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Honour Among Thieves/Kane & Abel
Pan Books (2010) 0330517473 978-0330517478Product 17.2 x 13.8 x 6 cm
550 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2009
31 people are currently reading
605 people want to read
About the author
Jeffrey Archer
659 books12.5k followersJeffrey is published in 114 countries and more than 47 languages, with more than 750,000 5* reviews with international sales passing 275 million copies.
He is the only author ever to have been a number one bestseller in fiction (nineteen times), short stories (four times) and non-fiction (The Prison Diaries).
Jeffrey has been married for 53 years to Dame Mary Archer DBE. They have two sons, William and James, three grandsons and two granddaughters, and divide their time between homes in London, Cambridge and Mallorca.
He is the only author ever to have been a number one bestseller in fiction (nineteen times), short stories (four times) and non-fiction (The Prison Diaries).
Jeffrey has been married for 53 years to Dame Mary Archer DBE. They have two sons, William and James, three grandsons and two granddaughters, and divide their time between homes in London, Cambridge and Mallorca.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
June 7, 2021
Stand alone political thriller published 1993.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4
This is a political thriller from 1993 so what readers have to bear in mind is that the world Geo-political landscape has changed a great deal since this story was first published.
The Gulf War has just ended and it did not go well for President Hussein. He is now licking his wounds, having his ego stroked and dreaming up ways to get back at The USA.
The plan he comes up with is so grandiose it really beggars belief. His plan is to steal the American Declaration of Independence from right under the noses of his hated enemies and then have a ritual burning of the document in front of the world press on the 4th of July.
I have to admit that the logistics and planning that Jeffrey Archer dreamed up for this smoke and mirror scenario was really impressive and at first I was pulled right into the story. The thought that a group of people could, with enough money, wit and confidence, pull something like this off I found fascinating.
But unfortunately the more the story evolved the more contrived and nonsensical it became.
That’s not to say that I ever felt like putting the book down. It was good enough for me to want to know how it was all gong to end.
And when the end came, much to my surprise, it was exactly what I expected.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4
This is a political thriller from 1993 so what readers have to bear in mind is that the world Geo-political landscape has changed a great deal since this story was first published.
The Gulf War has just ended and it did not go well for President Hussein. He is now licking his wounds, having his ego stroked and dreaming up ways to get back at The USA.
The plan he comes up with is so grandiose it really beggars belief. His plan is to steal the American Declaration of Independence from right under the noses of his hated enemies and then have a ritual burning of the document in front of the world press on the 4th of July.
I have to admit that the logistics and planning that Jeffrey Archer dreamed up for this smoke and mirror scenario was really impressive and at first I was pulled right into the story. The thought that a group of people could, with enough money, wit and confidence, pull something like this off I found fascinating.
But unfortunately the more the story evolved the more contrived and nonsensical it became.
That’s not to say that I ever felt like putting the book down. It was good enough for me to want to know how it was all gong to end.
And when the end came, much to my surprise, it was exactly what I expected.
June 26, 2012
Another of Jeffrey Archer's potboiler. Saddam Hussein is smarting from the beating he has taken from the Americans and is itching to take revenge. He wishes to disgrace the Americans and the American President Bill Clinton by stealing the Declaration of Independence and burning it up in front of the world media.
To this he uses one of his staff members who is at the UN to negotiate a deal with a crooked lawyer to steal the Declaration of Independence. The lawyer sets up a team to achieve this including a master forger, a White House Presidential Secretary, a Film Directory who has been disgraced and an actor who is ready to be a con. He kidnaps the daughter of the best plastic surgeon and makes him convert the actor to look like Bill Clinton. He then has the forger create replicas of the Declaration of Independence and the film director gets permission to shoot for a film involving the President going to the archives to see the Declaration of Independence. With the help of the White House Secretary he convinces the persons in charge of the archives that real President is going to visit them to take a look at the Declaration of Independence.
