What do you think?
Rate this book
The Fourth Protocol
The Fourth Protocol Plan Aurora, in its spine-chilling ingenuity, breaches the ultra-secret Fourth Protocol. A crack Soviet agent under cover in a quiet English town begins to assemble a jigsaw of devastation. MI5 investigator John Preston, working blind, leads an operation to prevent an act of murderous devastation aimed at tumbling Britain into revolution. Full description
Audio CD
First published August 1, 1984
572 people are currently reading
9132 people want to read
About the author
Frederick Forsyth
332 books4,262 followersFrederick Forsyth, CBE was a English author and occasional political commentator. He was best known for thrillers such as The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, The Fourth Protocol, The Dogs of War, The Devil's Alternative, The Fist of God, Icon, The Veteran, Avenger, The Afghan, and more recently, The Cobra and The Kill List.
The son of a furrier, he was born in Ashford, Kent, educated at Tonbridge School and later attended the University of Granada. He became one of the youngest pilots in the Royal Air Force at 19, where he served on National Service from 1956 to 1958. Becoming a journalist, he joined Reuters in 1961 and later the BBC in 1965, where he served as an assistant diplomatic correspondent. From July to September 1967, he served as a correspondent covering the Nigerian Civil War between the region of Biafra and Nigeria. He left the BBC in 1968 after controversy arose over his alleged bias towards the Biafran cause and accusations that he falsified segments of his reports. Returning to Biafra as a freelance reporter, Forsyth wrote his first book, The Biafra Story in 1969.
Forsyth decided to write a novel using similar research techniques to those used in journalism. His first full length novel, The Day of the Jackal, was published in 1971 and became an international bestseller and gained its author the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel. It was later made into a film of the same name.
The son of a furrier, he was born in Ashford, Kent, educated at Tonbridge School and later attended the University of Granada. He became one of the youngest pilots in the Royal Air Force at 19, where he served on National Service from 1956 to 1958. Becoming a journalist, he joined Reuters in 1961 and later the BBC in 1965, where he served as an assistant diplomatic correspondent. From July to September 1967, he served as a correspondent covering the Nigerian Civil War between the region of Biafra and Nigeria. He left the BBC in 1968 after controversy arose over his alleged bias towards the Biafran cause and accusations that he falsified segments of his reports. Returning to Biafra as a freelance reporter, Forsyth wrote his first book, The Biafra Story in 1969.
Forsyth decided to write a novel using similar research techniques to those used in journalism. His first full length novel, The Day of the Jackal, was published in 1971 and became an international bestseller and gained its author the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel. It was later made into a film of the same name.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 499 reviews
December 1, 2015
One of the best spy books around.
Two years after I jotted this one sentence, I should elaborate more.
The book can also be called: how to assemble a nuclear weapon in 13 easy steps. Combine that with some solid, classic 80s Cold War era spy tactics and half a dozen sub-plots converging toward a decidedly gray-day industrial-era English brick house standoff, and you get yourself an excellent thriller. The best part is, it's visual. You are reading this book and you see it like a film unfolding before your eyes. In a way, it's the quintessential culmination of the brutal dogmatic standoff between the West and the East. But in a polite, reserved kind of way. James Bonds, sans the cheesy cliches. And more rain.
I read this book a long long time ago, and I still clearly remember the initial report on what the Soviets would do if nuclear weapons were used in Europe. Amazing. And probably quite accurate, too.
Does it allow for a limerick?
Well, the action happens in the UK, so of course it does!
There was a man named Kim,
To untrained eye, he looked quite dim,
Polonium and plush,
Gunfire and rush,
The prospect of war was rather grim.
Regards,
Igor AKA The Jackal
Two years after I jotted this one sentence, I should elaborate more.
The book can also be called: how to assemble a nuclear weapon in 13 easy steps. Combine that with some solid, classic 80s Cold War era spy tactics and half a dozen sub-plots converging toward a decidedly gray-day industrial-era English brick house standoff, and you get yourself an excellent thriller. The best part is, it's visual. You are reading this book and you see it like a film unfolding before your eyes. In a way, it's the quintessential culmination of the brutal dogmatic standoff between the West and the East. But in a polite, reserved kind of way. James Bonds, sans the cheesy cliches. And more rain.
I read this book a long long time ago, and I still clearly remember the initial report on what the Soviets would do if nuclear weapons were used in Europe. Amazing. And probably quite accurate, too.
Does it allow for a limerick?
Well, the action happens in the UK, so of course it does!
There was a man named Kim,
To untrained eye, he looked quite dim,
Polonium and plush,
Gunfire and rush,
The prospect of war was rather grim.
Regards,
Igor AKA The Jackal
November 13, 2012
Frederick Forsyth is one of my all time favorite novelists and my favorite of all "spy novelists". The Fourth Protocol is my favorite spy novel of all time. It definitely falls into the "Commando Spy" category but is far better written than most.
I love spy novels of most types and the Commando spy novels (of which I refer to the 007 novels as) are particular favorites of mine but I also like the more behind the curtains novels that LeCarre writes. This book of Forsyth's is a fantastic cross breed of the two.
I've read this book numerous times and never fail to get drawn in from head to toe. It is great in all the little details you get from Forsyth's novels about the steps of the KGB's renegade mission and the investigation of the protagonist's suspicions as well as the dirty pool that make the book so much fun to read.
Agent John Preston is a great and sympathetic character who I can't help but root for. I wish he could have been used again in Forsyth's books as he was such a likable and heroic character.
Nobody writes spy novels as well as the British and for my money no other author writes them as well as Forsyth. This is my favorite Spy novel of all time. If you love the nitty gritty of The Cold War as much as I do you'll understand. I can't recommend this novel highly enough.
I love spy novels of most types and the Commando spy novels (of which I refer to the 007 novels as) are particular favorites of mine but I also like the more behind the curtains novels that LeCarre writes. This book of Forsyth's is a fantastic cross breed of the two.
I've read this book numerous times and never fail to get drawn in from head to toe. It is great in all the little details you get from Forsyth's novels about the steps of the KGB's renegade mission and the investigation of the protagonist's suspicions as well as the dirty pool that make the book so much fun to read.
Agent John Preston is a great and sympathetic character who I can't help but root for. I wish he could have been used again in Forsyth's books as he was such a likable and heroic character.
Nobody writes spy novels as well as the British and for my money no other author writes them as well as Forsyth. This is my favorite Spy novel of all time. If you love the nitty gritty of The Cold War as much as I do you'll understand. I can't recommend this novel highly enough.
July 24, 2020
Pierce as agent Petrofski in the film version.
On Russian intervention…
When an elite Russian agent is dispatched to plant an atomic bomb on a US airbase in the UK, beleaguered MI5 agent John Preston is pretty much all that stands in his way.
A rich and interesting picture is built up of all the circumstances leading to this, with Forsyth’s meticulous thoroughness, though the filling in of detailed backstory for me felt at times to be an unwelcome interruption to the forward flow of the narrative.
Yet, in this ambitious and potentially devastating plan for Russian intervention on the UK political scene of the 1980s - to swing a national election in accordance with their own interests - we are reminded that such operations were once not carried out by troll-factories but by steely Pierce Brosnan types. Bring back the old days!
By this reviewer:
March 2, 2017
Frederick Forsyth is a writer who did write some classics when it comes to the thriller genre, The Odessa File about Nazi's post WWII, Dogs of war about the post colonial attitudes of big cooperations about former colonies, the day of the Jackal about the assassination of the French President. And all books have a very precise build up with a lot of details how certain things can be done, mostly illegal stuff, and then the writer still knows how to surprise you in the end.
The Fourth Protocol is about the use of a small nuclear weapon inside a country that was party to a big treaty of Nuclear weapons reduction, it is the nightmare scenario.
The book begins as a heist goes wrong or right, which is in the eye of the beholder, which turns bad in the aftermath for most involved. But somehow leads to the unearthing of a spy in Britain once again. Which leads us to another southern continent and a chase for a long-term sleeper agent.
All the time we see a plan being created which would change the political future of a country through sheer manipulation in which master-spy Kim Philby is involved.
It is a spy story, historical views upon an aspect of WW2 which involves Afrikaners, a thriller with a case upon which rest the property for the British Isles and the chasing involved. Right up to last page we know not what is happening and whom is doing the happening. A bloody brilliantly written book that should be considered as one of Forsyths great novels and one of the Uber thrillers ever written in the genre. So worthy of being read and worthy of a lot of praise.
If you really do not fancy reading the book you can always watch the movie with Michael Caine and Pierce Brosnan which is a very decent movie.
Have read this book several time but a re-visit ever so often seems to be inevitable and worth my time.
The Fourth Protocol is about the use of a small nuclear weapon inside a country that was party to a big treaty of Nuclear weapons reduction, it is the nightmare scenario.
The book begins as a heist goes wrong or right, which is in the eye of the beholder, which turns bad in the aftermath for most involved. But somehow leads to the unearthing of a spy in Britain once again. Which leads us to another southern continent and a chase for a long-term sleeper agent.
All the time we see a plan being created which would change the political future of a country through sheer manipulation in which master-spy Kim Philby is involved.
It is a spy story, historical views upon an aspect of WW2 which involves Afrikaners, a thriller with a case upon which rest the property for the British Isles and the chasing involved. Right up to last page we know not what is happening and whom is doing the happening. A bloody brilliantly written book that should be considered as one of Forsyths great novels and one of the Uber thrillers ever written in the genre. So worthy of being read and worthy of a lot of praise.
If you really do not fancy reading the book you can always watch the movie with Michael Caine and Pierce Brosnan which is a very decent movie.
Have read this book several time but a re-visit ever so often seems to be inevitable and worth my time.
October 1, 2024
4,5 stele.
Unul dintre romanele de spionaj din epoca Războiului Rece ce rămâne și astăzi unul de referință. Modul în care Frederick Forsyth combină o intrigă palpitantă și informații din interiorul profesiei de spion, dar și referitoare la politica globală este fascinant. Probabil că i-a considerat pe cititorii săi nu numai ca fiind tentați să se delecteze cu o poveste bună, ci și dispuși să învețe ceva nou despre un domeniu care nu le este neapărat la îndemână. Ne distrăm, dar mai și învățăm câte ceva, fără să fie nevoie de pedanterie, pare să fie mesajul transmis de scriitorul englez. În plus, deși narațiunea este una ficțională, totuși lasă adesea impresia că lucrurile s-ar fi putut petrece aievea. Sunt convins că meseria de jurnalist a lui Forsyth a fost de ajutor în acest sens.
În acest roman publicat în 1984, dar a cărui acțiune se petrece câțiva ani mai târziu, în 1987, Forsyth îl scoate de la naftalină, sau, mai bine spus, din aburii alcoolului, pe cel mai detestat spion britanic din istorie, trădătorul "Kim" Philby, ce figurează în toate lucrările ce tratează activitatea de spionaj din timpul Războiului Rece. Și în numeroase opere de ficțiune. Iată cum este descris Philby în roman: "Beţivan de-o viaţă, era genul care, după ce începea să bea la o petrecere, nu se oprea până nu cădea lat şi sfidase sfatul a nenumăraţi doctori de a se lăsa de obiceiul ăsta. Îl obligaseră să se lase de fumat şi suferise destul de mult din această cauză. Dar cu băutura nu reuşiseră. Se putea abţine când voia şi ştia că va trebui să se abţină o vreme după petrecerea din acea seară".
În ciuda dependenței sale de alcool, Philby nascocește un plan de destabilizare, probabil definitivă, a Marii Britanii, în care puterea urmează să ajungă în mâinile unor acoliți ai Moscovei. Planul nu este tocmai nerealist, mai ales că se bazează pe încălcarea unui tratat privitor la armele nucleare, însă cooperarea subterană dintre cele două servicii secrete britanice, MI5 și MI6, simbolizate de John Preston și Sir Nigel Irvine ar putea să reușească imposibilul și să împiedice punerea acestuia în aplicare. Pentru a afla însă răspunsul, trebuie citită cartea. Lectură plăcută!
