and turns to hold your interest. Particularly engrossing was the detail of being in one of the WTC towers on 9/11 -- my heart was in my throat. I liked the way the events of that day were woven into the plotline.
   
   Set in the world of high-priced art, this novel is a winner.



2. I found myself caught up in the book from the first chapter (which is not always the case). I took it on a recent trip and after I read the book others wanted to borrow and read it too. Lots of twists and turns but all believeable...one of the better books I've read this summer and I read between one and two fiction mysteries a week. I haven't read this author before so I'll be looking for other things he's written.



3. I have read quite a few Jeffery Archer books. This one I think I read in two sittings. It starting on Sept 10, 2001 and brings us through the events of 911. You feel like you are going through getting down all those stairs in the North Tower. It is a good story and the secondary story lines. Hopping across the ocean to Europe and back again to the USA. I loved the story and it read quickly almost too quick.



4. THE SETUP
   Bryce Fenston (a Hungarian) is the CEO of Fenston Finance which specializes in extending loans to distressed owners of private collections of impressionistic paintings, for the purpose of foreclosing on the collections and obtaining them for far less than their true value. This seems to inevitably include the murder of owners, by female hired assassin Olga Kranz. Fenston's major purchasing agent is Dr. Anna Petrescu (also coincidentally Hungarian) who, unfortunately for her, is honest. An FBI agent, Jack Delaney ultimately follows Anna around the world. That's the setup.
   
   CAVEATS including spoilers.
   Although explanations are given for some of the following, the explanations are thin at best:
   
   The book begins with the murder of Lady Victoria Wentworth (by Kranz paid by Fenston), a few hours her Van Gogh has been shipped to Fenston. Why bring unnecessary attention to himself at that time? On September 11, 2001, Fenston fires Anna Petrescu on completely trumped up charges because Anna had advised Victoria that the Van Gogh alone is worth far more than the entire outstanding loan. So, why did Victoria give up the Van Gogh to Fenston?. Fenston plans to have Anna murdered as well. Why both fire and murder her?--again bringing unnecessary attention to himself? Anna is ordered to leave the building (an upper floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center) within 10 minutes, and does, with the airplane crashing into the building before she gets to the elevator. Yet, miraculously, Fenston (and his sidekick Karl Leapman) have already left the building, and gotten to another Wallstreet office building in time to witness the airplane crash into the WTC. Then, believed dead, Anna decides to fly to Britain to advise Victoria (already dead) that Fenston has no proof of ownership of the Van Gogh (already on its way to Fenston). Why put herself at such risk at her own private expense?--particularly without phoning ahead? Okay she tries to phone but directory assistance will not give her Victoria's number. However, her friend Tina still works for Fenston, and can surely get the phone number the next day.
   
   Archer repeatedly makes the point that Fenston has no proof of ownership of the Van Gogh (nor of the loans to the estate), all documentation having been destroyed in the destruction of the WTC---implying that this will ultimately become Anabelle's (Victoria's sister and heir) trump card. But it doesn't. For no reason, the missing documentation never becomes an issue. In fact, Fenston has Kranz destroy the Van Gogh so that it cannot be sold to pay off the unprovable debt to him. Huh? Even though, we are told that Fenston's pathological lust for the Van Gogh was the sole reason he extended loans to the estate and paid Krantz a couple million dollars to murder Victoria.
   
   The day after 9/11 the FBI still has surveillance on Anna's apartment, and deploys ANOTHER team watch Tina's apartment!! Then multiple teams are posted at every major European airport waiting for Anna--No way. Note that she used her own passport---yet the FBI could not discover her destination?--No way. Moreover, virtually every FBI agent in the country was immediately retasked to investigate 9/11--because it was feared that additional attacks were immanent. Note that Fenston was not even suspected of crimes in the U.S., the crimes he commited were on foriegn soil---which would be relatively low priority at any time; zero priority the day after 9/11.
   
