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Honor Among Thieves

3.76 of 5 stars 3.76 · rating details · 6,516 ratings · 120 reviews

Spring 1994, Washington, D.C. - While the Clinton Administration grapples with its domestic policies, a sinister plot is being masterminded six thousand miles away in Baghdad. By using $100 million as bait and spinning a deadly web of corruption, forgery, and terror, Saddam Hussein seeks to embarrass the U.S. with the ultimate revenge: to steal a treasured historical docum...more

Paperback, 480 pages

Published December 28th 2004 by St. Martin's Paperbacks (first published April 1st 1993)

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Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less by Jeffrey Archer

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Jul 22, 2010 Jerry rated it 3 of 5 stars

International intrigue, lots of action in post-Gulf War Iraq...

This was our first exposure to Jeff Archer, who's skill with complex international plot development reminds one a little of Tom Clancy without the high tech stuff. The main theme is that shortly after Clinton replaces Bush, Saddam Hussein pays $100M to a mob-related group to steal the American Declaration of Independence. A Yale professor (and our hero) Scott Bradley, gets his desire for a field assignment with the CIA to get it bac...more

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Dec 25, 2011 Arun Divakar rated it 3 of 5 stars

If I were to pick out one interesting observation that I have made of Jeffrey Archer over the years, it would be his undoubtably good sense in crafting entertainers. Archer never bothers with creating incredibly detailed characters or plot lines that challenge your intellect. He goes in for racy and swashbuckling thrill rides which begin and end with a lot of pomp & splendor.

If memory serves me right, Archer was one of the first authors whom I read after graduating from Hardy Boys when I was...more

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Dec 25, 2012 Vismay rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Who exactly was Saddam Hussein? That was the first question that popped up in my mind after completing this novel.
This is what the Guardian has to write about this tyrannical ruler who controlled Iraq for over a period of 24 years with an iron fist. And it was all I needed to know about the guy whom I was beginning to hate halfway through the novel.

Saddam was born in the nearby village of Owja, into the mud house of his uncle, Khairallah Tulfah, and into what a Tikriti contemporary of his calle...more
Who exactly was Saddam Hussein? That was the first question that popped up in my mind after completing this novel.
This is what the Guardian has to write about this tyrannical ruler who controlled Iraq for over a period of 24 years with an iron fist. And it was all I needed to know about the guy whom I was beginning to hate halfway through the novel.

Saddam was born in the nearby village of Owja, into the mud house of his uncle, Khairallah Tulfah, and into what a Tikriti contemporary of his called a world "full of evil". His father, Hussein al-Majid, a landless peasant, had died before his birth, and his mother, Sabha, could not support the orphan, until she took a third husband.
Hassan Ibrahim took to extremes local Bedouin notions of a hardy upbringing. For punishment, he beat his stepson with an asphalt-covered stick. Thus, from earliest infancy, was Saddam nurtured - like a Stalin born into very similar circumstances - in the bleak conviction that the world is a congenitally hostile place, life a ceaseless struggle for survival, and survival only achieved through total self-reliance, chronic mistrust and the imperious necessity to destroy others before they destroy you.
The sufferings visited on the child begat the sufferings the grown man, warped, paranoid, omnipotent, visited on an entire people. Like Stalin, he hid his emotions behind an impenetrable facade of impassivity; but he assuredly had emotions of a virulent kind - an insatiable thirst for vengeance on the world he hated.
To fend off attack by other boys, Saddam carried an iron bar. It became the instrument of his wanton cruelty; he would bring it to a red heat, then stab a passing animal in the stomach, splitting it in half. Killing was considered a badge of courage among his male relatives. Saddam's first murder was of a shepherd from a nearby tribe. This, and three more in his teens, were proof of manhood.

