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As the Crow Flies
Verfasst von Jeffrey Archer
Gesprochen von Martin Jarvis
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Mit Anhören beginnenBeschreibung
Growing up in the slums of East End London, Charlie Trumper dreams of someday running his grandfather's fruit and vegetable barrow. That day comes suddenly when his grandfather dies leaving him the floundering business.
With the help of Becky Salmon, an enterprising young woman, Charlie sets out to make a name for himself as "The Honest Trader". But the brutal onset of World War I takes Charlie far from home and into the path of a dangerous enemy whose legacy of evil follows Charlie and his family for generations.
Encompassing three continents and spanning over sixty years, As the Crow Flies brings to life a magnificent tale of one man's rise from rags to riches set against the backdrop of a changing century.
A Macmillan Audio production.
Buchaktionen
Mit Anhören beginnenInformationen über das Buch
As the Crow Flies
Verfasst von Jeffrey Archer
Gesprochen von Martin Jarvis
Beschreibung
Growing up in the slums of East End London, Charlie Trumper dreams of someday running his grandfather's fruit and vegetable barrow. That day comes suddenly when his grandfather dies leaving him the floundering business.
With the help of Becky Salmon, an enterprising young woman, Charlie sets out to make a name for himself as "The Honest Trader". But the brutal onset of World War I takes Charlie far from home and into the path of a dangerous enemy whose legacy of evil follows Charlie and his family for generations.
Encompassing three continents and spanning over sixty years, As the Crow Flies brings to life a magnificent tale of one man's rise from rags to riches set against the backdrop of a changing century.
A Macmillan Audio production.
Über den Autor
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I always enjoy Jeffrey Archer books and this was no exception. A rag-to-riches story, the reader follows the life of Charlie Trumpers Beginning in 1900 young Charlie is an eight year-old barrow boy and over the next seventy years, through hard work and perseverance, becomes a self-made millionaire and chairman of his own chain of London department stores. His highs and lows, joys and disappointments, and his on-going feud with the Trentham family makes this an entertaining read.
What a great story! Filled with all emotions. A rag to riches believable story of a Fruit Vendor who makes it rich and the obstacles of a on-going feud by an archenemy and his mother.
An excellent read.
once in a while a book comes which rekindles your interest in books.
this is one such book.
once i started it, it was very hard to part from it.
the way jeff archr takes the reader through the life journey of its character is unique.
this is one such book.
once i started it, it was very hard to part from it.
the way jeff archr takes the reader through the life journey of its character is unique.
Hugely enjoiyable and entertaining. My one criticism of J.A's books is that time runs either very slowlly or at an alarming speed, keeping me guessing how old the characters are. Rollicking good read, though, when there is always a twist at the end.
I really liked Kane and Abel decades ago and this reminds me of that. Competently written with engaging and real characters and a thoroughly gripping story. Perhaps a bit formulaic but well done. Hardly literature but you are in good hands.
Story: 5/5 Brilliantly engaging.
World: 4/5 Interesting period but not sure how much the world was conditioned to fit the story. Convincing though.
Characters: 5/5 Interesting variety of characters who were a bit unpredictable (that's good). A bit overly polarised between good and bad though. Well developed as story progressed.
Writing: 4/5 Smooth and competent without pretending to be literature.
Story: 5/5 Brilliantly engaging.
World: 4/5 Interesting period but not sure how much the world was conditioned to fit the story. Convincing though.
Characters: 5/5 Interesting variety of characters who were a bit unpredictable (that's good). A bit overly polarised between good and bad though. Well developed as story progressed.
Writing: 4/5 Smooth and competent without pretending to be literature.
Jeffrey Archer has proven himself many times. As The Crow Flies proves that he hit the ground running and was already a very good storyteller while young. He knows that even if he repeats himself, as long as there are enough new twists to the plot of any of his book, he'll be forgiven, and his works, enjoyed. I was thoroughly entertained reading this book which has a few lulls, but which forced me to have stakes in the story at a time when I felt temporarily indifferent. After all why should I care if a millionaire (even self made) is risking his benefits and at worst, would be a bit poorer. No skin off MY nose! Well the author had other thoughts. He made me care. I no longer think Kane And Abel is this writer's best book. That praise went to Be Careful What You Wish For...now...I'm no longer sure. This book, which I've just read, is one of the strongest 5 star books I've ever rated. The plot points, fleshed out through the way characters behave, present themselves and motivate themselves, generate inexhaustible supply of surprises. Everything is perfectly clear in the book. As The Crow Flies defies any gross accusation that can be thrown at it. It deserved to be read. It's pure entertainment, of the type that can only be offered by books and their makers.
Brilliant . First novel i've read by Archer but wont be the last. So many twists to keep the story line interesting and an unexpected ending. As much as i don't like Archer you have to say that he is an exceptional author
Story of Charlie Trumper who opened a large department store in England in the 20's and 30's. The story moves quickly along but so many personal details and emothion were missing, you felt you didn't really know the characters.
good novel - following the life and empire building of a family
no real dialog, Charlie is supposedly a charming master salesman. We know this because upper class women put up with him calling them "love" and he has a long line at his shop or cart. His charm, his personality is in no way revealed by his dialog with other characters. No emotional depth. Characters die, leave, are jilted, but there is no real emotional response. Charlie has no real problems that aren't solved immediately usually by suspicious coincidence. Good story, I generally like rags to riches. Great narrator.
Great writing. Smart , funny with well rounded characters- some you'll love and some you'll hate. This is my second Jeffery Archer book but won't be my last
At 738 pages this isn't a particularly short novel by any means, but the story within is worth everyone of those pages. It's an epic tale of a young man with a dream and covers the unfolding expansion of a little fruit and vegetable wheelbarrow business into some far larger. We see the first world war come and go, the great depression, the second world war, the post war boom and more through the eyes of a man trying to run his business.Along the way we meet the Trenthams who are possibly the most unlikable and scheming characters (excluding the husband) that I've encountered in a novel. This was just a really good book, which was a pleasant surprise considering I wasn't really that enthused by the blurb but once I started reading I was really drawn into the story, the characters and the unfolding situation. Would really recommend.
Again I read one more great story from JA. My favorite story teller. I wonder how can the author make so many twists in one story and finally brought to a good end.
This is a rags-to-riches tale of East End barrow-boys, supermarkets, boardroom politics, war and vegetables. If anyone had told me in advance I would really like it I would have laughed, but looking back I know I was gripped by it. It is full of twists and turns, cliffhangers and things that seem to mean one thing and actually mean another.
The novel spans a lot of time and a lot of space as well. Its one of those saga type novels but it never feels right. There is no sense of urgency. Will be right up your alley if you like soaps and sob stories though
CD book, read by Simon Prebble and Barbara Rosenblat (she does the Mamur Zapt stuff). Charlie Trumper is a fruit and vegetable man who rises to a better neighborhood, huge department store, and becomes a lord. It started out promising, but in the end it was just romantic drivel. I only listened to it because Simon Prebble was one of the readers, and I'll listen to pretty much anything he reads.
Jeffrey Archer is on our CP English booklist. I love most of his books...they remind me of Tom Clancy.
When Charlie Trumper inherits his grandfather's fruit and vegetable barrow, he inherits as well his enterprising spirit, which gives Charlie the drive to lift himself out of the proverty of Whitechapel, in London's East End. Success, however, does not come easiy or quickly, particularly when WWI sends Charlie into combat and into an ongoing struggle with a vengeful enemy who will not rest until Charlie is destroyed.
Readable. English barrow boy to department store magnet. 900+ pages.
Overall, an enjoyable read, even though the plot offered little in the way of a compelling crisis. Would Charlie Trumper succeed in fulfilling his dreams of building a bigger department store? Hardly compelling on the surface. Yet I still enjoyed the rags-to-riches story of the young entrepreneur from London's east end who overcomes early socio-economic disadvantages and survives the Western Front in order to build Trumper's -- a thriving publicly owned shopping centre which rivaled the world's best, despite the attempts of his bitter rival to thwart his aspirations. In Charlie Trumper, author Jeffrey Archer creates a main character who I could root for. A rather long, but easy read, worth the time invested.