   As soon as Anna drives out of NYC, the FBI concludes that she is on the way to Toronto, Canada. Not bloodly likely. Earth to Archer: Here in North America, we have international airports in other than Capitol cities--such as Montreal, which would have been much closer. Nor is it conceivable that Anna/Tina turned off the TV after catching the latest updates. On 9/12 nearly everyone in the country was glued to their TVs every waking minute.
   
   While most of these implausibilities are just annoying, one is hilarious: Since air traffic has been grounded in the U.S., Anna has to decide whether it is best to drive to Mexico or Toronto to fly out. Some choice. London is just "across the pond" (2318 miles), Mexico City is 5500 miles in the OPPOSITE direction (total 7594 miles to NYC to Mexico City to London) Even she got to Mexico City any flight to London would have to be significantly re-routed around U.S. airspace (closed to air traffic). I bet all or most non-stop flights from Mexico City to London were simply canceled while US airspace was closed.
   
   VERDICT
   Judging from the several Archer novels I've read, this one is typical, containing an excess of serious implausibilities. "Suspension of disbelief" is like a rubber band, which can be stretched a long way for a good story. But once it snaps, it becomes difficult to enjoy the story. Difficult, but not impossible. Archer is such a good storyteller that the story captivated me anyway. So, 6 stars for a superb story filled with interesting characters, minus 2 for sloppiness.



5. I fell in love with Jeffrey Archer, slowly, after reading books like First Amount Equal, Prodigal Daughter, Honor Among Thieves. I have all the books written by the author in my library. All these books have one thing in common, the author takes time to build the key characters. Through the pages, I could see their world in my head. Then I read the short stories and enjoyed every one of them like a curious kid.
   
   I was very excited when I picked up this book. I could hardly believe what I was experiencing. This book has a pace and feel of Robert Ludlum. A normal life protagonist is suddenly thrown into a world of international chase through the dark characters and all of a sudden the the hero beats James Bond (of course Jason Bourne is better).
   
   The book is predictable and lacks research. Maybe I was expecting a Twist in the Tale!

5 comments about The Prodigal Daughter.

1. In November of 1985 when I was seven years old my fatherwas watching a mini series (remember those people) on CBS. It was Kane and Abel and after watching it for the last 22 years I have been fasinatied with that story. I did not know until 2006 that it was a book so I bought it and its sequel. I loved the Prodigal daughter although I do have some things I would have done differently. I for one who have call the book the Prodigal children with a focus on Richard childhood as well. One of my favorite things in the novel was that while FLorentyna was a Democrat Richard was a Repulican (The good kind not the crazy ones you have today.) I guess becuase although there is around a 10-15 year age difference between the chacters and my own parents that is how they are. (My favorite scene in this is when RIchard puts a Barry Goldwater bumpersticker on their car she rips it right off. ANother one is when RIchard after telling his wife that he did not cheat on her FLorentyna said "You should have slept with her" meaning RIchard's old girlfriend becuase that would have cemeted a business deal ) I also did not like fact that RIchard died and they brought in Edward WIncheaster as a second husband or that the book went into a future that never could come true. BUt then again that is nit picking. By the way a book in which a blond 60 something CHicago born woman seantor becomes the first female United States President. HIllary some British guy made you Polish.



2. This sequel's not as good as Kane & Abel, but still not a bad read. Jeffrey Archer is a great storyteller and he does a good job of telling the story behind Florentyna's life from childhood to her life after her father's death. The third part of the book does get very politically heavy and I found it to be a little on the boring side. The first and second parts of the book are good pageturners. I felt this novel lacked a purposeful direction and the intrigue of Kane & Abel .



3. This book picks up where Kane and Abel left off. It is the story of the daughter, Florentyna. She runs the hotel empire. Entertaining, fast paced, a good read.



4. After reading and loving "Kane & Abel" it was a natural to continue the great story with this sequel. I was not disappointed. Now there is a another sequel "Shall We Tell The President" which I have read and enjoyed immensely.