In parallel there is a young Mossad recruit who is being trained by Mossad and the plan is to send her to try and assassinate Saddam Hussein. Also there is a University Professor of Law who is used by CIA because he has spent some time in the Middle East and is considered an expert in interpreting their moves. Mossad has sent the lady in question to France to try and infiltrate into the Iraqi embassy which she does successfully. CIA has sent the professor to scout and see if he can find out something from her as every other CIA agent in France is apparently known to the Mossad. In the process the two fall in love. Mossad mistakes the professor to be a plant to try and break their attempt to break into the Iraqi embassy and she is asked to kill him for having fallen for him. She poisons him but he reveals the truth before falling down. She is overwhelmed by guild and goes with the ambassador to Iraq to try and achieve her goal irrespective of Mossad's command.
The professor is saved and he along with the Mossad deputy makes an attempt to get into Iraq by posing as the delivery persons for a Nuclear Bomb safe, safe ordered by Saddam from a company in Sweden.
The lawyer has stolen the Declaration of Independence and it appears that it is with Saddam at his Baath Party Headquarters. The denouement happens in Baghdad in the Baath Party's headquarters. Read the book to see how it all ends.
It is a good read for all fans of Jeffrey Archer.
To this he uses one of his staff members who is at the UN to negotiate a deal with a crooked lawyer to steal the Declaration of Independence. The lawyer sets up a team to achieve this including a master forger, a White House Presidential Secretary, a Film Directory who has been disgraced and an actor who is ready to be a con. He kidnaps the daughter of the best plastic surgeon and makes him convert the actor to look like Bill Clinton. He then has the forger create replicas of the Declaration of Independence and the film director gets permission to shoot for a film involving the President going to the archives to see the Declaration of Independence. With the help of the White House Secretary he convinces the persons in charge of the archives that real President is going to visit them to take a look at the Declaration of Independence.
In parallel there is a young Mossad recruit who is being trained by Mossad and the plan is to send her to try and assassinate Saddam Hussein. Also there is a University Professor of Law who is used by CIA because he has spent some time in the Middle East and is considered an expert in interpreting their moves. Mossad has sent the lady in question to France to try and infiltrate into the Iraqi embassy which she does successfully. CIA has sent the professor to scout and see if he can find out something from her as every other CIA agent in France is apparently known to the Mossad. In the process the two fall in love. Mossad mistakes the professor to be a plant to try and break their attempt to break into the Iraqi embassy and she is asked to kill him for having fallen for him. She poisons him but he reveals the truth before falling down. She is overwhelmed by guild and goes with the ambassador to Iraq to try and achieve her goal irrespective of Mossad's command.
The professor is saved and he along with the Mossad deputy makes an attempt to get into Iraq by posing as the delivery persons for a Nuclear Bomb safe, safe ordered by Saddam from a company in Sweden.
The lawyer has stolen the Declaration of Independence and it appears that it is with Saddam at his Baath Party Headquarters. The denouement happens in Baghdad in the Baath Party's headquarters. Read the book to see how it all ends.
It is a good read for all fans of Jeffrey Archer.
August 8, 2013
Horrible. Goodbye Archer.
March 17, 2016
Read it a very long time ago. It was an amazing read.
November 21, 2016
This is one of the best books I have read in a while. Jeffery Archer is a wonderful story teller, possibly one of the best in this time. For those of you who don't know this book, be warned as I will be explaining the plot in depth
SPOILERS AHEAD
This is a book set right after the gulf war. Saddam Hussein is trying to embarrass the new president, Bill Clinton. To do so, he enlists the help of the Cavalli crime family; their mission, to steal The Declaration of Independence. Iraq is paying them ten million dollars to start and ninety million on completion. The Cavalli family enlists the help of the Special Assistant to the President and William O'Reilly, nicknamed Dollar Bill for his ability to forge documents. While the only person to ever successfully forge the declaration took four years, Dollar Bill only took two weeks. The only discernible difference, the word Brittish on the original is spelled correctly on his copy.