Unul dintre romanele de spionaj din epoca Războiului Rece ce rămâne și astăzi unul de referință. Modul în care Frederick Forsyth combină o intrigă palpitantă și informații din interiorul profesiei de spion, dar și referitoare la politica globală este fascinant. Probabil că i-a considerat pe cititorii săi nu numai ca fiind tentați să se delecteze cu o poveste bună, ci și dispuși să învețe ceva nou despre un domeniu care nu le este neapărat la îndemână. Ne distrăm, dar mai și învățăm câte ceva, fără să fie nevoie de pedanterie, pare să fie mesajul transmis de scriitorul englez. În plus, deși narațiunea este una ficțională, totuși lasă adesea impresia că lucrurile s-ar fi putut petrece aievea. Sunt convins că meseria de jurnalist a lui Forsyth a fost de ajutor în acest sens.
În acest roman publicat în 1984, dar a cărui acțiune se petrece câțiva ani mai târziu, în 1987, Forsyth îl scoate de la naftalină, sau, mai bine spus, din aburii alcoolului, pe cel mai detestat spion britanic din istorie, trădătorul "Kim" Philby, ce figurează în toate lucrările ce tratează activitatea de spionaj din timpul Războiului Rece. Și în numeroase opere de ficțiune. Iată cum este descris Philby în roman: "Beţivan de-o viaţă, era genul care, după ce începea să bea la o petrecere, nu se oprea până nu cădea lat şi sfidase sfatul a nenumăraţi doctori de a se lăsa de obiceiul ăsta. Îl obligaseră să se lase de fumat şi suferise destul de mult din această cauză. Dar cu băutura nu reuşiseră. Se putea abţine când voia şi ştia că va trebui să se abţină o vreme după petrecerea din acea seară".
În ciuda dependenței sale de alcool, Philby nascocește un plan de destabilizare, probabil definitivă, a Marii Britanii, în care puterea urmează să ajungă în mâinile unor acoliți ai Moscovei. Planul nu este tocmai nerealist, mai ales că se bazează pe încălcarea unui tratat privitor la armele nucleare, însă cooperarea subterană dintre cele două servicii secrete britanice, MI5 și MI6, simbolizate de John Preston și Sir Nigel Irvine ar putea să reușească imposibilul și să împiedice punerea acestuia în aplicare. Pentru a afla însă răspunsul, trebuie citită cartea. Lectură plăcută!
January 20, 2012
This is my first British-style spy thriller, and I have to say it stacks up pretty darned good next to the American equivalent. There are no Mary Sue characters, no great intuitive leaps of logic, no silly foolishness from the Bad Guys, and only a smidgeon of authorial politics coming into it. However, it does make me sad to see that every author of this sort of stuff that I've come across is Right Wing to some extent or another. I wonder what a Left Wing spy thriller would look like, and I wonder if there is some form of the genre kicking about in Russia in which KGB agents are the heroes against CIA machinations. 3.5/5
May 2, 2023
As usual for Mr. Forsyth's books, there is a strong bond (not the universal hero!) between historical reality and fiction. This one is about the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, a playground for MI5 and KGB. The main character, John Preston, is an officer punished for insubordination by his director, only to discover a plot. Twists are all over the place, not anyone is quite the person which pretends to be, the final is more than ok.
So is the 1987 British movie made after the book. No surprise at all, as Michael Caine and Pierce Brosnan rarely played in bad ones...
So is the 1987 British movie made after the book. No surprise at all, as Michael Caine and Pierce Brosnan rarely played in bad ones...
February 18, 2016
This is Forsythe's most successful book about the Cold War. His research into the inner workings of the Soviet goverment was so astonishingly detailed and accurate that he came under the attention of the CIA! This book included several of the most intriguing and fully developed characters that Forsythe ever created. A terrific read which was regrettably made into a movie that managed to leave out all of the romance and subtlety of the book and dull the edges of the story. Forget about the film, read the book!
April 15, 2018
"THE FOURTH PROTOCOL" by Frederick Forsyth
Another classic Frederick Forsyth thriller from the Cold War era, whose age (both the actual publication date and the storyline take place during Margaret Thatcher's tenure as Prime Minister of the UK) does not diminish the enjoyability of the novel. This one pits MI5 officer John Preston--an intelligent and skilled operative whose career growth and ability to do his job is frequently stymied by his pompous jackass boss Brian Harcourt-Smith--against KGB super-spy Major Valeri Petrofsky (AKA "James Duncan Ross"). Petrofsky is dispatched by high-ranking rogue elements in the Soviet, including no less than the (fictitious) General Secretary of the USSR and (real-life) infamous British traitor Kim Philby, to set off a (relatively) small-scale nuclear explosion in the UK and thus influence British elections in favour of the country's radical, anti-military, and anti-American left-wingers.
The book is replete with Forsyth's delightfully sarcastic wit and encyclopaedic eye for detail (whether the subject is geographical, political, or administrative in nature), as well as insightful perspective on British and Soviet intelligence agencies alike as well as left-wing elements of British politics in the 1980s.
RANDOM STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS (and noteworthy passages):
--p. 6: "Billy knew the door was secured by a shunt lock, which he had gratefully identified as a Chubb rather than a Brahmah, which is reputedly unpickable." Hmmm, I wonder what Fiona Glenanne of "Burn Notice" would say about that? ;-)
--p. 8: Shouldn't "Committee of State Security" actually be "Committee *for* State Security?"
--p. 9: "Burgess, drinking and buggering his way to an early grave." Good riddance to that commie bugger!
--p. 30: Haha, Permanent Under Secretary = "PUS." What would Demo Dick Marcinko think?
--p. 34: "'one of nature's bachelors,'" haha, good one,never heard that particular slang phrase before.
Lady Fiona Glen....the eventual inspiration for the name of the Fiona Glenanne character from "Burn Notice," perhaps?
--p. 41: the civil service unions had recruited so many staffers with extreme-left political views" Hey wow, just like in the US of A!
--p. 47: Um, Mr. Forsyth, the Browning Hi-Power 9mm doesn't have a fully "Automatic" capability.
--p. 54: "wearing a nice new lines in concrete underpants," haha, nice one.
--pp. 56-57: "the bedrock of Marxism-Leninism in Britain has always been in the trade union movement" Gee, what a shocker.
--p. 78: "but the Chaika with the MOC license plates had sped down the center lane reserved for the *vlasti*, the elite, the fat cats in what Marx had dreamed would be a classless socirty--it had become a society rigidly structured, layered, and class-ridden as only a vast bureaucratic hierarchy can be." Oh, snap! A stinging indictment of Communism. (BTW, wouldn't another term for "vlasti" be "nomenklatura?")
