Kane & Abel – A Review
Kane and Abel – one of the very few books that appeal to both the heart, and the mind.
A book that tells a story of two men, from two different corners of the world, who were born destined to cross paths in their fight for success and recognition. On the one hand, William Kane – a man born to the CEO of one of the biggest banks of the United States, and stands to inherit absolutely everything the world has to offer – money, success, fame, Ivy League schools, good looks, so on and so forth. On the other hand, Wladek – a man born with physical impediments, beside the side of a river to a dying mother, standing to inherit absolutely nothing, not even a piece of cloth, or any family to call his own.
Jeffrey Archer tells an evoking tale that captures your attention from beginning to end, a book in which so many elements such as rivalry, true friendship, family, sorrow, achievement, and so on are beautifully combined to engage the reader, even after one has finished reading the book. As a fictional story, it does extremely well to motivate one to achieve success, be it success after starting from scratch and having absolutely nothing, or starting with absolutely everything and with everything to lose.
Wladek starts off his career in the United States, after escaping from his war-ridden home country; from being a waiter in a hotel to being the most well renowned hoteliers in the country. William Kane, battling through family troubles, topping Ivy League schools in academics and sports, building through the ranks at his late father’s bank, eventually ends up as CEO of the bank, and becomes part of a revolution which makes the US Dollar the Global Currency, replacing the British Pound during the Second World War.
All in all, Kane and Abel is an absolute must-read for any avid book reader. It does tend to be clichéd at times, but how these two men battle each other in a world hungry for money and success, is a story that is positively amazing and has been rightly considered one of Jeffrey Archer’s best works of all time.
Note: This is an article by Dominic C from Campazine, currently featured on Simple Insights.