Meanwhile, Hannah Kopec, Mossad agent, is training to infiltrate the Iraq embassy. After infiltration, she needs to contact another Mossad agent, but any agent caught even near the embassy, she will be found out immediately. As a result, they send Scott Bradley, Yale professor and expert in middle eastern affairs. As he is not a known Mossad agent he is not known by the Iraq embassy so he can contact Hannah without everyone in Iraq knowing. However, Scott falls hopelessly in love with Hannah, and vice versa. While this is proceeding, the Cavalli family has just stolen The Declaration of Independence and slipped the almost perfect copy into the National Archives. Upon the payment location, it is revealed that they will only be receiving forty million, not the promised ninety million. Even though Anthony Cavalli put up a fight, that's all they receive.
Under the false knowledge that Scott is a double agent, Hannah poisons him. While the ambulances carry him out, he is believed dead by Hannah. Now, Hannah has nothing to live for and her only mission is to assassinate Saddam. The U.S. government has now realized that their Declaration is gone, they enlist the help of recently revived Scott and Dollar Bill to steal it back and replace it with a copy. They do this under the guise of transporting a safe for Saddam. Little do they know that Saddam is aware of their whole ruse. Basically, Saddam catches Scott and Hannah trying to switch the Declaration. However, they escape with the declaration and get across the border.
REAL MAJOR SPOILERS TWIST AT THE END
When they get back to Washington, it is revealed that both of them are fakes and Anthony Cavalli has the real one. (This is a very thin overview of the plot but that is all I could explain.)
I quite like the book. Jeffery Archer is a great author and an even better story teller. The plot is beautiful and intricate with multiple sub plots. The surprise twist at the end was a bit of a double edged sword. On the one hand, you honestly never saw it coming, quite brilliant in that regard. While on the other side, it was quite disappointing because it felt as though almost everything you just read was for no reason at all. It was kind of like when someone ends the story with “and it was all a dream.” The surprise twist ending was also a punch in the gut. The on other thing that I think the author could have worked on the amount of character perspectives he tells the story from. At the start of the book, there are at least ten characters he tells the story from, and this was quite confusing. All In all though, this was a great book and I suggest others to take a read.
SPOILERS AHEAD
This is a book set right after the gulf war. Saddam Hussein is trying to embarrass the new president, Bill Clinton. To do so, he enlists the help of the Cavalli crime family; their mission, to steal The Declaration of Independence. Iraq is paying them ten million dollars to start and ninety million on completion. The Cavalli family enlists the help of the Special Assistant to the President and William O'Reilly, nicknamed Dollar Bill for his ability to forge documents. While the only person to ever successfully forge the declaration took four years, Dollar Bill only took two weeks. The only discernible difference, the word Brittish on the original is spelled correctly on his copy.
Meanwhile, Hannah Kopec, Mossad agent, is training to infiltrate the Iraq embassy. After infiltration, she needs to contact another Mossad agent, but any agent caught even near the embassy, she will be found out immediately. As a result, they send Scott Bradley, Yale professor and expert in middle eastern affairs. As he is not a known Mossad agent he is not known by the Iraq embassy so he can contact Hannah without everyone in Iraq knowing. However, Scott falls hopelessly in love with Hannah, and vice versa. While this is proceeding, the Cavalli family has just stolen The Declaration of Independence and slipped the almost perfect copy into the National Archives. Upon the payment location, it is revealed that they will only be receiving forty million, not the promised ninety million. Even though Anthony Cavalli put up a fight, that's all they receive.
Under the false knowledge that Scott is a double agent, Hannah poisons him. While the ambulances carry him out, he is believed dead by Hannah. Now, Hannah has nothing to live for and her only mission is to assassinate Saddam. The U.S. government has now realized that their Declaration is gone, they enlist the help of recently revived Scott and Dollar Bill to steal it back and replace it with a copy. They do this under the guise of transporting a safe for Saddam. Little do they know that Saddam is aware of their whole ruse. Basically, Saddam catches Scott and Hannah trying to switch the Declaration. However, they escape with the declaration and get across the border.