--p. 84: "postal intercept" = the British equivalent of what the U.S. Federal law enforcement community refers to as "mail covers?"
--p. 126: "there were more ways to kill a cat than by thumping it with blunt objects."
Van Der Walt Street! Vuilpiel!!
--p. 130: De La Rey Regiment!
--p. 174: "Sako automatic??" I thought Sako made only rifles, not pistols.
--p. 176: "Almost alone in the world, the British do not have to carry any identification on their persons." Holy crap, wow, is this as true now as it was back in 1984 (when this novel was first published)?
--p. 199: "Starets" = Russian equivalent of English "Old Man" or French "patron" (originally meant a village headman)
"Pal" is the diminutive equivalent of Pavel? I thought "Pasha" was?
--p. 201: Um, would a Russian be using the English pejorative "wogs?" Wouldn't he be using the term "chernozophy" instead?
--p. 226: Kandahar!
--p. 241: A large glob of butter to preemptively offset the effects of alcohol, eh? Interesting....
--p. 243: "Maintenance?" Is that what the Brits call it instead of "alimony?"
--p. 249: Wouldn't a Russian be used "kilometres" instead of "miles" in a conversation, especially with a fellow Russian?
--p. 280: "engine cover," AKA the hood/bonnet?
--p. 318: "Another theme that ran through the Left campaign was anti-Americanism." Gee, what a surprise.
--p. 363: Um, Mr. Forsyth, Operation Nimrod was in 1980, not 1981.
Another classic Frederick Forsyth thriller from the Cold War era, whose age (both the actual publication date and the storyline take place during Margaret Thatcher's tenure as Prime Minister of the UK) does not diminish the enjoyability of the novel. This one pits MI5 officer John Preston--an intelligent and skilled operative whose career growth and ability to do his job is frequently stymied by his pompous jackass boss Brian Harcourt-Smith--against KGB super-spy Major Valeri Petrofsky (AKA "James Duncan Ross"). Petrofsky is dispatched by high-ranking rogue elements in the Soviet, including no less than the (fictitious) General Secretary of the USSR and (real-life) infamous British traitor Kim Philby, to set off a (relatively) small-scale nuclear explosion in the UK and thus influence British elections in favour of the country's radical, anti-military, and anti-American left-wingers.
The book is replete with Forsyth's delightfully sarcastic wit and encyclopaedic eye for detail (whether the subject is geographical, political, or administrative in nature), as well as insightful perspective on British and Soviet intelligence agencies alike as well as left-wing elements of British politics in the 1980s.
RANDOM STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS (and noteworthy passages):
--p. 6: "Billy knew the door was secured by a shunt lock, which he had gratefully identified as a Chubb rather than a Brahmah, which is reputedly unpickable." Hmmm, I wonder what Fiona Glenanne of "Burn Notice" would say about that? ;-)
--p. 8: Shouldn't "Committee of State Security" actually be "Committee *for* State Security?"
--p. 9: "Burgess, drinking and buggering his way to an early grave." Good riddance to that commie bugger!
--p. 30: Haha, Permanent Under Secretary = "PUS." What would Demo Dick Marcinko think?
--p. 34: "'one of nature's bachelors,'" haha, good one,never heard that particular slang phrase before.
Lady Fiona Glen....the eventual inspiration for the name of the Fiona Glenanne character from "Burn Notice," perhaps?
--p. 41: the civil service unions had recruited so many staffers with extreme-left political views" Hey wow, just like in the US of A!
--p. 47: Um, Mr. Forsyth, the Browning Hi-Power 9mm doesn't have a fully "Automatic" capability.
--p. 54: "wearing a nice new lines in concrete underpants," haha, nice one.
--pp. 56-57: "the bedrock of Marxism-Leninism in Britain has always been in the trade union movement" Gee, what a shocker.
--p. 78: "but the Chaika with the MOC license plates had sped down the center lane reserved for the *vlasti*, the elite, the fat cats in what Marx had dreamed would be a classless socirty--it had become a society rigidly structured, layered, and class-ridden as only a vast bureaucratic hierarchy can be." Oh, snap! A stinging indictment of Communism. (BTW, wouldn't another term for "vlasti" be "nomenklatura?")
--p. 84: "postal intercept" = the British equivalent of what the U.S. Federal law enforcement community refers to as "mail covers?"
--p. 126: "there were more ways to kill a cat than by thumping it with blunt objects."
Van Der Walt Street! Vuilpiel!!
--p. 130: De La Rey Regiment!
--p. 174: "Sako automatic??" I thought Sako made only rifles, not pistols.
--p. 176: "Almost alone in the world, the British do not have to carry any identification on their persons." Holy crap, wow, is this as true now as it was back in 1984 (when this novel was first published)?
--p. 199: "Starets" = Russian equivalent of English "Old Man" or French "patron" (originally meant a village headman)
"Pal" is the diminutive equivalent of Pavel? I thought "Pasha" was?
--p. 201: Um, would a Russian be using the English pejorative "wogs?" Wouldn't he be using the term "chernozophy" instead?
--p. 226: Kandahar!
--p. 241: A large glob of butter to preemptively offset the effects of alcohol, eh? Interesting....
--p. 243: "Maintenance?" Is that what the Brits call it instead of "alimony?"
--p. 249: Wouldn't a Russian be used "kilometres" instead of "miles" in a conversation, especially with a fellow Russian?
--p. 280: "engine cover," AKA the hood/bonnet?
--p. 318: "Another theme that ran through the Left campaign was anti-Americanism." Gee, what a surprise.
--p. 363: Um, Mr. Forsyth, Operation Nimrod was in 1980, not 1981.
September 8, 2019
This was a 3.5 read with detractors of the parts involving Philby (dragged) and the annoying use of false suspense > such as "and he read it and knew" the reader not knowing until later. The twists at the end almost garnished the book a four but I'm going with a three.
May 18, 2015
The first book that introduced me to the world of high-tension political thrillers from Frederick Forsyth. From the first few pages 'The Fourth Protocol' connected with me with such intensity that the result was a thirst to read everything written by Forsyth. And the experience was a thrilling roller-coaster ride of pure thrillers - some of his titles are the genre's finest - filled with Adventure and Suspense.
'The Fourth Protocol' is an extremely well written cold war thriller into which the author has invested a lot of meticulous research. The Plot happens during late 80s and revolves around a diabolic plan hatched by the Soviet Union to bring communist rule to Great Britain. Only one man can save the day for the Brits from an impending accident that could change the face of British politics forever and Forsyth creates an absolute joyride of a thriller full of covert operations, deceit, international espionage, moves and counter-moves.
An absolutely fast paced thriller in which the author has spared no efforts towards attention to detail.
'The Fourth Protocol' is an extremely well written cold war thriller into which the author has invested a lot of meticulous research. The Plot happens during late 80s and revolves around a diabolic plan hatched by the Soviet Union to bring communist rule to Great Britain. Only one man can save the day for the Brits from an impending accident that could change the face of British politics forever and Forsyth creates an absolute joyride of a thriller full of covert operations, deceit, international espionage, moves and counter-moves.
An absolutely fast paced thriller in which the author has spared no efforts towards attention to detail.
June 8, 2018
The problem lies with me not with the book.
I just don't enjoy the British spy genre anymore.
All I would say is that The Rolling Stones wrote all their great songs in the sixties and are still writing today.
I think Freddie wrote his great works a long time ago now: Day of the Jackal, Dogs of War, Odessa File. Maybe he should only perform those works when he appears at Glastonbury.
I just don't enjoy the British spy genre anymore.
All I would say is that The Rolling Stones wrote all their great songs in the sixties and are still writing today.
I think Freddie wrote his great works a long time ago now: Day of the Jackal, Dogs of War, Odessa File. Maybe he should only perform those works when he appears at Glastonbury.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 17, 2024
Fantastic flavor of spy fiction that is quite different from his pal Le Carre. If you're familiar with the latter's work (say, Tinker Tailor Solider Spy) then here is a basic recipe for what you'll get with Forsyth:
Start with Le Carre.
Subtract a measure of witty dialogue.
Subtract true, deep, character development.
Subtract complex storylines that leave you groping around in the dark for most of the book.
Add a bunch of tradecraft tricks.
Add detailed explanations of international intelligence agency operations (fascinating, actually).
Add fast-paced action.
You now have Forsyth.
I suppose the tradeoff is a more engaging story throughout at the expense of a less satisfying payoff.
One thing though. The book starts with a thrilling diamond caper. It's what hooked me on the book in fact. But now, having finished the novel, I have no idea what the diamond theft had to do with the rest of the story? I even flipped through the first few chapters again to try to find the connection. Maybe it was a fun way to introduce one of the main characters? Dunno. But in any event, it's good!
Start with Le Carre.
Subtract a measure of witty dialogue.
Subtract true, deep, character development.
Subtract complex storylines that leave you groping around in the dark for most of the book.
Add a bunch of tradecraft tricks.
Add detailed explanations of international intelligence agency operations (fascinating, actually).
Add fast-paced action.
You now have Forsyth.
I suppose the tradeoff is a more engaging story throughout at the expense of a less satisfying payoff.
One thing though. The book starts with a thrilling diamond caper. It's what hooked me on the book in fact. But now, having finished the novel, I have no idea what the diamond theft had to do with the rest of the story? I even flipped through the first few chapters again to try to find the connection. Maybe it was a fun way to introduce one of the main characters? Dunno. But in any event, it's good!
August 6, 2011
Since I had seen the film countless times, I read the book with eager anticipation. The book is a FAR more finely-woven plot than could ever be accommodated within the space of a 90-minute film, and therefore FAR more satisfying. The wealth of detail offered by Mr. Forsyth is an educational experience, whether the sections and sub-sections of the secret services, or the S.A.S. Regiment, but best of all the pin-prick analysis of the 1980s' Labour Party is wonderful to behold. The involvement of the traitor Kim Philby in a double-plot is masterly, and if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then in smuggling in and trying to detonate a nuclear bomb in the U.K., the ultimate episode of television's "Spooks" must have been paying more than lipservice to The Fourth Protocol!
Overall, a thoroughly good read, but only one sequence from the film which did not originate in the book, the female "assembler" who slept with the deep-cover agent (Pierce Brosnan in the film) just before he murdered her was a nice touch, but obviously not penned by Forsyth.
Overall, a thoroughly good read, but only one sequence from the film which did not originate in the book, the female "assembler" who slept with the deep-cover agent (Pierce Brosnan in the film) just before he murdered her was a nice touch, but obviously not penned by Forsyth.
April 22, 2012
Trust a master story teller to write an epic! I can't even begin to imagine the kind of research required for writing a novel like this. Immensely eventful. gripping and a complete page turner. This kind of a story and plot demands extreme craft over the topics like politics, international relations, covert operations and government administration. Something as simple as how to make a bomb stretches for 4-5 pages. May be called overtly descriptive, but somehow fits into this novel's style and genre. Very highly recommended, even if you don't typically read thrillers of this genre. Don't let yourself misbelieve that a pre Russia, USSR era cold-war setting makes this story stale for modern times.
April 17, 2018
2.5 stars. This book was very slow getting started, and had long boring narratives on British politics. I listened to the audiobook, and didn't even bother pausing it when I temporarily left the room, because I knew I wouldn't miss anything interesting. In fact, if it hadn't been for all the good reviews here, I would have bailed, which I almost never do. The story finally kicked into gear about 2/3 of the way through the book -- way too late.
January 17, 2021
Primer libro que leo de este autor. La verdad es que me ha costado bastante enrar en la historia, pero a medida que avanza el libro va mejorando. Al final resulta entretenido.
April 22, 2025
The missing star is a purely personal objection to having to listen to reams of conjecture about the Labour Party and how the extremists can get hold of it. I'm absolutely positive some people will find it fascinating but as history repeats itself so often I'm sure that this kind of scenario will no doubt rear it's ugly head again far too soon.
Otherwise Frederick Forsyth does exactly what he's brilliant at - which is providing a tautly plotted, thrilling and all-too-believable plan to subvert the Labour Party and thence the UK into Communist rule.
Published the year I turned 18 (giving the game away now) I remember this era all too well. The actual action is set in 1987 when Mrs Thatcher called an early election in the hope to sway the country into backing her for a third term. Meanwhile, Kim Philby takes a report to his Soviet masters suggesting that if, as many believed possible, Labour could get in, it would be easy to turn the party and thus the country into a communist state.
