This is a fairly good 200 page novel, hiding inside 600 pages. It was easy to read, but not very fulfilling. I was ready to quit on it at the halfway point, as I became tired of reading of each shop being purchased with great detail about how much it cost, and what a good deal Charlie got on each one. I continued on, and the story improved somewhat. I never felt anything for any of the characters. They all seemed one dimensional.

I did like the way that the story switched perspective from one character to another, filling in the blanks of the story as it did so. That made for more interesting transitions, but became predictable as the story progressed.

On the technical side... I read the novel on my Kindle. The hand written notes scattered throughout the book were almost impossible to read.

De verdad que este autor tiene una manera de contar historias increíble. “Kane and Abel” sigue estando arriba de todos, pero que buen libro fue este. Satisfactorio, e inspiracional para cualquier persona trabajadora. El personaje principal, Charlie Trumper, es una persona a la que aspiras ser. Te da hambre el libro de comerte al mundo. Y aparte, te hacer ver que es posible y que el potencial de cada quien depende de sí mismo y si dedicación a lo que haga.

Una excelente “rags to riches” story, dándole a todos los personajes su debida profundidad. Jeffrey Archer no pierde el tiempo con detalles innecesarios y la historia nunca se siente lenta. Aparte hay varios plot twists que te hacen pasar por una montaña rusa de emociones que, es al final lo mejor que hace este autor: hacerte sentir el libro. Solamente le faltaron atar unos cabos sueltos a mi gusto, al final. Pero wow con este libro.

It's been awhile since I read a genuine 'page turner.' ATCF was a really great read, an interesting plot, a bit of a mystery to keep me going. And it did keep me going! Laying awake at night drinking another cup of tea not wanting to go to sleep, just wanting to read another chapter. Yes, it's true, I'm definitely not smarter for having read ATCF, but what a great little (ok, quite big actually) story!

Really entertaining soap opera that I always wanted to pick up. Also, loved the setting, England from 1914 or so until 1970.

It was a different experience reading this novel "As the Crow Flies" written by Jeffrey Archer. Rags to riches story of a man from a roadside vegetable & fruit vendor to a globally known entrepreneur is quite fascinating if not very inspiring.

Qualities or attributes associated with the central character "Charlie Trumper" - Industrious nature, self-confidence, audaciousness, simple business acumen, hunger to achieve more, witty nature, strong leadership yet grounded in the approach etc., presented in an uncomplicated fashion is the highlight of the book for me.

The Story and its depiction seems to start and end with a bang. However, It looks to be trudging along a little during the middle. No doubt that a person geographically closer will be able to connect better and probably feel it more nostalgic.

While the story will tell if "Trumper" managed to be triumphant, The reader will decide whether the novel flew high. As the Crow flies promises a lot, but does it end up short ? The title could not be more apt though.

Great story, characters and style of story telling. However, the execution was appalling! So many loose ends! In a minute he changed Charlie's character from a strong family figure to someone who only cares about his company! It doesn't deal with the emotional aspect at all. And the part where Charlie tries to get from from Australia to London just goes on and on! It was almost like Archer got bored with his book and just decided to finish it quickly. Extremely disappointing!

Tolle Familiensaga über mehrere Jahrzehnte. Der Stoff hätte auch für mehrere Teile gereicht. Im großen und ganzen doch etwas vorhersehbar, aber hat trotzdem Spaß gemacht zu lesen.

Lord Archer is a perfect storyteller and an outstanding crator of characters, even if some of our contemporary underrate him and his writings. He's an author I love and that's the reason why I'm more interested in HOW he writes more than in WHAT he writes.
That's the case with the Crow. And yet, some events (the incest, the secrecy about Daniel) seem to have emerged from the Middle Ages, the final is too pathetic for my taste, so unfortunatelly one star flies through the open window...

Read this many years ago, was brilliant

Another “from rags to fortune” tale by Jeffrey Archer.
Spanning from WW1 deep into the 20’th century, we get the story of the Trumper retail empire, following Charlie, grandson of a barrow costermonger, who manages to build an empire against all odds and against some powerful enemies.

I like Jeffrew Archer’s books, I like the social, commercial and power points of views that he presents.

Charlie Trumper's earliest memory is of hearing his grandfather's sales patter from behind his fruit and veg barrow. When his grandfather dies suddenly Charlie wants nothing more than to follow in his footsteps; his burning ambition is to own 'The Biggest Barrow in the World', a shop that will sell everything.

This book is a rags to riches tale taking us from the teeming streets of Whitechapel to the elegance of Chelsea Terrace spanning some 70 years (from 1900 to 1971) through the triumphs and disasters of 20th century Britain. My copy was in excess of 700 pages long yet it didn't really feel like it, its a relatively quick read if not a particularly fulfilling one.

I did like the way that the story switched perspective from one character to another, filling in the blanks as it did so. That made for some interesting transitions, but also meant a certain amount of repetition.

I found that this rather fat novel thin on substance. Too much of the book seemed to centre around just how Charlie managed to buy each shop, how much he paid for them and how quickly he was able to make them profitable again that it left little room for character development. They all seemed paper-thin and one dimensional. As always I found Archer's writing enjoyable but ultimately I simply couldn't shake off the feeling that I'd read it all before in 'Kane and Abel'.

I picked up this book expecting to get a flavor of first and second world war history amidst some Archerian fiction (somewhat similar to the Ken Follet century trilogy); however I wasn't much impressed with the history aspect of this book as much as it still kept me engrossed in the fiction. That being said I would consider this book to be a soap opera entertainer of fiction; I wouldn't consider it to be the best in terms of historical fiction; I would still consider it to be an entertaining beach read.