REAL MAJOR SPOILERS TWIST AT THE END
When they get back to Washington, it is revealed that both of them are fakes and Anthony Cavalli has the real one. (This is a very thin overview of the plot but that is all I could explain.)
I quite like the book. Jeffery Archer is a great author and an even better story teller. The plot is beautiful and intricate with multiple sub plots. The surprise twist at the end was a bit of a double edged sword. On the one hand, you honestly never saw it coming, quite brilliant in that regard. While on the other side, it was quite disappointing because it felt as though almost everything you just read was for no reason at all. It was kind of like when someone ends the story with “and it was all a dream.” The surprise twist ending was also a punch in the gut. The on other thing that I think the author could have worked on the amount of character perspectives he tells the story from. At the start of the book, there are at least ten characters he tells the story from, and this was quite confusing. All In all though, this was a great book and I suggest others to take a read.
July 1, 2021
Honour Among Thieves
By: Jeffrey Archer
This is definitely a cracking good read. I thought for a minute that this was what really happened in the past, but Archer made modifications to make it a fiction. It's quite intriguing how the overall plan and those happenings came about. You will feel nervous and shout at the top of your lungs because of what had taken place.
At first, I was really hoping that the plan to steal the Declaration of Independence would be successful and it did. Hahaha After Scott and Hannah came into play, then I realized how terrible it was.
My greatest respect to Colonel Kratz, to Cohen, and to Aziz Zeebari for their great sacrifice. They risked their lives to get the original parchment back to the national archives. Professor Scott Bradley and Miss Hannah Kopec played a significant role as well. They are the only ones who survived after going to the Ba'ath Headquarters to cross the borders and reaching Kurdistan. I'm thankful to the villagers whom they've passed and helped them on the way.
Saddam Hussein wanted revenge on the United States for the reason that in the Gulf War, he was the sole survivor. US will be left with no choice but to retaliate.
It's really different in the history because Hussein used violent methods other than just stealing a national treasure which was stated in his novel.
Tip: Try and look as bored as he does.
I give this novel 3.9/5. I've read some reviews about this one and the majority are not satisfied. I think there will be novels where it's not everyone's cup of tea. For me, it's worth the read.
#jeffreyarcher #honouramongthieves #harpercollins #history #fiction
By: Jeffrey Archer
This is definitely a cracking good read. I thought for a minute that this was what really happened in the past, but Archer made modifications to make it a fiction. It's quite intriguing how the overall plan and those happenings came about. You will feel nervous and shout at the top of your lungs because of what had taken place.
At first, I was really hoping that the plan to steal the Declaration of Independence would be successful and it did. Hahaha After Scott and Hannah came into play, then I realized how terrible it was.
My greatest respect to Colonel Kratz, to Cohen, and to Aziz Zeebari for their great sacrifice. They risked their lives to get the original parchment back to the national archives. Professor Scott Bradley and Miss Hannah Kopec played a significant role as well. They are the only ones who survived after going to the Ba'ath Headquarters to cross the borders and reaching Kurdistan. I'm thankful to the villagers whom they've passed and helped them on the way.
Saddam Hussein wanted revenge on the United States for the reason that in the Gulf War, he was the sole survivor. US will be left with no choice but to retaliate.
It's really different in the history because Hussein used violent methods other than just stealing a national treasure which was stated in his novel.
Tip: Try and look as bored as he does.
I give this novel 3.9/5. I've read some reviews about this one and the majority are not satisfied. I think there will be novels where it's not everyone's cup of tea. For me, it's worth the read.
#jeffreyarcher #honouramongthieves #harpercollins #history #fiction
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2020
I was convinced (or forced) by my dad to read this political mystery by Jeffrey Archer. Being my first Jeffrey Archer I have to say I loved it.
Honour Among Thieves
is certainly an enthralling and gripping book with so many twists.