No doubt, mostly all of Iraq hated him and feared his whims and fancies which heralded someone’s death for sure.
That said Jeffery Archer’s Honour Among Thieves is indeed a cracker of a novel. The merit of the book lies not only in the fast pace but also the subtlety with which Mr. Archer moves ahead in this delightful yarn. While most of the spine-chillers end up explaining their plots and subplots with overmuch detail, Mr. Archer followed the golden rule of understatement. If indeed, you wished to skip a passage or two, you would be at a loss as you would not be able to make a head or tail why a particular incident took place. He does not brandish gory details over the murders taking place and mentions many of them in chance remarks between the characters! At no point did I feel that the novel was overstretched.
Right at the beginning, a plan of a daring heist emerges. To steal an object held so close to the American heart might have been considered impossible. But the sheer impossibility of the plan and the pursuit of a few brilliant conmen to give it wings and a flat runway to take-off make the book all the more exciting. Mr. Archer slowly builds the tension and it becomes almost impossible to stay off the book for more than a few minutes. The palpitating tension results in splendid fireworks at the end as the protagonists try to escape from the clutches of Saddam Hussein.
A book of fiction tells much about the life and times of the people. I checked the year of the publication of this book – 1993, at that time most of the people in the world were quite apprehensive about this vulture who had perched himself rigidly over the bounteous oil-spurting nest called Iraq. Today, we are no longer concerned about this man who had given quite a few sleepless nights to Presidents and Prime Ministers of many powerful nations of the time. But it was an altogether different era. If the Second World War produced Guns of Navarone and countless other books concerning themselves with Germany, clicking their tongues in relish and feeding over each rumor emerging from that secretive country: tales of cyborg army, a new super powerful weapon and what not, if the cold war resulted in plethora of Anti-Russia intrigue, Honour Among Thieves is definitely one of those novels concerning itself with the times of Saddam.
This indeed is trademark Archer book. The author likes his central characters to be nothing short of genius, and here we are introduced to quite a motley bunch of super-smarts. The novel is a tightly orchestrated play of words with thorough trimming and sleek streamlining.
Mr. Archer is indeed oath bound to deliver us fast paced thrillers. So if you are looking to vicariously lead a life filled with thrill and adventure, it would be better if you tag along with this very talented author.
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Apr 03, 2009 Verona rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book. I love American history and taught my 5th graders all about the Declaration of Independence, to honor it and respect it. I have been to Washington, DC, and seen how it is stored with its decending into its vault. I can't imagine how it could really be stolen, but found it this story fascinating and patriotic. Jeffrey Archer is a wonderful storyteller. I would like to read more of his books.

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Dec 21, 2011 Tattushenoi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Spy Fiction Likers

I have had exposure to Jeffrey Archer before, though not much, and have found his works very fast moving and riveting. This one has a woman spy, Hannah Kopec- a model- ,who suffered from Iraq war, working for MOSSAD as a trainee aiming to assassinate Saddam Hussein. Another one is a professor,Scott Bradley[whose father suffered professional embarrassment], at Yale who is working for the CIA.

The plot starts with Iraq's deputy ambassador, Al Obayadi to the UN hiring a lawyer firm [ the Cavalli gr...more I have had exposure to Jeffrey Archer before, though not much, and have found his works very fast moving and riveting. This one has a woman spy, Hannah Kopec- a model- ,who suffered from Iraq war, working for MOSSAD as a trainee aiming to assassinate Saddam Hussein. Another one is a professor,Scott Bradley[whose father suffered professional embarrassment], at Yale who is working for the CIA.

The plot starts with Iraq's deputy ambassador, Al Obayadi to the UN hiring a lawyer firm [ the Cavalli group] who work for criminals in New York through a shadow firm under their lawyer title. The aim is to steal the American declaration of independence and hand over to Saddam to embarrass Bill Clinton internationally.

For this the Cavallis hire criminals and an out of favour actor who will be made to look like Clinton and by visiting the national Archives, steal the declaration. They kidnap and leading plastic surgeons daughter to force the doctor work on the actor and eventually kill the whole family. They also hire an Oscar winning, but now out of work and once convicted director and by fooling the people and authorities alike by shooting a film, steal the declaration.

Meanwhile Scott Bradley is set to work for the first time in the field for CIA and is following the MOSSAD girl Kopec to check on her. But they end up falling n love first and then on the orders of her head commander, she ends up poisoning Bradley. But Bradley survives which Kopec is unaware of and heart broken , firmly decides to cut ties with the outer world with only aim to kill Saddam.

The CIA gets to know the operation and are wondering what to do next. Bradley suggests to take over from MOSSAD the plot of assassination and use change that to recovering the declaration. Bradley, Kopecs head commander and a couple of others are nominated for the operation in Baghad. They "hire" the same forger who worked for the Cavallis and create a duplicate of the declaration and plan to switch that with the original, the same way the Cavallis did it. the copy is to have the spelling of 'Brittish' "misspelt" as 'British'!

The operation is really incomprehensible in realistic scenarios and is dragging a bit. May be not one of Archers best works. Finally though only Bradley and Kopec survive with a small twist that the Declaration was actually with the Cavalli the father who is shown to be patriotic and does not want the history of his nation to go to Saddam. Thus the title 'Honour Among thieves'!

