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The Clifton Chronicles #1-7
The Complete Clifton Chronicles, Books 1-7: Only Time Will Tell, The Sins of the Father, Best Kept Secret, Be Careful What You Wish For, Mightier than ... This Was a Man
#1 New York Times and international bestselling author Jeffrey Archer’s Clifton Chronicles series has taken the world by storm, with 2.5 million copies in print in English. This multi-generational, multi-volume saga of fate, fortune, and redemption follows the Clifton and Barrington families on a breathtaking journey from 1920 all the way through the present. Here together for the first time in an eBook bundle are the complete Clifton Chronicles, including all seven Only Time Will TellThe epic tale of Harry Clifton's life begins in 1920, with the words "I was told that my father was killed in the war." A dock worker in Bristol, Harry never knew his father, but he learns about life on the docks from his uncle, who expects Harry to join him at the shipyard once he's left school. The Sins of the FatherOnly days before Britain declares war on Germany, Harry Clifton, hoping to escape the consequences of long-buried family secrets recently revealed, and forced to admit that his wish to marry Emma Barrington will never be fulfilled, has joined the Merchant Navy. But his ship is sunk in the Atlantic by a German U-boat, drowning almost the entire crew.Best Kept Secret1945, London. The vote in the House of Lords as to who should inherit the Barrington family fortune has ended in a tie. The Lord Chancellor's deciding vote will cast a long shadow on the lives of Harry Clifton and Giles Barrington. Harry returns to America to promote his latest novel, while his beloved Emma goes in search of the little girl who was found abandoned in her father's office on the night he was killed. Be Careful What You Wish ForWhen Ross Buchanan is forced to resign as chairman of the Barrington Shipping Company, Emma Clifton wants to replace him. But Don Pedro Martinez intends to install his puppet, the egregious Major Alex Fisher, in order to destroy the Barrington family firm just as the company plans to build its new luxury liner, the MV Buckingham. Mightier Than the SwordWhen Harry Clifton visits his publisher in New York, he learns that he has been elected as the new president of English PEN, and immediately launches a campaign for the release of a fellow author, Anatoly Babakov, who's imprisoned in Siberia. Babakov's crime? Writing a book called Uncle Joe, a devastating insight into what it was like to work for Stalin.Cometh the HourGiles must decide if he should withdraw from politics and try to rescue Karin, the woman he loves, from behind the Iron Curtain. But is Karin truly in love with him, or is she a spy?This was a ManThis Was a Man opens with a shot being fired, but who pulled the trigger, and who lives and who dies? In Whitehall, Giles Barrington discovers the truth about his wife Karin from the Cabinet Secretary. Is she a spy or a pawn in a larger game?
3007 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 20, 2016
104 people are currently reading
443 people want to read
About the author
Jeffrey Archer
637 books12.6k followersJeffrey is published in 114 countries and more than 47 languages, with more than 750,000 5* reviews with international sales passing 275 million copies.
He is the only author ever to have been a number one bestseller in fiction (nineteen times), short stories (four times) and non-fiction (The Prison Diaries).
Jeffrey has been married for 53 years to Dame Mary Archer DBE. They have two sons, William and James, three grandsons and two granddaughters, and divide their time between homes in London, Cambridge and Mallorca.
He is the only author ever to have been a number one bestseller in fiction (nineteen times), short stories (four times) and non-fiction (The Prison Diaries).
Jeffrey has been married for 53 years to Dame Mary Archer DBE. They have two sons, William and James, three grandsons and two granddaughters, and divide their time between homes in London, Cambridge and Mallorca.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
March 21, 2021
This is such an absorbing series that I would love to see adapted for the screen.
I loved all seven books and practically read all at once.
The characters are so vivid and rich.
The writing is engaging, so clear and easy with an excellent storyline.
A great entertainment indeed.
And I will never forget that evil Lady Virginia.
I loved all seven books and practically read all at once.
The characters are so vivid and rich.
The writing is engaging, so clear and easy with an excellent storyline.
A great entertainment indeed.
And I will never forget that evil Lady Virginia.
January 10, 2020
Absorbing multi generation saga about two families fighting a never ending duel. Lots of well developed characters almost became our fictional acquaintances. Archer is a master storyteller!