5. This book is the second in a three book sequel starting with "Kane and Abel" and ending with "Shall We Tell The President". About the first 200 pages are a recap of "Kane and Abel" and is about the earlier life of Florentyna--not covered in the first of the series. It gets a bit too political as you get into the story, and it reveals the background maneuvers politicians make to get ahead, leaving Florentyna trying to be one step ahead. It's a "must" to read "Kane and Abel" first. I did not bother to read the third book in the series. About Florentyna: She's a strong woman with determination, not unlike her father and father-in-law. Enjoyed the ending.

5 comments about Kane and Abel.

1. It's my second time reading it its a great book and I was very happy to receive it for a reasonable price!



2. Archer is a fine writer and there's no denying it. Unless I'm mistaken, I believe that most of his titles feature siblings or relatives, often in conflict. And he's become very good with this plot plan. Some say that Kane and Abel is his very best stuff and it may well be true.
   
   I will not describe the plot; that's been done by many reviewers. However, I will say that you will not get bogged down in this 550-page volume and skip ahead to the end. Archer keeps you engaged to the extent that you will want to read it word for word.
   I have only read a couple of other books by this author; but I liked this one best. Outstanding author.



3. Como novela puramente de ficción, sin lugar a dudas, la mejor que he leído!!!
   
   Además, es una novela para TODO público: jóvenes, adultos, hombres, mujeres, etc., etc.
   
   Es tan buena y tan amplia con respecto al público que la puede leer que también se convierte en un excelente regalo. Es casi imposible fallar al regalar este libro. De hecho, considero que es una gran opción para aquellos a los que no les gusta leer. Si con este libro siguen sosteniendo que no les gusta, no imagino con qué otro podrían interesarse.
   
   Si no lees en inglés y la conseguís en español te sugiero que, si la encontrás, LA COMPRES!!! Es muy difícil conseguirlo (por lo menos así sucede hace mucho tiempo en Argentina).
   
   Aunque, existe un RIESGO: después de esta, será difícil engancharte nuevamente con una novela de estas características (desde ya que hay excelentes libros, me refiero a este estilo, pasatista, como las de Archer, Wallace, Sheldon, etc.).
   
   Si la conseguís, no lo dudes, leela. No te vas a arrepentir.
   
   Ah! Me olvidaba... Lamentablemente, Archer escribe dos libros más como continuación de este: "La hija pródiga" y "¿Se lo decimos a la presidente?". Mi sugerencia: quedate SÒLO con Kane & Abel.



4. A narrative that spans over sixty years --between 1906 and 1967-- it tells the parallel lives of Abel, a Polish immigrant, and Kane, a business genius born with a silver spoon. Archer immediately catches the attention of the reader with a brilliant opening sentence. "She only stopped screaming when she died." And that's Abel's mother, who expires anonymously, while her baby son is rescued by a Polish family with very limited means and many mouths to feed. Despite his fragile beginnings the baby, who will become Abel (pronounced like "able") only years later, survives to be later taken from his poor family and adopted by Baron Rosnovski. That way, Abel, like Rosnovski's natural son, will receive the good education his bright mind is ready for. But WWI comes, tragedy occurs, and Abel, who has seen his sister being raped and his brother killed by the Germans, is taken prisoner with the Baron. After the Baron's death and the German surrender, Abel is taken by the Russians to a camp and after several years and with the help of comrades, he miraculously manages to escape. More adventures in Europe, then in Turkey where he is almost executed, will eventually bring the adolescent to the US. A new life starts, business studies, the direction of a neglected chain of hotels that become enormously successful. Abel is now a rich man, eventually divorced, but with a daughter whose business talent matches Daddy's.
   
   They advise writers to start their novels not at the beginning, but in the middle. Archer obviously didn't listen to that advise, for when he tells the story of William Lowell Kane he starts with his birth as well. And good for him. Kane will become a banker, like his father, be as financially successful as Abel, and more so with his family life. Eventually, he becomes the target of Abel's hatred. Abel is convinced that Kane is the cause of the suicide of his Texan good friend, the initial owner of the chain of hotels Abel will eventually develop and rename Baron Hotels, who loses everything during the crash of 1929 and whose application for a new loan at Kane's bank is denied. The reason why Abel is able to become a highly successful business man is a financial benefactor who insists in keeping his identity secret. That's the point where the lives of the two protagonists are no longer parallel and, based on a simple misunderstanding rooted in male pride, Kane and Abel will slowly but surely destroy each other.
   
