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The Fifth Estate
Expanding on the violent street world he portrayed so well through the eyes of Detective Eddy (Popeye) Egan in The French Connection, Robin Moore here fills in the space behind today's headlines of criminal influence in the highest echelons of government and business. The Fifth Estate unfolds a staggering tale of illicit power and corruption made all the more chilling by the reality which it reflects.
451 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1973
2 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
About the author
Robin Moore
93 books41 followersRobert Lowell "Robin" Moore, Jr. was an writer best known for his books The Green Berets: The Amazing Story of the U.S. Army's Elite Special Forces Unit,The French Connection: A True Account of Cops Narcotics and International Conspiracy and, with Xaviera Hollander and Yvonne Dunleavy, The Happy Hooker: My Own Story.
Moore also co-wrote the lyrics with Barry Sadler for the Ballad of the Green Berets, which was one of the major hit songs of 1966.
At the time of his death, Moore was residing in Hopkinsville, Kentucky (home to Fort Campbell and the 5th Special Forces Group) where he was working on his memoirs as well as three other books.
During World War II he served as a nose gunner in the U.S. Army Air Corps, flying combat missions in the European Theater of Operations. Moore graduated from Harvard College in 1949.
Thanks to connections with fellow Harvard graduate, Robert F. Kennedy, Moore was allowed access to the U.S. Army Special Forces. It was General William P. Yarborough who insisted that Moore go through special forces training in order to better understand "what makes Special Forces soldiers 'special'." He trained for nearly a year, first at "jump school" before completing the [[Special Forces Qualification Course]] or "Q Course", becoming the first civilian to participate in such an intensive program. Afterward, Moore was assigned to the 5th Special Forces Group on deployment to South Vietnam. His experiences in South East Asia formed the basis for ''The Green Berets.
Biography Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Moore
Moore also co-wrote the lyrics with Barry Sadler for the Ballad of the Green Berets, which was one of the major hit songs of 1966.
At the time of his death, Moore was residing in Hopkinsville, Kentucky (home to Fort Campbell and the 5th Special Forces Group) where he was working on his memoirs as well as three other books.
During World War II he served as a nose gunner in the U.S. Army Air Corps, flying combat missions in the European Theater of Operations. Moore graduated from Harvard College in 1949.
Thanks to connections with fellow Harvard graduate, Robert F. Kennedy, Moore was allowed access to the U.S. Army Special Forces. It was General William P. Yarborough who insisted that Moore go through special forces training in order to better understand "what makes Special Forces soldiers 'special'." He trained for nearly a year, first at "jump school" before completing the [[Special Forces Qualification Course]] or "Q Course", becoming the first civilian to participate in such an intensive program. Afterward, Moore was assigned to the 5th Special Forces Group on deployment to South Vietnam. His experiences in South East Asia formed the basis for ''The Green Berets.
Biography Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Moore
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 12, 2010
It was worth the wait (of 30+ years) to finish this one. The "fifth estate" running the country and controlling the world. Scary and yet so very plausible! And even though it was dated for the 1972 and 1976 elections, it could be just as believable today. I know the ending was left rather open-ended, but that's all to the good! Because I would hate to see what eventually happens to Brad (and Elda).
January 26, 2019
If you are a journalism student, you should read this cruel and real book.
September 5, 2023
3 1/4 stars
Currently reading
January 3, 2026Robin Moore writes an author-insert fanfic of The French Connection.
February 26, 2017
A quick read despite it's 450 pages. I had wanted to reAd The Fifth estate since it first came out in the 1970s. I may read more of Robin Moore's books. This is very entertaining and his The French Connection is a good movie.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews