While Archer’s The Fourth Estate is a blatant fictionalisation of the careers of Rupert Murdoch and Robert Maxwell, it’s nevertheless dramatic and interesting, and an intriguing look into what can be a very shady world.Townsend and Armstrong (as Murdoch and Maxwell are rechristened) are built up slowly for the reader, each of their lives being described in alternating chapters. For the first few chapter couplets, there is symmetry between the events underlined by similar opening and closing lines, but this soon falls away. The result of this technique is that each individual chapter becomes rather episodic and even predictable in its format. There doesn’t appear to be much flow or continuity between each chapter, entertaining as each one is on its own merits.However, the format works well to establish both lead characters as unbeatable foes and powerful men, making their clash around 50% of the way through all the more titanic. The dynamics, wrangles and politics thereafter become interesting as each becomes desperate to outfox the other.The plot is varied and fast moving, and it makes it easy to glide through quickly. Neither Townsend nor Armstrong are particularly likeable, but both are intelligent and at different stages command the reader’s loyalty in rooting for them.Archer often skims over what one would expect to be significant events, and the passage of time is lazily dealt with. Granted, the chapters have dates but who can be bothered keeping track when the author should be showing us – not telling us – how the characters have aged and grown.The author also enjoys teasing the reader by acknowledging that a phone call took place, a telegram is received, and idea is had, without revealing the content. This is overused as a technique and becomes grating. Sometimes it would be nice if the author told the story and stopped trying to be clever.Despite its stylistic shortcomings, The Fourth Estate is a real treat. We embrace an exciting world, and it’s deeply entertaining to watch the cat and mouse unfold, always wondering who will come out top in each skirmish. Well researched, believably written and often immersive, this book deserves a headline on your shelf.
This book was absolutely riveting. It is a long book, and I read in just three or four evenings. Every night I would come home from work, and simply start reading, ignoring everything else. I had a very hard time putting the book down. When I finished reading the book, I had to take 10 minutes to rest... and could not begin another book that evening. If only all books made me feel like that!The book is written in Jeffrey Archer's clear style, with lots of dry humor. The plot advances quickly. It begins with the ending, when the two rivals are at the brink of ruin, and then goes back to the beginning where the rivals are mere children. Archer writes the book from two points of view, alternating between the two rivals. You find yourself rooting for one, then rooting for the other, and so on. The book is similar in style to other books by Archer, such as "Kane and Abel". In fact, when I just began reading this book, it almost felt like reading Kane and Abel, only with different characters. They have similar backgrounds, and similar experiences at a young age. This quickly changed as the characters matured. I now feel that these are two completely different books. I enjoyed this one much more. The book is based on the lives of two very real media moguls, Rupert Murdoch (portrayed as Keith Townsend), and Robert Maxwell (portrayed as Richard Armstrong). I did not know their life story, so I was not ready for the twists and turns (and there are many) of the plot. After having reading the book, I watched a BBC dramatization of Maxwell's final months, and enjoyed reliving certain scenes from the book. Very highly recommended!
What do You think about The Fourth Estate (1997)?
This is the story of two very different men who grow up to be rivals vying to control the newspaper trade on the world stage.Lubji Hoch is a Jew who begins life as pauper living in a small hut. He survives World War II and later spends time in Berlin, reinventing himself with the new name Richard Armstrong. He works hard, slowly and methodically building a newspaper empire.On the other side of the world, Keith Townsend is an Oxford educated son of a millionaire newspaper owner. Like Armstrong, he gradually grows his newspaper business and moves onto the international stage.Each man has the same ambition: to buy everything he can lay his hands on. Each faces debt and ruin as he tries to reach his goal, but only one survives.Archer is a great story teller and this, like many of his others novels, is an entertaining read.
—Paula Dembeck
Jeffrey Archer is a master of the short story with a twist. This novel seems to be a number of short stories connected together in the guise of a full-length novel. And thus it loses the elements that could have made it a classic. In addition, it seems that most people who have negative comments on this book, are comparing it to "Kane and Able." I'll have to agree. This entry is a good read but Mr. Archer misses the mark when he fails to keep the reader rooting for the main characters. As the novel begins, we are introduced to the two main characters and come to understand that they each have fatal flaws. We know from the beginning that they won't grow up to be likable characters and yet we hope to understand their view points. Instead I ended up hoping they would both drop off the end of the earth. I would refer uninitiated readers to Archer's, "As the Crow Flies," or "Kane and Able" or "The Prodigal Daughter" for the ultimate good read from Mr. Archer.
—Benjamin Thomas
All hail Archer !! Truly a master of story telling.My views can be contrasting to many of readers here because this is first Jeffrey Archer book I’ve read. At the beginning, story starts from the end and goes into the flashback, and totally drives you crazy as you don’t know what’s going on? But suddenly all things started to make sense. And at the last of the chapter you find yourself at a position where it is difficult to put the book down because of some clue of change in the story.This book is all about to media moguls fighting to build the biggest newspaper empire in the world. Lubji Hoch, who born in poverty in Eastern Europe, blessed by impeccable learning skills, survives the war and the curse of Hitler. Whereas Keith Townsend, who is born in Australia, where war was just another headlines in newspapers, also the one’s owned by his father. Time pasts and they both become influential persons in their respective regions. Lubji, fighting against Hitler secures his position in British world and changes his name to Richard Armstrong. While Keith learning in Oxford hears the news of his father’s death and rush back to Australia to save his father’s empire. Seemingly growing in the same profession they soon become rivals to each other. Both the characters have many things in common but the most important thing was their thirst to become the biggest and for which they were ready to risk every penny they own. Result of which, they get bankrupt and this is point where the story actually goes in past. Every chapter in the book is so beautifully written that never let your enthusiasm down and ask you to read one more chapter before going to bed or going to work. Now its time to go through some more novels of Archer!!
—Lavish