Saddam Hussein leader of Iraq is plotting a revenge against the new President of the US. He intends on stealing the Declaration of Independence. In order to do this, he sends an Iraqi UN official to complete the task. A crooked American lawyer is hired who is able to steal the document. He undergoes a lot of trouble including getting an actor to do a plastic surgery and hiring a forger to create duplicate copies of the Declaration . His diabolical plan comes into action the Declaration of Independence is successfully stolen and replaced with a copy.
In parallel, a Mossad agent has been sent to Iraq to assassinate Saddam Hussein. She meets an American Law Professor sent as an agent. Due to a misunderstanding, she kills the Professor. Fortunately, the Professor is saved and with the help of an American sergeant, a resentful Iraqi and another Mossad leader, they are able to sneak into the Ba'ath Party Headquarters to regain the Declaration of Independence.
Read the book to find out what happens in the end.
Saddam Hussein leader of Iraq is plotting a revenge against the new President of the US. He intends on stealing the Declaration of Independence. In order to do this, he sends an Iraqi UN official to complete the task. A crooked American lawyer is hired who is able to steal the document. He undergoes a lot of trouble including getting an actor to do a plastic surgery and hiring a forger to create duplicate copies of the Declaration . His diabolical plan comes into action the Declaration of Independence is successfully stolen and replaced with a copy.
In parallel, a Mossad agent has been sent to Iraq to assassinate Saddam Hussein. She meets an American Law Professor sent as an agent. Due to a misunderstanding, she kills the Professor. Fortunately, the Professor is saved and with the help of an American sergeant, a resentful Iraqi and another Mossad leader, they are able to sneak into the Ba'ath Party Headquarters to regain the Declaration of Independence.
Read the book to find out what happens in the end.
December 3, 2017
Review for Honour Among Thieves: This was a typical Archer novel with plenty of twists and turns. I was given a 1993 edition by a friend and this does not include Kane and Abel. This is a political plot using old political figures in Bill Clinton's USA with Saddam Hussein as the antagonist. Hussein is intent on using his huge wealth to buy a demoralising stunt against America. I enjoyed the story but found it largely unremarkable and with a weak ending that could have been cut short.
July 2, 2018
The story is great but not the best if we consider that this is a book by Archer. This is definitely one of the most underwhelming stories by him. It had a lot of potential but I don't quite know where he went wrong. There is just something that puts you off when you finish the book and not in a good way.
Although this is a page-turner as it keeps you engaged but it could have been a lot better . Still I'll give it a decent four as I had lot of expectations from it .
Although this is a page-turner as it keeps you engaged but it could have been a lot better . Still I'll give it a decent four as I had lot of expectations from it .
January 6, 2018
Amazing Plot would be an understatement. It is filled with facts and fictions while an erratic love story runs simultaneously for awhile. It leads to an unexpected twist at the end which is typical of Jeffery Archer but this one was less effective when compared to his other novels . It has 4-5 stories running parallel until he slowly connects them halfway.
December 25, 2016
Honour Among Thieves was a commercial thriller plot with a typical hero-villain saga. Archer takes care of entertaining the readers with twists at regular chapters and keeps the pace up.
Verdict: Give it a read, it is worth it.
Verdict: Give it a read, it is worth it.
June 3, 2017
Just read Honour among Thieves. What was he thinking!
September 1, 2017
Good book, but since it was fiction using real life characters most of the plot was predictable.
October 18, 2017
An amazing read.
September 6, 2018
Excellent plot. This was my first Jeffrey Archer book and i totally loved it.
December 29, 2018
Over the years I h.c averaged read this book 3 times. This is the book that got me hooked on Archer.
March 15, 2020
The research done in writing the book clearly comes out while directing the scenes.
Archer remains one of the best fiction writers of all time.
Good read
Archer remains one of the best fiction writers of all time.
Good read
November 15, 2021
Mature content
February 5, 2024
A great book, just loved it
Read
March 5, 2017A page turner as described by the author. Great Book!!!!
September 10, 2022
not my best type . the plot to steel the Independence declaration is good . The portrait of Iraq is comical and more fictional than true . the love affair with the Israeli heroin is too much . he shoud know what they have done to Iraq rather than using one of the biggest tragedies in modern world for the kind of plot . It is very hard to digest
Read
June 7, 2013I have always been a huge Archer fan, but the "Prisoner of Birth" had disappointed me sorely the last time I went by fondness for the author. So I was apprehensive when I started this one, one of the few Archer novels that I hadn't already read. But wow, I really loved this.
Set against the backdrop of a changing Middle East after the end of the Gulf War, Saddam Hussien attempts to humiliate America by stealing the Declaration of Independence from the National Archives in Washington DC. He plans to burn the Declaration in front of the Global media on the fourth of July. The story has a dozen memorable characters with no clear protagonist, a characteristic of a good Archer novel. There is the Yale Professor and part time CIA strategist, Scott Bradley, there is the beautiful and determined Israeli agent Hannah Kopec, looking to avenge her lost family, the brilliant Bill O'Rielly (Dollar Bill) who forges the Declaration and the ruthless American white collar criminal father-son duo the Cavallis.
The story twists and turns at a breathtaking pace, taking us from Washington DC to New York to Geneva to Amman to Baghdad to Stockholm to Kurdistan.... at its core is the concept of honor among thieves, how two sides con each other while trying to collectively fool the police, diplomacy, the UN and the international media.
A brilliant, must-read Archer novel.
Set against the backdrop of a changing Middle East after the end of the Gulf War, Saddam Hussien attempts to humiliate America by stealing the Declaration of Independence from the National Archives in Washington DC. He plans to burn the Declaration in front of the Global media on the fourth of July. The story has a dozen memorable characters with no clear protagonist, a characteristic of a good Archer novel. There is the Yale Professor and part time CIA strategist, Scott Bradley, there is the beautiful and determined Israeli agent Hannah Kopec, looking to avenge her lost family, the brilliant Bill O'Rielly (Dollar Bill) who forges the Declaration and the ruthless American white collar criminal father-son duo the Cavallis.
The story twists and turns at a breathtaking pace, taking us from Washington DC to New York to Geneva to Amman to Baghdad to Stockholm to Kurdistan.... at its core is the concept of honor among thieves, how two sides con each other while trying to collectively fool the police, diplomacy, the UN and the international media.
A brilliant, must-read Archer novel.
March 8, 2016
Haven't read Jeffrey Archer for long time and had forgotten what a good yarn he spins. Follow on from gulf war and plot to steal, and re-steal and double bluff the US ... of independance. Once I got into it, it became a real page turner for me. Not my usual kind of book, but I very much enjoyed it. Thrilling, exciting - would make a good film.
Must write more here - it's Book Club selection !
Must write more here - it's Book Club selection !
Read
April 20, 2016Now this is called an amazing portrayal of a real time villain, Saddam Hussein and how things around him moves in real life. As always Jeffery Archer's research and attention to details in mind blowing. A mix of reality and Archer's imagination has been very skilfully depicted in this great piece of work.
June 5, 2016
I have already read Kane and Abel. A while ago this is about Honour Among Thieves, this between the first Gulf War and the second, very good plot, I enjoyed it so much I just couldn't put it down. Jeffery Archer makes you want to read read read until the story has finished then you wish there was more.
November 17, 2012
Kane and Abel: Although a good read but some instances of rivalry between the characters were too far fetched. The story was too sad for William Kane; couldn't even meet his grand children, when he was the one wronged all along.
Book is pretty high on drama so was a enjoyable read.
Book is pretty high on drama so was a enjoyable read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2016
Well written with many unexpected twists and turns. The style of jumping quickly from character to character can be hard to follow at times but works well as a way of neatly threading the story to it's tense conclusion.
December 25, 2012
Not a great ending, but a page turner.
April 17, 2013
Both of them have good climax
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews