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Quick answer: If you loved Kane and Abel, read Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth, Fall of Giants and World Without End, then Alexandre Dumas's The Count of Monte Cristo, then Barbara Taylor Bradford's A Woman of Substance and Hold the Dream, and Colleen McCullough's The Thorn Birds and Jilly Cooper's Riders. All are sweeping family and business sagas.
Jeffrey Archer's Kane and Abel (1979) follows two men born on the same day, one rich and one poor. These picks share its rivalry.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Pillars of the Earth | Ken Follett | Adult | readers who like epics |
| The Count of Monte Cristo | Alexandre Dumas | Adult | readers who want a big epic |
| A Woman of Substance | Barbara Taylor Bradford | Adult | rise of a tycoon |
| Hold the Dream | Barbara Taylor Bradford | Adult | the sequel |
| The Thorn Birds | Colleen McCullough | Adult | classic sagas |
| Riders | Jilly Cooper | Adult | the Rutshire start |
| Hollywood Wives | Jackie Collins | Adult | glitz and gossip |
| Lace | Shirley Conran | Adult | glamorous saga |
| The Forsyte Saga | John Galsworthy | Adult | family chronicle |
| The Power of One | Bryce Courtenay | Adult | coming of age |
| Shōgun | James Clavell | Adult | readers who like long sagas |
| Fall of Giants | Ken Follett | Adult | the Century Trilogy |
| World Without End | Ken Follett | Adult | the sequel |
| Titan | Ron Chernow | Adult | business history |
| Sarum | Edward Rutherfurd | Adult | epic of a place |
1. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
A master builder, a monk and a noble family struggle over a cathedral in 12th-century England. Long, gripping and emotional.
Best for: readers who like epics.
2. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Edmond Dantès escapes prison and takes revenge in a long, thrilling saga. Perfect if you like big stories.
Best for: readers who want a big epic.
3. A Woman of Substance by Barbara Taylor Bradford
Emma Harte rises from servant girl to business tycoon. A long and satisfying saga.
Best for: rise of a tycoon.
4. Hold the Dream by Barbara Taylor Bradford
Emma Harte's granddaughter takes over the family empire. A natural next book.
Best for: the sequel.
5. The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough
An epic family saga set in the Australian outback. Long, romantic and dramatic.
Best for: classic sagas.
6. Riders by Jilly Cooper
Rupert Campbell-Black and rivals compete in show jumping. Bawdy and addictive.
Best for: the Rutshire start.
7. Hollywood Wives by Jackie Collins
The wives of powerful men in Hollywood navigate affairs, ambition and rivalry. Glitzy, fast and gloriously over the top, it is the closest cousin to Susann's style.
Best for: glitz and gossip.
8. Lace by Shirley Conran
Four school friends reunite to find a mysterious mother. Racy and glossy.
Best for: glamorous saga.
9. The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy
A wealthy English family over generations. A classic of the saga form.
Best for: family chronicle.
10. The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay
A boy in South Africa learns boxing and survival. Long, popular and inspiring.
Best for: coming of age.
11. Shōgun by James Clavell
An English pilot arrives in feudal Japan and gets caught in a power struggle among warlords. Epic in scale and detail.
Best for: readers who like long sagas.
12. Fall of Giants by Ken Follett
Five families live through the First World War and the Russian Revolution. Sweeping and fast.
Best for: the Century Trilogy.
13. World Without End by Ken Follett
The story returns to Kingsbridge two centuries later, as plague approaches. Another big, gripping saga.
Best for: the sequel.
14. Titan by Ron Chernow
A biography of John D. Rockefeller and the rise of Standard Oil. Long, rich and authoritative.
Best for: business history.
15. Sarum by Edward Rutherfurd
The story of Salisbury Plain from the Ice Age to modern times. Sprawling and rich.
Best for: epic of a place.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Kane and Abel: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Kane and Abel. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For sagas, read The Pillars of the Earth. For rivalry, try The Count of Monte Cristo. For wealth, pick A Woman of Substance.
Related: Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer: Summary and Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Kane and Abel?
Jeffrey Archer, in 1979.
Is it a series?
Yes, followed by The Prodigal Daughter.
Is there a TV series?
Yes, a 1985 miniseries.
Which book here is best for epic of a place?
Try Sarum by Edward Rutherfurd, which suits readers looking for epic of a place.
Which book here is best for business history?
Try Titan by Ron Chernow, which suits readers looking for business history.
Which book here is best for the sequel?
Try World Without End by Ken Follett, which suits readers looking for the sequel.
Which book here is best for the Century Trilogy?
Try Fall of Giants by Ken Follett, which suits readers looking for the Century Trilogy.
Which book here is best for readers who like long sagas?
Try Shōgun by James Clavell, which suits readers looking for readers who like long sagas.