April 10, 2018
I listened to the entire series on audiobooks. Totally absorbing and the characters are so good (and bad), and well developed. The historical references and descriptions had me looking up events and places. The narrator in this series is excellent. A wonderful traveling companion.
October 16, 2022
What an amazing series. I couldn't put it down. This would make a fabulous TV series, it would be right up there with Downton Abbey and Briggerton. The characters capture and pull you in. Loved every minute.
February 21, 2024
The Clifton Chronicles
Not a penny more, not a penny less, is a book which has been on my bedside table for years and years now. It has become bedraggled and has all the signs of being a book well-loved. These few statements are a build-up to the review you shall now be reading.
Jeffrey Archer is the master of the twist in the tale. He has crafted so many stories so beautifully well, using this arrow from his quiver, that a reader could be assured of nothing going as planned. Foreshadowing is quite common now, but Archer has always used it well. This trick of the trade served him quite well until maybe a dozen or so years back. It was then that he showed signs of slipping. Remember his Paths of Glory?
He is still the master of the short story though and mayhap, he should stick to this. This series has 7 books detailing a perfect man and his oh-so-perfect behaviour as life happens to him. The major problem for me was that I just could not connect to any character, and that was so surprising given that I read/heard all seven in a row.
All the ingredients for a Jeffrey Archer read were there:
- Women in power.
- Art and its espousal.
- Use of literature with a Russian backed theme.
- A strong antagonist who just won’t go down, no matter what!
- Surprising twists (which though good in the moment, didn’t quite pack a punch and some of them were, frankly expected.)
- Mousy men coming good when most needed.
Also, a major challenge in a relationship was an incest theme, which was summarily swept away, and a major turn-off for me was an unnecessary and rather poorly concocted Bollywood style interlude with a woman of Indian origin. It was so needless and as tragedies went, so superficial that I actually cringed.
But did all this stop me from latching on to his next series?
Hell no!
I just went for it anyway, and all the above ingredients are rearing their heads willy-nilly as The William Warwick series progresses too. To the uninitiated, William Warwick was a character from the books being authored by the principal character of the Clifton Chronicles. Talk about meta! And you can pretty much tick off each of the above points in that series too. The best part of this series is that the narrator – George Blagden is a delight.
The narrators in the Clifton Chronicles do a good job too, but this one is the best!
If you have been on the fence regarding these two series, I hope I have helped to make a decision, if I have confused you further, I apologise profusely. 😊
Nonetheless, Happy reading always!
Not a penny more, not a penny less, is a book which has been on my bedside table for years and years now. It has become bedraggled and has all the signs of being a book well-loved. These few statements are a build-up to the review you shall now be reading.
Jeffrey Archer is the master of the twist in the tale. He has crafted so many stories so beautifully well, using this arrow from his quiver, that a reader could be assured of nothing going as planned. Foreshadowing is quite common now, but Archer has always used it well. This trick of the trade served him quite well until maybe a dozen or so years back. It was then that he showed signs of slipping. Remember his Paths of Glory?
He is still the master of the short story though and mayhap, he should stick to this. This series has 7 books detailing a perfect man and his oh-so-perfect behaviour as life happens to him. The major problem for me was that I just could not connect to any character, and that was so surprising given that I read/heard all seven in a row.
All the ingredients for a Jeffrey Archer read were there:
- Women in power.
- Art and its espousal.
- Use of literature with a Russian backed theme.
- A strong antagonist who just won’t go down, no matter what!
- Surprising twists (which though good in the moment, didn’t quite pack a punch and some of them were, frankly expected.)
- Mousy men coming good when most needed.
Also, a major challenge in a relationship was an incest theme, which was summarily swept away, and a major turn-off for me was an unnecessary and rather poorly concocted Bollywood style interlude with a woman of Indian origin. It was so needless and as tragedies went, so superficial that I actually cringed.
But did all this stop me from latching on to his next series?
Hell no!
I just went for it anyway, and all the above ingredients are rearing their heads willy-nilly as The William Warwick series progresses too. To the uninitiated, William Warwick was a character from the books being authored by the principal character of the Clifton Chronicles. Talk about meta! And you can pretty much tick off each of the above points in that series too. The best part of this series is that the narrator – George Blagden is a delight.
