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The Fourth Estate

By: Jeffrey Archer
Narrated by: Jonathan Aris
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Publisher's Summary

Lubji Hoch escapes from the Nazis, moves to Berlin and changes his name to Richard Armitage. After a successful career in the British Army, he takes over a struggling newspaper and with unrivalled ruthlessness begins building his media empire.

Meanwhile, Keith Townsend, the son of a millionaire and Oxford educated, returns to Australia from London to take over his father's newspaper with similar ambitions.

As both men move their quest for power to the world stage, they realise they are more than a match for one another's brilliance and ambition. Their rivalry leads them to the brink of financial ruin and finally to the ultimate showdown where one will become the world’s most powerful man, and the other will succumb to tragedy.

Based on the rivalry between media moguls Rupert Murdoch and Robert Maxwell, this fast-paced, suspenseful thriller full of status, corruption and deceit will captivate fans of Archer's blockbuster Kane and Abel.

The Fourth Estate is narrated by Jonathan Aris, a British television, film and theatre actor. He has appeared in Sherlock, the Night Manager alongside Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie, and played the angelic quartermaster in Good Omens.

Jeffrey Archer is a bestselling British author and former politician. He was educated at Oxford and went on to become a Member of Parliament, the deputy chair of the Conservative Party as well as sitting in the House of Lords. His political career ended in scandal and he turned to writing, where he has been published in over 250 countries.

He is perhaps most famous for the "Clifton Chronicles" and his blockbuster Kane and Abel which was number one on the New York Times Bestseller list and inspired a popular miniseries starring Peter Strauss and Sam Neill.

After he was imprisoned for perjury in 2001, he wrote his highly acclaimed non-fiction series, Prison Diaries - Hell, Purgatory and Heaven - which were inspired by his experiences and loosely structured around Dante’s Inferno.

©2021 SAGA Egmont (P)2021 SAGA Egmont

What listeners say about The Fourth Estate

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  • gg
  • 02-07-2021

disappointing

struģgled to finish ,read as if a ghost writer had been supplied with a plot to expand upon.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

wonderful

i loved it. so many twists and turns. hope you enjoy thus book too.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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  • PJP
  • 28-03-2022

Jeffrey Archer always delivers

Detailing probably one of the most fascinating events in the newspaper publishing world. My journey to work was over in a flash each day. Do yourself a favour and strap in for the ride.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Average

The narration was good but a little disappointed that the narrator didn't check the pronunciation of local place names. Almost every city in Australia was pronounced wrong but still in a decent Aussie accent.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Too long

An interesting book for the history, but it became too long for me.
I was not invested enough in the characters to do the second half of the book.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great listening

But spoiled by awful Australian accent. Not all Australians sound like those depicted. And It’s time that fact is recognised if we are to listen to Australian characters on Audible.

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  • Sue
  • 04-03-2022

Great read

Thoroughly enjoyed the whole story . Would love to find more to listen to similar to this . 👍

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Accent

The story was too long about too little, it may be much much better it a) you had a female and a male.
b) the Australian accent: NOBODY speaks like that if they have got to that level of employment. Melbourne is pronounced Mel’bn
Also: he said…she said…in many instances where no only disruptive but unnecessay

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Well written but…

Okay before I start this was my first ever Jeffrey Archer book. I doubt if I will read/listen to another. This book was definitely not my cup of tea. I do appreciate the author’s skill and turn of phrase. It is a well written book, it just made some stretches that took me out of the story. Especially when Lubi kept on jumping army ranks. I just found that simply unbelievable.

Thanks to eager fans giving 5 stars for trite garbage and trolls giving excellent books 1 star. I try to keep to a decent star system.
⭐️ - a book that is impossible for me to read.
⭐️⭐️ - a book that I cannot finish or poorly written
⭐️⭐️⭐️ - a good book, a decent read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - a really good book, a real page turner
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - imho a truly great book, one of the best books I have ever had the privilege of reading.

With great writing but subject matter that meant absolutely nothing to me. The odd way of jumping ranks and other strange things. I find this book worthy of ⭐️⭐️⭐️

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I really enjoyed it

A couple of over the top parts during WW1 and the Aussie accent was a bit much but not enough to put me off.
Only complaint was a couple of late nights reading as I got so engrossed I couldn't stop listening.

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