   The ironic twist: Abel's daughter and Kane's son fall in love and marry. No Romeo and Juliet here. They defy their respective father, hang on to their love, independence, and business savvy. Like their respective mother, they refuse hatred. Here, the young are definitely wiser than the patriarchs.
   
   I really didn't want to part with this novel. Every night in bed, I would treasure every page. Archer, besides being very informative about the financial world, knows how to balance tension, tenderness, adventure, humor and satiric bite. A solid storyteller. What am I saying? A hell of a storyteller.



5. As an avid devotee of audio books and a fan of Jeffrey Archer, I was really looking forward to this audio book.
   
   It was VERY disappointing. All I can think of to explain this is that it was only available as an abridged audio book, and the abridgement sucked the very soul and life out of this book.
   
   At best, it was a story stripped to the bare bones, with none of Archer's typical wit and style. It was told mostly by narration instead of creating scenes for the reader to experience the story. It had almost no dialogue, and what little there was was incredibly contrived and awkward. At least in this version, the characters were so one-dimensional and the plot was laid open so that you could guess the way the story would unfold almost from the very begining.
   
   If you are going to read this book and have any hope for enjoying it PLEASE do NOT get the abridged audio book!

5 comments about A Matter of Honor.

1. This is a darker, more sinister, and violent Archer book than most I have read. The USSR is still alive. A document, hidden in a lost icon, would turn Alaska back to the USSR if found. A page turner! I enjoyed it.



2. My first Archer read, i will remember this book forever. Reads like the Bourne series- unraveling a puzzle dodging the bad guys and truimphing at the end. A fast-paced light read.



3. I love this book. I bought it in the audiobook format, as I always do and between his beautiful writing style and story telling abilities and the excellent readers he always selects, I immediately responded to the book.



4. If you want to pick up a book and, due to the masterful skill of the author and his ability to tell such a great story, not put it down again until you have read every word.... then this is the perfect book. It's a great story that combines history, politics, conspiracy theory, espionage, and everything else necessary to make for a compelling page turner. I highly recommend this and any Jeffrey Archer book, but to me this one is his finest work.



5. You begin this book and think it is a little different, then it falls into a start here get to there undercover cold war CIA, M6. KGB story and then it slams you with with a great kick in the surprise ending that made sticking to it worth while.

5 comments about Paths of Glory.

1. You need not be a mountain climbing afficionado to enjoy this well written, fact based account, of George Mallory and his effort to conquer Everest. The grasp for immortality, the spirit of adventure, and the breath taking danger are all neatly in place through the talented pen of Jeffrey Archer. I thought this was one of his better works.



2. Archer is a good author, with a flair for writing. It is his writing style that makes this book an interesting read.
   
   However, this book is based on the true life of George Mallory, a mountaineer who attempted to climb the Everest. Even for those who don't know the story of George Mallory, the prologue (which is actually a flash-forward), reveals how the story ends. The knowledge of the ending, and the lack of any suspenseful subplots makes this book easy to put down.
   
   Essentially this book reads like a well-written biography.
   Read it only if you like biographies, love mountaineering, or must read every Jeffery Archer.



3. Is this a new trend? A recent blockbuster film--"Sherlock Holmes"--in which Holmes is not the prissy gentleman detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but a slovenly 1960's hippy, and Dr Watson is no longer a bumbling senior citizen, but a very dapper younger man. The two trade snarky insults with all the fervor of a friendship that cannot say its name.
   
   But at least Sherlock Holmes was fictional! Now along comes Jeffery Archer and recreates a revered historical figure, George Mallory of Everest, that also bares no resemblance to the personality and career of the actual figure. This artistic license might work if he had painted an interesting portrait of this complicated man and his tragic drive to conquer the world's highest peak, but the portrait that results is a complete soap opera rewrite. His detailed descriptions of Mallory's teammates, their camp site palaver, even the geography of the mountain, will make anyone cringe who has even a passing acquaintance with this famous saga.
   