To ensure a Labour victory it is suggested that the Fourth Protocol be broken (and yes, the book does tell you what it is and no, I can't remember).
Thus the whole country will turn to nuclear disarmament (which only Labour promised) and vote them in and so on. Thankfully, John Preston from MI5 is sharp-eyed enough to see what's going on. The only problem he has, is getting someone senior enough to take him seriously before it's too late.
Forsyth is, for me, much more accessible as a spy writer than Le Carré. He can go into minute detail at times but his action sequences are equally well thought out. It's like Slow Horses without the japery.
I'm afraid that all spy novels, without exception, leave me with a faint aftertaste of disgust. It is all a game. And it's not just a game between countries, thr biggest games are played between and internally throughout the services. I wonder, sometimes, how these overgrown schoolchildren would fare in a world where they had to behave like adults.
(I have seen the film before but decided to rematch it. Brosnan is hopelessly miscast, Caine plays the whole thing as if he were still in The Italian Job and the rewrites of the screenplay make the whole thing feel more like a Carry On film with a bit of a love interest thrown in. I wish they'd remake it properly. Maybe Gary Oldman could play Preston).
Otherwise Frederick Forsyth does exactly what he's brilliant at - which is providing a tautly plotted, thrilling and all-too-believable plan to subvert the Labour Party and thence the UK into Communist rule.
Published the year I turned 18 (giving the game away now) I remember this era all too well. The actual action is set in 1987 when Mrs Thatcher called an early election in the hope to sway the country into backing her for a third term. Meanwhile, Kim Philby takes a report to his Soviet masters suggesting that if, as many believed possible, Labour could get in, it would be easy to turn the party and thus the country into a communist state.
To ensure a Labour victory it is suggested that the Fourth Protocol be broken (and yes, the book does tell you what it is and no, I can't remember).
Thus the whole country will turn to nuclear disarmament (which only Labour promised) and vote them in and so on. Thankfully, John Preston from MI5 is sharp-eyed enough to see what's going on. The only problem he has, is getting someone senior enough to take him seriously before it's too late.
Forsyth is, for me, much more accessible as a spy writer than Le Carré. He can go into minute detail at times but his action sequences are equally well thought out. It's like Slow Horses without the japery.
I'm afraid that all spy novels, without exception, leave me with a faint aftertaste of disgust. It is all a game. And it's not just a game between countries, thr biggest games are played between and internally throughout the services. I wonder, sometimes, how these overgrown schoolchildren would fare in a world where they had to behave like adults.
(I have seen the film before but decided to rematch it. Brosnan is hopelessly miscast, Caine plays the whole thing as if he were still in The Italian Job and the rewrites of the screenplay make the whole thing feel more like a Carry On film with a bit of a love interest thrown in. I wish they'd remake it properly. Maybe Gary Oldman could play Preston).
June 25, 2016
The Fourth Protocol was my third Frederick Forsyth read, and whilst it is my favourite of the three, my feelings are much the same as my feelings towards the other two of his books I have read. Of course, I’ll be reading more. I brought a collection that contained twelve books, and I’m not one to ignore the books on my shelf. However, I won’t be rushing into any of them. I fear my feelings towards all of his books will be about the same, and such a thing disappoints me, as I want to enjoy them more than I do.
At the start, I wasn’t really pulled into the story. I kept stopping and starting, picking up other reads as my attention was not held. Such has been my experience with all my Frederick Forsyth reads to date. I’m not exactly sure what stops me from being pulled in from the start, but as of yet he has failed to do such a thing. I’m not sure if it’s his particular way of storytelling. I’m not sure if it is the information load we’re given. I’m not sure if it is something else. All I know is that I have yet to be pulled in from page one.
When the story got going, however, I was pulled in. I cannot say at what particular point this was, all I know is that my view changed and I was suddenly pulled in. I wanted to know what came next. I needed answers. I had to focus my reading onto this book, and this book alone.
Only, there was a short period of time where my interest did threaten to dissipate. Again, it is something I have found with his other books. The pacing didn’t seem quite right. There was action, and I wanted to see where things were going. Then, things slowed down and I grew bored. Later, the pace picked back up. I know we cannot have high octave action throughout, but the sudden drop in speed caught me off guard. It felt like too much of a drop for such a thriller, which resulted in the ending feeling somewhat rushed.
Don’t get me wrong, it was an interesting ending. We knew certain aspects were coming, yet there were still some surprise details to be given. I simply feel as though it all happened a little too quickly when compared to other aspects of the book.
Overall, I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t quite enough to earn a four star rating.
At the start, I wasn’t really pulled into the story. I kept stopping and starting, picking up other reads as my attention was not held. Such has been my experience with all my Frederick Forsyth reads to date. I’m not exactly sure what stops me from being pulled in from the start, but as of yet he has failed to do such a thing. I’m not sure if it’s his particular way of storytelling. I’m not sure if it is the information load we’re given. I’m not sure if it is something else. All I know is that I have yet to be pulled in from page one.
When the story got going, however, I was pulled in. I cannot say at what particular point this was, all I know is that my view changed and I was suddenly pulled in. I wanted to know what came next. I needed answers. I had to focus my reading onto this book, and this book alone.
Only, there was a short period of time where my interest did threaten to dissipate. Again, it is something I have found with his other books. The pacing didn’t seem quite right. There was action, and I wanted to see where things were going. Then, things slowed down and I grew bored. Later, the pace picked back up. I know we cannot have high octave action throughout, but the sudden drop in speed caught me off guard. It felt like too much of a drop for such a thriller, which resulted in the ending feeling somewhat rushed.
Don’t get me wrong, it was an interesting ending. We knew certain aspects were coming, yet there were still some surprise details to be given. I simply feel as though it all happened a little too quickly when compared to other aspects of the book.
Overall, I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t quite enough to earn a four star rating.
May 4, 2020
Recommended by a friend, and because I hadn't read any Frederick Forsyth for some years, I picked up the Kindle version for a snip and plunged back into the world of the early nineteen eighties.
