Jeffrey Archer: The Fourth Estate (UK 2022)

From the Publisher:
Engrossing and addictive, No.1 Bestseller Jeffrey Archer's The Fourth Estate sees two newspaper barons in a battle for supremacy and power.

Two men who seem to have little in common aside from their desire to stay at the top of their game.

One, Richard Armstrong, born in poverty, survived the Second World War through luck, guts and being ruthless before buying a failing German newspaper while putting his competitors out of business.

The other, Keith Townsend, raised in wealth, took over his family's business, his brilliance soon making him the most successful newspaper publisher in Australia.

Now their ambitions are about to collide as each find themselves threated by financial disaster. In a race to save their crumbling empires, each man must find a way to remain on top and take control of the greatest media conglomerate in the world.

Only one can triumph. Which one will it be?

With Archer's trademark twists and turns, this is a powerful tale set in the newspaper world of wealth and corruption, desire and destruction.

Jeffrey Archer: The Fourth Estate. Pan, ISBN: 9781529060089 (August, 2022), 624 p., £9.99.

Jeffrey Archer: The Fourth Estate (UK 2010)

From the Publisher:
From bestselling author Jeffrey Archer, The Fourth Estate is a tale of corruption, risk and two men who are willing to destroy each other to gain power.

The world's most powerful newspaper barons -- which of them will triumph?

At first glance, Richard Armstrong and Keith Townsend seemed to have little in common. One was the son of an illiterate peasant, who emerged from the most backward corner of a Europe ravaged by a bitter war. The other was raised in a mansion on the far side of the world while the war was just another piece of news. One was a hustler, a thief, ready to change even his identity, if it would gain him a momentary advantage. The other was the scion of a well-known family, groomed for a public role, a rebel who didn't care if anyone approved of what he got up to. One craved wealth, recognition, status. The other quickly discovered that real power comes from anonymity.

But they did have one thing in common. Both of them were gamblers. Both were prepared to risk everything in their battle to control the biggest newspaper empire in the world.

Jeffrey Archer: The Fourth Estate. Pan, ISBN: 9780330419086 (November, 2010), 608 p., £7.99.

Jeffrey Archer: The Fourth Estate (USA 1997)

From the Publisher:
Lubji Hoch survived World War II on luck, guts, and ruthlessness. At the war's end, renamed Richard Armstrong, he buys a floundering newspaper in Berlin and deviously puts his competitors out of business. But it isn't enough. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Keith Townsend, the Oxford-educated son of a millionaire newspaper owner, takes over his family's business. His energy and brilliant strategic thinking quickly make him the leading newspaper publisher in Australia. Still, he longs to move on to the world stage.

As both Armstrong and Townsend seize control of everything they see, their ambitions collide on a global scale. But suddenly they both find themselves threatened by finicial disaster and enormous debt. Frantic to save his crumbling empire, each man turns desperate. One's quest will lead to triumph, the other's will end in tragedy in this awesome tale of wealth and corruption, desire and destruction.

Jeffrey Archer: The Fourth Estate. Harper Torch, ISBN: 0061092037 (July, 1997), 752 p., $7.99.

Jeffrey Archer: The Fourth Estate (UK 1997)

From the Publisher:
Jeffrey Archer's magnificent new novel tells the story of the two most extraordinary men of our time, lives to which only 'the greatest storyteller of our age' (Mail on Sunday) could do justice. At first glance, Richard Armstrong and Keith Townsend seemed to have little in common. One was the son of an illiterate peasant, who emerged from the most backward comer of a Europe ravaged by a bitter war. The other was raised in a mansion on the far side of the world while the war is just another piece of news. One was a hustler, a thief, ready to change his story, even his identity, if it would gain him a momentary advantage. The other was the scion of a well-known family, groomed for a public role from his earliest years, a rebel who didn't care if anyone approved of what he got up to.

One craved wealth, recognition, status. The other quickly discovered that real power comes from anonymity. But they did have one thing in common. Both of them were gamblers. Both were prepared to risk everything in their battle to control the biggest newspaper empire in the world.

Jeffrey Archer: The Fourth Estate. HarperCollins, ISBN: 0006496458 (April, 1997), 550 p., £6.99.

Jeffrey Archer: The Fourth Estate (USA 1996)

From the Publisher:
In a stunning display of storytelling, reminiscent of his blockbuster Kane & Abel, Jeffrey Archer creates two extraordinary protagonists whose life stories could have been taken from today's headlines, and pits them against each other as each strives to be the first to create a global media empire and become the most powerful man on earth.

Lubji Hoch breaks the bonds of his humble beginnings as the son of an illiterate Jewish peasant, escapes the Nazis, changes his name to Richard Armstrong, becomes a decorated officer in the British army, and ultimately finds himself in Berlin, where his sharp mind and killer instincts win him the opportunity to head up a floundering newspaper. As rival papers in the city fail in the wake of his ruthlessness, he is poised to move on to even greater things.

On the other side of the world, in Australia, Keith Townsend, son of a millionaire newspaper owner, is being groomed to follow in his father's footsteps, Private schools, an Oxford degree, and a position at a London newspaper, lead him up to the time of his father death, when he takes over the family business. His energy and brilliant strategic thinking quickly make him the leading newspaper publisher in Australia. Yet he too longs to move on to the world stage.

Armstrong's and Townsend's ambitions collide on a global scale. Each controls a mass-circulation British tabloid and a New York daily newspaper that is losing money. Each suddenly finds himself threatened by financial disaster brought on by enormous debts. Both become desperate to save their crumbling empires. One ends up flying his privat jet to his yacht in Nice and ordering the captain to sail out to sea. The other prepares a press release to announce that he is about to go bankrupt.

The Fourth Estate is the timely and compelling story of two men who, though they come from totally different backgrounds, stand face-to-face on the highest precipice, prepared to risk everything to beat each other and control the biggest media empire in the world.

Jeffrey Archer: The Fourth Estate. HarperCollins, ISBN: 0060175184 (May, 1996), 549 p., $26.95.

Jeffrey Archer: The Fourth Estate (UK 1996)

From the Publisher:
The Fourth Estate is Jeffrey Archer's magnificent new novel - the roost thrilling he has written since Kane & Abel. It tells the story of the two most extraordinary men of our time, lives to which only 'the greatest storyteller of our age' (Mail on Sunday) could do justice.

At first glance, Richard Armstrong and Keith Townsend seemed to have little in common. One was the son of an illiterate peasant, who emerged from the most backward corner of a Europe ravaged by a bitter war. The other was raised in a mansion on the far side of the world while the war was lust another piece of news.

One was a hustler, a thief, ready change his story, even his identity, if it would gas hint a momentary advantage. The other was the scion of a well-known family, groomed fort public role from his earliest years, a rebel who didn't care if anyone approved of what he got up to.

One craved wealth, recognition, status. The other quickly discovered that real power comes from anonymity. But they did have one thing in common. Both of them were gamblers. Both were prepared to risk everything in their battle to control the biggest newspaper empire in the world.

Only one of them could triumph...

Jeffrey Archer: The Fourth Estate. HarperCollins, ISBN: 0002253186 (May, 1996), 549 p., £16.99.