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Sep 17, 2011 Peter rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Peter by: pajames1963@aol.com

Firstly I must admit to being a real fan of Jeffrey Archer's writing, if not his politics or morals. I was very generously given this book by Kimberley so many thanks to her.

The plot is quite a simple on in that Saddam Hussein, in an effort to embarrass the American Government hires a criminal gang to steal the 'Declaration of Independance' and the CIA's efforts to steal it back. And others has stated it had the feel of either a Robert Ludlum or Tom Clancey novel without all the high-tech wizar...more

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Feb 17, 2009 Erik rated it 4 of 5 stars

My first book by Archer. The book reminded me of a Ludlum novel, as it traced a plot by Saddam Hussein to steal and destroy the Declaration of Independence. Well written and easy to get carried away for hours at a time. I will be reading more from this author in the future.

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Oct 30, 2011 Hrishik rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: goodreads

I read this book because I found it in my house and was eager to open it when it said "Humiliate America" on the front page.

"Honour Among Thieves" takes place after the first Gulf War concluding with the United States victory. Saddam Hussein who now wants revenge and wants to publicly humiliate the U.S by conjuring up a plan to steal the Declaration of Independence and burn publicly on TV on the 4th of July. It now becomes a race against time as the CIA try to retrieve the Declaration before Jul...more

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Oct 09, 2007 Vyasviral rated it 4 of 5 stars

Honour among thieves, to start with the title really got to me.Im glad i wasnt let down, now i have always been an ardent Jeffrey Archer fan and thats due to novels like these.

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Jan 13, 2009 Rowena rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 14, 2009 Whit rated it 3 of 5 stars

After reading "A Prisoner of Birth", I had to immediately read another Jeffrey Archer novel. Sadly, it did not live up to my expectations. He is a very long winded and detailed which worked in "A Prisoner of Birth" but did not in this novel. It was almost written as 3 different novels as there were three distinctly different parts to it making it long and disjointed. Still a fun read but not the quality of "A Prisoner of Birth." Also didn't appreciate the absolutely irrelevant and oddly incorpor...more

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Feb 23, 2010 Kimberley rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: one-of-my-favs-to-read-over-and-ove, read-2010, political-crime

This has been a favourite of mine for many years, I first read this 15 years ago and am currently on my 3rd copy (must invest in an e-book reader).
This book has lots to offer, thrilling, gruesome in places, very political with a love story running in the background.
Best of all its an easy read, grips you from the first chapter and I can't put is down, will read the whole book in a weekend and each time I read it I find something new that I didn't see before.
Even if Jeffery Archer isn't your thin...more

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Nov 21, 2011 Eric Wright rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

Set in 1993, Archer gives us a scenario in which Saddam Hussein uses $100 million as bait to hire crooks and a counterfeiter to steal the declaration of independence. Saddam’s goal is to embarrass the US and its president, Bill Clinton on July 4th by burning the priceless document. The action moves fast and furiously between Washington and Iraq. The author shows intimate knowledge of Iraq and its minorities and the way the document is protected. Characters include a trainee with the Mossad and a...more

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Mar 23, 2013 Eddy Allen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-and-suspense

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Sep 17, 2011 Suby rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

While the idea of Saddam Hussein making a plan to steal the original Declaration of Independence using the services of the Mafia and the Mafia executing the plan is preposterous, it happens to be the plot of this story. However the resultant story is a comedy of errors that ends well. Jeffrey Archer manages to tell the story convincingly enough. It is the narrative of this outlandish plot that is quite humorous that makes makes the book a success. Good book to pass time.

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Aug 09, 2011 Kxv added it · review of another edition

Lo peor que me he leído hasta la fecha de J. Archer. Una supuesta trama de acción tras la I Guerra del Golfo (1993) con Sadam, la CIA, el Mosad y la Declaración de Independencia de EEUU implicados. Como de costumbre, Archer arma su trama con varios personajes superpuestos, cuyas vidas se van cruzando de todas las maneras posibles. Sólo que esta vez no resulta. Muchos arquetipos, lugares comunes... Flojita, vaya...

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Aug 31, 2011 Gehan rated it 2 of 5 stars

This got the third star only because the plot was so well thought of, detailed and completely outrageous and outlandish. Otherwise, Archer's characters are cheesy and cliched. The romance is utterly useless, feeling completely wooden. No believable adult woman (a Mossad agent, no less), bursts into tears screaming "I love you, I love you!!", no matter what the situation. Also, I can't understand why Archer has to potray both the young women in this book as sex starved man-eaters. Of course our h...more

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Jul 21, 2010 Trudi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I listened to this one, and it held my interest as I was driving along. A typical "spy/criminal" story with lots of twists and turns. Involves American. Israeli, and Iraqi agents plus New York criminals. The object is for the Iraqis to steal the Declaration of Independence and burn it publicly on the 4th of July to embarrass President Bill Clinton. Of course, the Americans want to get it back before that happens.

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Aug 03, 2012 Karen rated it 2 of 5 stars

Saddam Hussein hires a Mafia lawyer to steal the Declaration of Independence so he can publicly burn it on July 4 as payback for the Gulf War. I usually like mysteries and thrillers, but I thought this was predictable. The Declaration is saved! Whew! During the rescue one of the guy spies falls in love with the woman spy and saves her. Admired companions are killed but our heroes are triumphant.

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Jul 30, 2011 Jayne Charles rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A good story with plenty of plot twists, which travels right into Iraq before the 'regime change'. As with most Jeffrey Archer novels, plenty of surprises and secrets which aren't revealed until the last minute. I don't think the Declaration of Independence stuff was quite as hard-hitting for those of us in the UK, as we don't have anything equivalent to it, so it's harder to understand the sort of regard in which it is held in the USA.

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Mar 23, 2010 Shannon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Surprisingly easy to read. It's set in 1993 in the Clinton administration and details an Iraqi plot (Saddam's doing, of course) to steal the Declaration of Independence and burn it on Independence Day '93. It jumps quickly from setting to setting, developing the characters as it goes. I found it quite engaging and a VERY quick read, although it has 464 pages. Great thriller!

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May 22, 2012 Aarohi Jain rated it 3 of 5 stars

The American Declaration of Independence - the importance this parchment holds a midst the Americans cannot be measured in currency. Its theft that too under the eyes of the president would bring humiliation beyond imagination...that was what Saddam had in his mind...But making an American responsible was the flaw in the plan...

The story is too good and the plot is just awesome... The elaboration is quite unnecessary, but it's a good one to read.

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Jun 06, 2011 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

I love when I pick up a book that doesn't let me put it down. Though I did have to get a good night's sleep somewhere in the middle - apparently I'm not as young as I used to be. Great organized crime plot, mildly predictable, but satisfyingly gripping writing anyway. A great palate-cleanser from the heavier reading I've been doing.

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Jan 05, 2013 Niki rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Not bad. But a far cry from some of the best works of Archer - Kane and Abel, The Prodigal Daughter or Sons of Fortune. First 100 pages a real drag. A bit disappointed though, probably because of high expectations from Archer or maybe because I guessed the end after reading the starting chapters. ;)

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May 23, 2010 Kathy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio

This was a good spy thriller to help the miles on the road go faster, but I've pretty much forgotten everything but the general plot which has Saddam stealing the Declaration of Independence in order to burn it and humiliate the US President.

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Feb 06, 2013 John rated it 4 of 5 stars

still reading this one, archer always has a lot going on in his plots,particularly this one. I'm expecting the decleration of independance handed over to saddam hussain to be the perfect forgery, no doubt all will be revealed in the end.

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Sep 21, 2012 Fran James rated it 4 of 5 stars

If there is one Archer book that can be called his best, it must be Kane & Abel. But if asked for another, then it must be this. Honor Among Thieves is a true international thriller. No doubt, it became an instant international bestseller.

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Feb 22, 2013 Jenna rated it 4 of 5 stars

I believe this was one of the first of Mr. Archer's book I read and I was amazed! Political intrigue, complexity and an on the go style that will never get old. If I ever see a new book by Jeffrey Archer, I pick it up ASAP!

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Apr 23, 2011 Praveen Kumar rated it 3 of 5 stars

very promising to start with,the narration was tight and gripping till the last hundred pages, after which,I lost interest because of the introduction of too many unnecessary subplots which made it tiresome to go through.

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Nov 13, 2011 Stephies rated it 2 of 5 stars

I was intrigued for the first 100 pages or so..... but I figured out the plot twist in the middle of the book. when the predictable ending happened, i was annoyed with myself for finishing the book.

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About Jeffrey Archer

Jeffrey Howard Archer, Baron Archer of Weston-super-Mare (born 15 April 1940) is an English author and former politician.

He was a Member of Parliament and deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, and became a life peer in 1992. His political career, having suffered several controversies, ended after a conviction for perverting the course of justice and his subsequent imprisonment. He is married...more

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