The narrators in the Clifton Chronicles do a good job too, but this one is the best!
If you have been on the fence regarding these two series, I hope I have helped to make a decision, if I have confused you further, I apologise profusely. 😊
Nonetheless, Happy reading always!
July 23, 2023
I read all seven books over a period of about three months. I thoroughly enjoyed the stories.
When I read through the last chapter of the book, I felt a profound impact emotionally. Different from most of the fictions that tell stories of people in a particular period or in a particular situation, this series tell the while life of a few individuals, e.g. Harry, Emma and Giles. Their struggles, fortunes and misfortunes, failures and successes all form part of the entire life experiences of them. When Emma and Harry died at the end, I felt a profound loss, like the loss of someone who I have known for their entire lives.
The stories are mostly believable against the backdrop of 70 years of British history. Most of the stories felt real and reasonable enough when read individually. However, some of the plots boarders melodrama, in particular the stories around Lady Virginia and other bad guys. The characters are almost black and white. They are either very decent, kind, caring and honest, or in the case of Lady Virginia and her cronies, pure evils. I can understand why Jeffrey Archer wanted to portray them like this. However, it made me feel that they are less real when I am always conscious of the reasonableness of the plots.
One thing intrigued me is that unlike most of the fictions in which bad guys have to face justice eventually, Jeff Archer let Lady Virginia get away with all her evil deeds and crimes. He even let her attend Harry's funeral and behave properly at the end, given that she had caused so many harms and even death to Harry's family. Maybe this is closer to reality since bad people mostly get away in the real world.
To tell the stories of the lives of multiple characters running in parallel, the stories are a bit disjointed. When telling the stories of one character, lives of others are put on hold. I guess there is not a lot one can do when one novel tries to tell multiple stories.
I admire the authors broad knowledge in many aspects of life. If he came up with all these stories without help of experts such financial, medical or legal advisers, then Jeff Archer should be congratulated for his supersized brain.
I hesitate to pick up another Jeff Archer's book because I know I can't put it down, and I will not be able to devote enough time to many other great books on my shelf.
When I read through the last chapter of the book, I felt a profound impact emotionally. Different from most of the fictions that tell stories of people in a particular period or in a particular situation, this series tell the while life of a few individuals, e.g. Harry, Emma and Giles. Their struggles, fortunes and misfortunes, failures and successes all form part of the entire life experiences of them. When Emma and Harry died at the end, I felt a profound loss, like the loss of someone who I have known for their entire lives.
The stories are mostly believable against the backdrop of 70 years of British history. Most of the stories felt real and reasonable enough when read individually. However, some of the plots boarders melodrama, in particular the stories around Lady Virginia and other bad guys. The characters are almost black and white. They are either very decent, kind, caring and honest, or in the case of Lady Virginia and her cronies, pure evils. I can understand why Jeffrey Archer wanted to portray them like this. However, it made me feel that they are less real when I am always conscious of the reasonableness of the plots.
One thing intrigued me is that unlike most of the fictions in which bad guys have to face justice eventually, Jeff Archer let Lady Virginia get away with all her evil deeds and crimes. He even let her attend Harry's funeral and behave properly at the end, given that she had caused so many harms and even death to Harry's family. Maybe this is closer to reality since bad people mostly get away in the real world.
To tell the stories of the lives of multiple characters running in parallel, the stories are a bit disjointed. When telling the stories of one character, lives of others are put on hold. I guess there is not a lot one can do when one novel tries to tell multiple stories.
I admire the authors broad knowledge in many aspects of life. If he came up with all these stories without help of experts such financial, medical or legal advisers, then Jeff Archer should be congratulated for his supersized brain.
I hesitate to pick up another Jeff Archer's book because I know I can't put it down, and I will not be able to devote enough time to many other great books on my shelf.
March 14, 2020
Actually I really enjoyed reading all 7 books in one go.
The family saga around the Cliftons and the Barringtons gives enough plot twists to be entertaining through 7 books. The historical background and the setting in UK is also something I personally enjoyed a lot!