This author knows everything about suspense and deception, and the first half of the book certainly plots a 'tangled web'. You need to stick with it, because every single strand is important, and some of the back stories are fascinating. His knowledge of the USSR and the Cold War is almost second to none, and I found it interesting to compare how little things change in the muddied world of secrets.
Towards the end I couldn't tear myself away from it. I might deduct half a star because of the complexity, but patience is a virtue and the writing is superb.
Would I read it again? Yes, I'd love to give it a go after another ten years or so, just to see whether anything has made a significant difference to the trust and mistrust between nations... but I doubt it!
This author knows everything about suspense and deception, and the first half of the book certainly plots a 'tangled web'. You need to stick with it, because every single strand is important, and some of the back stories are fascinating. His knowledge of the USSR and the Cold War is almost second to none, and I found it interesting to compare how little things change in the muddied world of secrets.
Towards the end I couldn't tear myself away from it. I might deduct half a star because of the complexity, but patience is a virtue and the writing is superb.
Would I read it again? Yes, I'd love to give it a go after another ten years or so, just to see whether anything has made a significant difference to the trust and mistrust between nations... but I doubt it!
February 1, 2013
A slow moving spy story, this one is quite dated now and suffers from pages of boring as hell excerpts from reports sent to the KGB.
Eventually we get to the chase and the last third of the book is decent, but you deserve a promotion if you make it that far honestly.
Eventually we get to the chase and the last third of the book is decent, but you deserve a promotion if you make it that far honestly.
April 15, 2021
Não sendo o meu género, resolvi descontrair das leituras habituais e intervalar com uma obra do género thriller/suspense.
Embora tenha cumprido o objectivo (a atenção prendeu-se, num momento inicial, com o elevado número de personagens), não posso dizer que tenha adorado. Contudo, tenho a noção de que a minha impressão não tem a ver com a qualidade de 'O Quarto Protocolo' ou com a escrita de Forsyth mas com o facto de, simplesmente, não ser o meu género (para uma obra destas me agarrar, ou me apanha noutra fase da vida ou tem que ser mesmo genial).
Reconheço um mérito enorme em parir uma história destas e tenho alguma reserva nas três estrelas mas a vida é assim. Tal como no cinema gosto de filmes de espionagem ou de comédias românticas de vez em quando: se forem excelentes, ficam gravados na memória; a maioria, apenas me entretém. Para fãs do género não será assim. No entanto, em momento algum 'O Quarto Protocolo' me entediou: lê-se com interesse até ao fim.
Embora tenha cumprido o objectivo (a atenção prendeu-se, num momento inicial, com o elevado número de personagens), não posso dizer que tenha adorado. Contudo, tenho a noção de que a minha impressão não tem a ver com a qualidade de 'O Quarto Protocolo' ou com a escrita de Forsyth mas com o facto de, simplesmente, não ser o meu género (para uma obra destas me agarrar, ou me apanha noutra fase da vida ou tem que ser mesmo genial).
Reconheço um mérito enorme em parir uma história destas e tenho alguma reserva nas três estrelas mas a vida é assim. Tal como no cinema gosto de filmes de espionagem ou de comédias românticas de vez em quando: se forem excelentes, ficam gravados na memória; a maioria, apenas me entretém. Para fãs do género não será assim. No entanto, em momento algum 'O Quarto Protocolo' me entediou: lê-se com interesse até ao fim.
January 19, 2018
My favourite writer within the broad category of thrillers, one I literally grew up reading, is Frederick Forsyth. Forsyth is different from the standardfare thriller writer in that he takes a long time in patiently building up the plot. If you want a thrill-a-minute ride, Forsyth is not for you (I do have a recommendation for the extreme thrill-seeker, and that is Robert Crais; but Crais would be for another day). Forsyth is not necessarily a mystery writer, his two most celebrated books, Day of the Jackal and The Dogs of War cannot be classified as mysteries by any stretch, but some of his mystery thrillers, The Odessa File and The Fourth Protocol are exceptional; the latter is my recommendation for the week.
The Fourth Protocol of the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty prohibited assembling of nuclear weapons, piecemeal in secret, close to the target, before being detonated.
This book is set in 1986, during the heights of the Cold War. In London, a thief breaks in and steals important documents from a senior civil servant’s home. Later, on reading the contents — which reveal the civil servant to be a double-agent — the thief anonymously sends the information to the MI5.
In parallel to this, the most (in)famous spy of the ages, Kim Philby, having defected to Moscow, starts working with the Russian government towards a masterplan to supplement the British Labour Party leadership with a hard-left candidate, who would be working for the Russian cause. Philby’s plan would be to create some major unrest just before the UK general election, such that the Labour party wins, and the hard-left candidate becomes Prime Minister. Valeri Petrofsky, a Soviet spy, lands up in England under cover to give fruition to this masterplan.
John Preston, decorated ex-soldier and current MI5 officer, is given charge of uncovering the double-agent civil servant, and eventually attempt to thwart Philby’s masterplan. This makes him navigate the political labyrinth of the MI5, takes him as far as South Africa – in the most intricate bit of dogged, patient mystery-solving you will ever see.
The mystery thriller is perhaps the least appreciated genre among serious mystery readers. More often than not, it is for reasons of aesthetics - the mystery thriller supplements the ‘art’ of detection with the action, the ‘thrills’ if I may. Cheap thrills? It’s not for me to judge. There are few things I like more than a well-written, taut, mystery thriller. And The Fourth Protocol is really as good as it gets in that regard.
Recommended reading: The Fourth Protocol - Frederick Forsyth
Previously published at the New Indian Express
The Fourth Protocol of the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty prohibited assembling of nuclear weapons, piecemeal in secret, close to the target, before being detonated.
This book is set in 1986, during the heights of the Cold War. In London, a thief breaks in and steals important documents from a senior civil servant’s home. Later, on reading the contents — which reveal the civil servant to be a double-agent — the thief anonymously sends the information to the MI5.
In parallel to this, the most (in)famous spy of the ages, Kim Philby, having defected to Moscow, starts working with the Russian government towards a masterplan to supplement the British Labour Party leadership with a hard-left candidate, who would be working for the Russian cause. Philby’s plan would be to create some major unrest just before the UK general election, such that the Labour party wins, and the hard-left candidate becomes Prime Minister. Valeri Petrofsky, a Soviet spy, lands up in England under cover to give fruition to this masterplan.
John Preston, decorated ex-soldier and current MI5 officer, is given charge of uncovering the double-agent civil servant, and eventually attempt to thwart Philby’s masterplan. This makes him navigate the political labyrinth of the MI5, takes him as far as South Africa – in the most intricate bit of dogged, patient mystery-solving you will ever see.
The mystery thriller is perhaps the least appreciated genre among serious mystery readers. More often than not, it is for reasons of aesthetics - the mystery thriller supplements the ‘art’ of detection with the action, the ‘thrills’ if I may. Cheap thrills? It’s not for me to judge. There are few things I like more than a well-written, taut, mystery thriller. And The Fourth Protocol is really as good as it gets in that regard.
Recommended reading: The Fourth Protocol - Frederick Forsyth
Previously published at the New Indian Express
December 15, 2019
Thriller aus jenen Zeiten, in denen der drohende atomare Overkill im öffentlichen Bewusstsein denselben Stellenwert wie heute der Klimawandel einnahm. Bei historischen Ereignissen weiß man inzwischen, wie real die Bedrohung war. Aber auch, dass das allseits angepriesene Allheilmittel die atomare Konfrontation der beiden Machtblöcke nur verlängert hätte.
Auch dieser Thriller über das Aufrüstungsszenario und diverse Hintertürchen in Rüstungsverträgen mit fatalem Potenzial ist ganz hervorragend recherchiert und bot seinerzeit jede Menge Wasser auf die Mühlen von Lesern, die sich in der Friedensbewegung engagierten.
Leider ist die Thriller-Handlung vergleichsweise schwach ausgefallen, das Personal auch nicht gerade besonders empathiefreundlich gestaltet. Gerade gegen Ende verliert der Autor komplett die innere Bindung zu den Hauptakteuren. Von daher vier Sterne für das Sachbuch, zwei für den Roman.
Auch dieser Thriller über das Aufrüstungsszenario und diverse Hintertürchen in Rüstungsverträgen mit fatalem Potenzial ist ganz hervorragend recherchiert und bot seinerzeit jede Menge Wasser auf die Mühlen von Lesern, die sich in der Friedensbewegung engagierten.
Leider ist die Thriller-Handlung vergleichsweise schwach ausgefallen, das Personal auch nicht gerade besonders empathiefreundlich gestaltet. Gerade gegen Ende verliert der Autor komplett die innere Bindung zu den Hauptakteuren. Von daher vier Sterne für das Sachbuch, zwei für den Roman.
February 13, 2011
I have probably read this book cover-to-cover a dozen times, and have read selected chapters many more. The characters are well drawn, the story is well told, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. One of the most fun spy novels of all time.
July 18, 2015
The fourth protocol is about nuclear weapons. Russians try to breach it and what follows is this tale. Very interesting read. his research is thorough as always. Must read.
October 22, 2017
as with other FF novels, the research hangs very heavily here. The plot is well conceived and subtle enough. However, Forsyth's own politics and prejudice do leave a slightly disturbing smell.
August 7, 2018
A perfectly plotted spy thriller that feels less like a novel and more like true crime. A combination that would become difficult as a steady reading diet, but works very well here.
April 8, 2023
"The Fourth Protocol", one of Frederick Forsyth's earlier thrillers, is superb. Great writing, fast pacing, tension ratcheting up throughout..... I can't say I've enjoyed anything more so far this year.
It's the 80's, the USSR is still intact and the Soviets are doing Soviet things, trying to impact the next set of English elections. They set in motion a definite upgrade to their usual disinformation (sound familiar?) by attempting an operation to explode a small nuclear device near a US airbase in Britain and blame it on the Americans. This, they hope, will turn the tide and their preferred candidates will be swept into office. The problem for them is that all the components of the device must be smuggled into England and assembled there under the auspices of a top secret "illegal" agent. Standing between the Russkies and success is, seemingly, a lone British spy with a chip on his shoulder and a top notch ability to see around corners. The cat and mouse games begin and it appears for a long time that the nuke may actually be activated, but some good luck and great execution win out in the end.
I loved this one from start to finish.
It's the 80's, the USSR is still intact and the Soviets are doing Soviet things, trying to impact the next set of English elections. They set in motion a definite upgrade to their usual disinformation (sound familiar?) by attempting an operation to explode a small nuclear device near a US airbase in Britain and blame it on the Americans. This, they hope, will turn the tide and their preferred candidates will be swept into office. The problem for them is that all the components of the device must be smuggled into England and assembled there under the auspices of a top secret "illegal" agent. Standing between the Russkies and success is, seemingly, a lone British spy with a chip on his shoulder and a top notch ability to see around corners. The cat and mouse games begin and it appears for a long time that the nuke may actually be activated, but some good luck and great execution win out in the end.
I loved this one from start to finish.
November 9, 2024
Sin lugar a dudas El Cuarto Protocolo es una de las mejores obras de uno de los maestros del espionaje Frederick Forsyth.
La trama está construida con esa meticulosidad tan propia de Forsyth, varios personajes van apareciendo en la palestra al igual que distintos eventos secundarios pero al fin y al cabo todo tiene su razón de ser para ir desmarañando una operación sumamente compleja y trepidante.
Lo pondría al mismo nivel que La Noche Del Chacal un best-seller clásico del mismo autor, pero está vez situado a finales de la década de los 80s ya en los últimos vestigios de la guerra fría entre Gran Bretaña y La Unión Soviética.
Excelente título del señor Forsyth, ya habiendo leído varios de sus libros creo que este es uno de sus eslabones más altos.
5⭐⭐👌
La trama está construida con esa meticulosidad tan propia de Forsyth, varios personajes van apareciendo en la palestra al igual que distintos eventos secundarios pero al fin y al cabo todo tiene su razón de ser para ir desmarañando una operación sumamente compleja y trepidante.
Lo pondría al mismo nivel que La Noche Del Chacal un best-seller clásico del mismo autor, pero está vez situado a finales de la década de los 80s ya en los últimos vestigios de la guerra fría entre Gran Bretaña y La Unión Soviética.
Excelente título del señor Forsyth, ya habiendo leído varios de sus libros creo que este es uno de sus eslabones más altos.
5⭐⭐👌
Displaying 1 - 30 of 499 reviews