The Fifth Elephant: A Discworld Novel

Front Cover
Harper Collins, Oct 13, 2009 - Fiction - 464 pages

“Pratchett cheerfully takes readers on an exuberant tale of mystery and invention. Along the way, he skewers everything from monarchy to fascism, as well as communism and capitalism, oil wealth and ethnic identities, Russian plays, immigration, condoms, and evangelical Christianity—in short, everything worth talking about.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Elephants, werewolves, and ruby tights (oh my!) collide in this clever Discworld tale rich in mystery, myth, intrigue, and a dollop of diplomacy from the legendary New York Times bestselling author Terry Pratchett.

Everyone knows that the world is flat, and supported on the backs of four elephants. But weren’t there supposed to be five? Indeed there were. So where is the fifth elephant?

Commander Sam Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork constabulary is the man to find out. A copper through and through, he’s been “invited” to attend a royal function as a diplomat, ambassador to the mysterious, fat-rich country of Uberwald—complete with ruby tights.

Of course where cops go, crime follows. An attempted assassination and a theft soon lead to a desperate chase from the low halls of Discworld royalty to the legendary fat mines of Uberwald, where lard is found in underground seams along with tusks and teeth and other precious ivory artifacts. It’s up to the dauntless Vimes to solve the puzzle of the missing pachyderm. After all, that’s what he does.

Only there are monsters on his trail—bright, fast, toothy werewolves. And they’re catching up.

The Discworld novels can be read in any order but The Fifth Elephant is the 5th book in the City Watch collection and the 24th Discworld book.

The City Watch series in order:

  • Guards! Guards!
  • Men at Arms
  • Feet of Clay
  • Jingo
  • The Fifth Elephant
  • Night Watch
  • Thud!
  • Snuff

From inside the book

Other editions - View all

Common terms and phrases

Popular passages

Page 372 - Nine-tenths of the universe, in fact, is the paperwork. And if you want the story, then remember that a story does not unwind. It weaves. Events that start in different places and different times all bear down on that one tiny point in space-time, which is the perfect moment. Suppose an emperor was persuaded to wear a new suit of clothes whose material was so fine that,
Page 56 - on a table in the middle of the room. It looked like
Page 72 - and walked across to the other side of the room, where a
Page 144 - picked him up by the scuff of the neck and carried him

About the author (2009)

Terry Pratchett (1948–2015) was the acclaimed creator of the globally revered Discworld series. In all, he authored more than fifty bestselling books, which have sold more than one hundred million copies worldwide. His novels have been widely adapted for stage and screen, and he was the winner of multiple prizes, including the Carnegie Medal. He was awarded a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to literature in 2009, although he always wryly maintained that his greatest service to literature was to avoid writing any.