Product Description

They had only one thing in common ...William Lowell Kane and Abel Rosnovski, one of the son of a Boston millionaire, the other a penniless Polish immigrant - two men born on the same day on opposite sides of the world, their paths destined to cross in the ruthless struggle to build a fortune. The marvellous story, spanning sixty years, of two powerful men linked by an all-consuming hatred, brought together by fate to save ...and finally destroy ...each other. 'Archer has a gift for plot that can only be described as genius' - "Daily Telegraph". 'Probably the greatest storyteller of our age' - "Mail on Sunday."

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #135351 in Books
• Published on: 2003-07-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 200 pages

Review
'Archer has a gift for plot that can only be described as genius' DAILY TELEGRAPH 'Probably the greatest storyteller of our age' MAIL ON SUNDAY

Washington Post
‘A storyteller in the class of Alexandre Dumas’

From the Publisher
SIGNED EDITION

Customer Reviews

Keeping you reading.
This book is one of the best reads I have had in a long time. I felt unable to put it down until it was finished. When I finally did finish reading it I wanted to immediately get my hands on the sequal. It is a tale of two mens struggle to achieve their dreams and goals, spanning 60 years. It tells the tale of one boy born to unbelievable wealth and another boy born in the pits of poverty. Their lives and destinys entwine. It has you rooting for them one minute and then frustrated with them the next.

Splendid book covering two lifetimes (literally!!)
This was the first Jeffrey Archer book I read and all I can say if you haven't read it is go and get it... it's superb! The basic theme of the book is about two characters, one of whom is called Kane, the other (believe it or not) Abel. The book describes their lives in parallel and the various stages in life in which they meet or affect eachother. The book cleverly alternates chapter between each of them as they grow up in completely different environments in Boston and Poland, to the point at which you can't help but wonder whether these two will ever meet. The characters are described fantastically and the way in which true historic events are included is also very well done.

There isn't as such an excitement crescendo to this book and there are perhaps pretentions that this should go down as a classic (which for me anyone it does), but the ending to the story is brilliant - a top effort from start to finish.

On a side note, there are two books that follow this one as well - The Prodigal Daughter and Shall We Tell The President. The former is an excellent book although perhaps too similar to Kane and Abel looking at the next generation of Kane and Abel. Shall We Tell The President continues from this but was apparently originally written with completely different characters - for me, it's a shame it was changed... the book's great but it gains nothing by including the Kanes again.

My recommendation would be definitely read the Prodigal Daughter (but not too soon after Kane and Abel) but as for Shall We Tell The President, see if you can get a copy of the original version.

This should have been called Kane vs. Abel!
My reading list is comprised almost exclusively of fantasy fiction and Jeffrey Archer is one of the few non-fantasy novelists that I read. His novels are quite often predictable and rely heavily on coincidences. But without exception they are all unputdownable.

Kane and Abel was the first Archer novel I read. The plot about two men born on the same day in different parts of the world is a compelling one. Archer weaves an intricate and entertaining tale of revenge and hatred as he chronicles the seemingly unrelated lives of the two protagonists. When their paths eventually cross, readers are thrown into a world of double-dealings, backstabbing, and intrigue.

Archer excels in making the readers care deeply for both the title characters. He does not make one the hero and the other the villain. Both are determined, successful and strong but ultimately humans capable of making mistakes. The twist that Archer throws in so skilfully at the end makes for one of the most bittersweet conclusions I have ever read.

Very few people I know would admit to liking Jeffrey Archer the Politician. But I can almost guarantee that this book will make you a fan of Jeffrey Archer the Storyteller. Give him a try.