I really like the main characters even if they are sometimes a bit too good! The bold have some villains and bitches but our main family somehow masters to navigate through all rough waters!
BUT and here comes my big but I really miss emotions and an emotional binding with the characters to make this from a good read to something I will revisit more than once! Which is a pity!!!
There situations in the book, especially some of the rough waters, which are very live altering but they get only a short mention, while on other places we have several long pages of election campaigns and cricket! Instead of describing a bit of the feelings and emotions involved we only get outlines of what happened.
I also miss the plain and simple description of the people! There are only hints through the books how the characters look like. So it’s hard to get some images in your head while reading. While the first book goes about the possibility of Harry being family with the Barringtons we don’t get a real description of how they all look like - even when at this time looks would have been one of the few things to determine if they shared the same father!
In my opinion a missed chance because there a lot of places where it would be easy to add some more character descriptions and feelings/ emotions!
The family saga around the Cliftons and the Barringtons gives enough plot twists to be entertaining through 7 books. The historical background and the setting in UK is also something I personally enjoyed a lot!
I really like the main characters even if they are sometimes a bit too good! The bold have some villains and bitches but our main family somehow masters to navigate through all rough waters!
BUT and here comes my big but I really miss emotions and an emotional binding with the characters to make this from a good read to something I will revisit more than once! Which is a pity!!!
There situations in the book, especially some of the rough waters, which are very live altering but they get only a short mention, while on other places we have several long pages of election campaigns and cricket! Instead of describing a bit of the feelings and emotions involved we only get outlines of what happened.
I also miss the plain and simple description of the people! There are only hints through the books how the characters look like. So it’s hard to get some images in your head while reading. While the first book goes about the possibility of Harry being family with the Barringtons we don’t get a real description of how they all look like - even when at this time looks would have been one of the few things to determine if they shared the same father!
In my opinion a missed chance because there a lot of places where it would be easy to add some more character descriptions and feelings/ emotions!
May 3, 2019
I started this series on the advice of a college senior. He abandoned the series midway. Jeffrey Archer is a man who says it best when he speaks less. His short stories are absolute gems. He should stick to more of them. His grand novel, The Clifton Chronicles is his fantasy. It is the kind of story that you can tell children, but I have an inkling that they might have even less patience with it. It's the story of a perfect son and his perfect wife, who is his perfect best friend's sister, and they give birth to the perfect son, and this absolutely humble man who has never known poverty has a perfect, prodigy for a daughter- it's picture perfectness is nauseating. It's Archer's tribute to his idealism of English ways. There are just one or two villains in this 7 book series, who keep coming back after this godly family keeps come upping them, in the classist British way that they know. And even those meager two are caricatures.
If this book were a movie, I'd call it a once-watchable thing. Which is as good as 'to-be-skipped-entirely'
If this book were a movie, I'd call it a once-watchable thing. Which is as good as 'to-be-skipped-entirely'
January 11, 2020
What can I say! I came across this saga by accident and oh boy am I glad. It’s years since I’ve read anything by Jeffrey Archer but he really made up for lost time. To read all of them unless you get them from the library can be a bit expensive but totally worth it. I loved how JA kept the story going and got you invested in the characters. You loved those you were to love and loathed the right ones too.. saying that, there were a few spots I thought not too sure they would do that..;)
The only negative I would have is the last book is a little flat until the very end, I felt he was trying too hard to wrap up loose ends. Very enjoyable
The only negative I would have is the last book is a little flat until the very end, I felt he was trying too hard to wrap up loose ends. Very enjoyable
May 25, 2020
3.5 stars. The first two books were good and they made me want to read the whole series. However, at times, Archer seemed to resort to lazy storywriting. The photographic memory and such and the characters were too perfect, the good guys. Some other times, it seemed the writer went through mood swings while writing the chapters, as he would create, prosper and kill characters, all within 30 pages. At some point in the series, it felt like the writer was trying too hard to make a story work, although there were loopholes to the story.
Overall, a decent read. I enjoyed it more than I cribbed about it.
Overall, a decent read. I enjoyed it more than I cribbed about it.
March 7, 2026
I went into this expecting something similar to Kane and Abel, but it didn’t quite land the same way for me.
The story moves quickly and there’s always some new twist or complication, which keeps it readable. But after a few books the pattern starts to feel repetitive.
A lot of the drama relies on coincidences or very convenient timing, and eventually it started to feel a bit formulaic.
It’s not bad, just not particularly memorable compared to Archer’s stronger work.
The story moves quickly and there’s always some new twist or complication, which keeps it readable. But after a few books the pattern starts to feel repetitive.
A lot of the drama relies on coincidences or very convenient timing, and eventually it started to feel a bit formulaic.
It’s not bad, just not particularly memorable compared to Archer’s stronger work.
February 28, 2018
I have mixed feelings about this series. I enjoyed the second book the most. The first one was good because it set up the characters. But I found this author not able to write women very well. The things he has them doing don't seem reasonable for the types of people he has set them up to be. The last book did close things up and I was satisfied but much of the time I did roll my eyes.
July 26, 2017
This is the first time I have read 7 books in a row by the same author, I was hooked! Fabulous story telling with some wonderful characters, some loved, others you'll love to hate! I have only one complaint about the Clifton Chronicles, and that is that it had to end 😢. Highly recommended.
February 19, 2018
The whole series was awesome. I read the books as they got published and they did not disappoint. I kept looking forward to each of them as they were published. The books take us thru the life of Harry Clifton from his childhood to his death and keeps us spellbound thru till the end.
August 14, 2017
Jeffrey Archer's best work. I can thoroughly recommend this series!
September 27, 2018
entertaining read.
December 10, 2018
This was one of the best set of books I have ever read.
All 7 books were great and just edged me on to keep on reading.
Thank you friends for suggesting the Chronicles!!
All 7 books were great and just edged me on to keep on reading.
Thank you friends for suggesting the Chronicles!!
February 1, 2019
What a fabulous fantastic read. I cannot rate it highly enough. Jeffrey Archer you are an amazingly talented writer. Thanks for some great riveting reads.
Lesley Brearley
Lesley Brearley
February 26, 2019
These are the books you never want to out down. I did not like the cliffhanger endings, but the story was great.
October 12, 2019
Totally engrossed
May 23, 2020
A promising start is followed by books that stretch credulity and become tedious with increasingly unlikely twists and evil characters. By the third book I gave up
June 11, 2020
I loved all 7 books about the Barrington and Clifton families. I really like the way the author writes and how he develops all the characters through the years. I was sad when it ended!
December 12, 2020
A great series
September 16, 2021
I enjoyed the whole series very good endings of each book
January 4, 2023
Couldn’t stop reading until I finished all books.
September 25, 2024
Absolutely amazing.
Will definitely reread the whole series in the future as I was enthralled with every single book in the Clifton Chronicles. My favorite book series hands-down.
Will definitely reread the whole series in the future as I was enthralled with every single book in the Clifton Chronicles. My favorite book series hands-down.
May 6, 2025
Fabulous! I kept thinking ok I need to read something different but this series hooked me through and through. So entertaining!
March 10, 2022
Great Series
I read all 7 books in the Clifton Chronicles in about 2 months. The characters in the books are well thought out. The story lines are fun to follow. Very quick reads. Once I finished the last book I was disappointed it was over. But I liked the way the author tied everything up at the end.
I read all 7 books in the Clifton Chronicles in about 2 months. The characters in the books are well thought out. The story lines are fun to follow. Very quick reads. Once I finished the last book I was disappointed it was over. But I liked the way the author tied everything up at the end.
October 10, 2019
Captivating!
Loved the characters. Loved the story. Loved the history combining the characters and their lives. Outstanding. If this book was non fiction I would want to meet everyone of Harry and Emma’s family members.
Loved the characters. Loved the story. Loved the history combining the characters and their lives. Outstanding. If this book was non fiction I would want to meet everyone of Harry and Emma’s family members.
July 11, 2020
An Epic Tale
Because of quarantine I have just read books 1-7. I am happy thatI stumbled across this saga that spans decades and encompasses many interesting and truly endearing characters.
Because of quarantine I have just read books 1-7. I am happy thatI stumbled across this saga that spans decades and encompasses many interesting and truly endearing characters.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews