This classic novel (643 pages) was written by world’s famous novelist Jeffrey Archer. I first read this book when I was training with the Royal Marines in 1989, and recently re-read it during the middle of this year. Both times, I found it it gripping, exciting and intriguing. The story is about two strangers–William Lowell KANE and ABEL Rosnovski–who were brought together by fate and the quests of a dream. The two men–both ambitious, powerful and ruthless–were locked in a relentless struggle to build an empire, fueled by all-consuming hatred. Over sixty years and three generations, the outcomes were unexpected and unwarranted to say the least.
Kane and Abel can be synopsized into the following five meetings (in time/space) between the two men:
- By birth into the world— Born on the same day near the turn of the last century (1906) on opposite sides of the world, Kane was born the only son of a Boston banking millionaire, and Abel the son of a penniless Polish immigrant. Kane was educated in the top schools in Boston, and Abel spent the interwar years as a refugee in Eastern Europe before immigrating to the USA.
- When the top waiter served the young graduate— In Sep 2023 in New York, Abel was an up and coming waiter in the Plaza Hotel. On the said day, there was a celebration for both Kane and his best friend, Matthew Lester, for their admissions to the Harvard Business School. Abel was the waiter serving the Kane’s and Lester’s families, and that was the first time both Kane and Abel came into contact with each other. Of course, Abel was very impressed with Kane.
- When the bank director served notice to the young hotelier— When Kane graduated with top honours from Harvard Business School, he joined his family bank, Kane & Cabot, as a junior director in charge of investment, in particular liquidation and bankruptcy. Meanwhile, Abel happened to own a failing hotel group called the Richmond Continental based in Chicago, which faced liquidation and bankruptcy after the Wall Street’s Crash in 1929. What then happened at the meeting with Kane and Abel was intriguing: On behalf of the bank, Kane had to push for the liquidation of the hotel group which really angered Abel. But separately, Kane, through another bank, decided to invest in both the group and Abel (anonymously to avoid a conflict of interest.)
- When the Catering Colonel saved the Armour Captain— During the Second World War, most male Americans volunteered to fight the war against the Axis powers. Similarly, Abel volunteered as a Colonel in the Catering Division while Kane became a Captain in the Armour Division. Towards the end of the war in Europe, while the American Armour was pushing into Germany, Kane was caught in a nasty ambush (at the Ludendorff Bridge) that nearly killed him. Fortunately, as a mobbing up operation, Abel was able to lead his men to rescue Kane and some of those caught in the ambush. (This time, it was Abel that had saved Kane).
- The final meeting— Abel continued to build his hotel empire as the new Baron Hotel Group, in the Americas and Europe. He also got married and had a daughter named Florentyna. Meanwhile, Kane became Chairman of the merged Kane & Cabot and Lester Banks, married a widower called Kate and had a son named Richard, and two daughters named Virginia and Lucy. But fate had it that Richard and Florentyna fell for each other when they were in New York. Of course, both fathers objected to the relationship when they found out, but the youngers prevailed. On the final evening when the couple opened their main clothing store–Florentyna’s-in New York, both fathers were already very old and they met each other finally outside the clothing store. Richard passed on the same night, and a few years later, Abel also followed suit. Big fights for sixty years but quiet endings.
Key Takeaways:
- If you are looking for a classic novel to read, I would highly recommend Kane & Abel for this purpose.
- Never be blinded by hatred; sometimes your worst enemy could turn out to be your best friend (like that between Kane and Abel).