Kane and Abel

Roy Ambrose Kane, an orphaned Polish immigrant, climbs from the slums of New York City to become a wealthy hotel magnate while Abel Rosnovski, son of a Russian aristocrat fleeing the Soviet Union, builds a fortune in the American textile industry. Their shared background as immigrants does not foster friendship; instead, their paths cross repeatedly over six decades to transform potential camaraderie into a ruthless rivalry for wealth and dominance in America. Archer crafted this narrative as a sprawling historical saga that explores class conflict, the corruption of the American Dream, and the enduring impact of past trauma on future generations.

The novel reached number one on the New York Times Best Seller list shortly after its release in February 1980 by St. Martin's Press. Sales figures indicate the book moved over one million copies within its first week alone, establishing immediate commercial success for the British author. By the time Jeffrey Archer passed away on October 5, 2026, at age 86, the novel had sold tens of millions of copies worldwide. The story remains one of the best-selling novels of all time despite the author's death occurring just days before his final novel, Adam & Eve, was scheduled for release.

A highly successful television miniseries adaptation aired on NBC in 1983, starring William Devane as Kane and Ben Gazzara as Abel. This production won several Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Limited Series, cementing the story's cultural footprint beyond the printed page. While no direct sequels exist for this standalone tale, the themes of ambition and betrayal echo throughout Archer's subsequent works, including the Clifton Chronicles series and Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less. [edit]