   Mallory was an earnest Boy Scout riding the social coattails of his Alpine and literary acquaintances. He was too personally disorganized ever to be a leader of men, nor did he have the interpersonal toughness for the job. The Alpinists respected him for his astonishingly skill at rock and mountain climbing; the literati adored his physique and fey demeanor. And he was a good guy. Yet Archer has Mallory boldly taking over the Royal Geographic Society's Everest Committee selection process with the commanding forcefulness of a Sergeant Major--qualities he wholly lacked--and boldly leading two Everest expeditions once on the mountain (he was on three). It is true that Mallory was appointed "climbing leader" in 1924, but that position was a mere pat on the back and tightly supervised by Colonel Norton, who was a true leader of men.
   
   While he has Mallory issuing ultimatums to the august governing board left and right, Archer completely leaves out one of Mallory's greatest achievements-- discovering the primary route to the top from the Tibetan side and then being the first human to set foot on Everest's mighty flanks. This first expedition to Mt. Everest--the Reconnaissance Expedition of 1921--is not on Archer's path to glory. This was when Mallory and Guy Bullock almost circumnavigated Everest seeking the best approach to its steep slopes. After five months of the most arduous exploration, Mallory and Bullock finally discovered the hidden eastern side of the North Col at the head of the East Rongbuk Glacier. And it was at the beginning of this expedition, when absolutely nothing was known about the mountain's geography, that Mallory wrote to his wife that "we are about to walk off the map." Of course that phrase is far too evocative to leave out, so Archer merely lifts it to plug into another made-up expedition.
   
   Archer is so enamored with the politically correct Tibetan name for Mt. Everest--"Chomolungma"--that he stuffs it into all the climbers' mouths. But the term was never used by them, and first appeared on Wheeler's 1925 map entitled "Mount Everest and the Chomo-lungma Group." His tin ear is on loudest display when he repeatedly has the taciturn Noel Odell call leader Mallory "skipper."
   
   Probably the most egregious display of political correctness (Does that help sell books nowadays?) is Archer's assertion that his Mallory had actually planned to select as his summit partner not one of the proven RGS climbers, but one of their Sherpa porters with amazing natural climbing abilities! This decision taken when even Australian RGS member George Finch was denied a place on the expedition because he was not English enough. Of course the historical realities were that while Sherpas are genetically endowed with the ability to work hard at high altitude, none of them had climbed mountains before the arrival of the English explorers and their "English air" (oxygen), and they were later taught the skill as ever more expeditions required their services.
   
   The final description of the Mallory and Irvine's climb into history lacks even the faintest patina of reality. They leave their high camp (given as at 27,300-ft--it was actually at 26,800ft) at 5AM carrying eight hours of oxygen. 10-1/2 hours later, they are still breathing the precious gas with presumably some still remaining for their descent. The description of the summit pyramid--available in scores of Everest chronicles, is also a hash. There is no knife-edged ridge after the Second Step, and there is no "vertical rock covered with ice that never melts from year to year" with "112-ft left to climb." And, of course, both men make it to the top before perishing on the descent.
   
   What is the point of this? It is called a novel, but uses actual names, places, and events all twisted into a Disneyesque cartoon. There is no other suggestion that this entire tale is desperately false. To further the deception, Archer prominently credits Audrey Salkeld, a real Everest historian, with "special thanks." Oh how Mrs. Salkeld must feel used!
   
   Finally, a prominent blurb on the jacket of "Paths of Glory" reads "`A storyteller in the class of Alexander Dumas'--The Washington Post." A Google search and a search of the Washington Post's archives could find no such quotation.



4. Mallory's amazing life is vividly told. Perfect for anyone interested in real-life adventure. Much more than "because it's there."



5. This is another great story from Jeffrey Archer. I love historical fiction and this is a great story. I still plan on making a trip to at least base camp of everest one day....