On arrival in America, Harry Clifton is arrested for first degree murder, for killing Bill Bradshaw. He is tried, found guilty, and sentenced to death by the electric chair. Meanwhile Emma goes to London to give birth to Sebastian, her and Harry's child. On visiting Maisie to introduce her to her grandson, she becomes convinced that Harry is still alive. With the help of Sir Walter, she goes to America in search of Harry, where she must then fight to save his life. Meanwhile, when Sir Walter dies, Hugo takes over the Barrington shipping line, but manages to run the company into the ground, and when war is declared, Giles Barrington leaves Oxford to join the Gloucestershire Regiment, gaining respect and eventually glory in the military. And as the war progresses, Sebastian is brought up by his grandmother, Elizabeth Barrington. As a young man, he falls in love with the sister of a school friend, whose father is an Argentinean businessman who has made a fortune in arms dealing to both sides during the war. -- Vol. 2.
The Clifton Chronicles Series
This sweeping multi-generational saga chronicles the lives of one family across the twentieth century, spanning journeys from Europe to America. Immerse yourself in a narrative rich with love, betrayal, rivalry, and unexpected triumphs. Watch as characters navigate personal challenges and major historical events, shaping their destinies. The enduring power of family bonds, ambition, and the pursuit of one's legacy forms the core of this compelling story.
Recommended Reading Order
The Sins of the Father
- 429 pages
- 16 hours of reading
On arrival in America, Harry Clifton is arrested for first degree murder, for killing Bill Bradshaw. He is tried, found guilty, and sentenced to death by the electric chair. Meanwhile Emma goes to London to give birth to Sebastian, Harry's child. On visiting Maisie to introduce her to her grandson, she becomes convinced that Harry is still alive. With the help of Sir Walter, she goes to America in search of Harry, where she must then fight to save his life.
Harry Clifton, now a bestselling novelist, his wife Emma, their son Sebastian, and orphaned Jessica make a new life for themselves. But Emma's brother Giles' fiancée may be after his fortune and title. And Sebastian, though bright, has a hard time resisting temptation. It all comes to a head when a new villain is uncovered, a face from the past with grudges against both Harry and Giles.
Bestselling author Jeffrey Archer's latest installment opens with Harry Clifton and his wife Emma anxiously awaiting news about their son Sebastian, who has been in a fatal car accident. The question looms: who has died, Sebastian or his best friend Bruno? As events unfold, Emma Clifton seeks to replace Ross Buchanan, who resigns as chairman of Barrington Shipping. However, Don Pedro Martinez plans to install Major Alex Fisher, his puppet, to undermine the Barrington family just as they prepare to launch the luxury liner, the MV Buckingham. Meanwhile, their adopted daughter Jessica wins a scholarship to the Slade Academy of Art, where she falls for fellow student Clive Bingham, who proposes marriage. The families celebrate until Jessica's future mother-in-law, Priscilla, receives a visit from the manipulative Lady Virginia Fenwick, who complicates matters. Unexpectedly, Cedric Hardcastle, a new and unanticipated figure, joins the Barrington board, creating turmoil that will impact both the Clifton and Barrington families. Hardcastle's first major decision—who to support for chairman—sets off a chain of events filled with twists, love, revenge, ambition, and betrayal as the families navigate the challenges of the sixties.
A bomb detonates, leaving the fate of passengers on the MV Buckingham uncertain. Upon arriving in New York, Harry learns from his publisher, Harold Guinzberg, that he has been elected president of English PEN, allowing him to advocate for the release of fellow author Anatoly Babakov, imprisoned in a Russian Gulag for his revealing book about working for Josef Stalin. Harry's commitment to Babakov's cause puts his own life at risk. Meanwhile, Emma Clifton, now Chairman of Barrington Shipping, faces backlash from the IRA bombing of her ship, with some board members urging her resignation while others, including newly elected Sebastian Clifton, support her leadership. Giles Barrington, now a Minister of the Crown, encounters political turmoil following an unsuccessful diplomatic trip to East Germany, exacerbated by Major Alex Fisher's decision to challenge him in the upcoming general election. Sebastian proposes to his girlfriend Samantha, who initially accepts but later withdraws her commitment upon discovering his secretive actions. The narrative culminates in two court trials: a high-profile libel case in London involving Emma and Lady Virginia Fenwick, and a show trial in Russia where Harry is arrested as a spy. Thus unfolds the fifth installment of the Clifton Chronicles.
Cometh the Hour opens with the reading of a suicide note, which has devastating consequences for Harry and Emma Clifton, Giles Barrington and Lady Virginia. Cometh the Hour is the penultimate book in the Clifton Chronicles and, like the five previous novels - all of which went to number one on the Sunday Times bestseller list - showcases Jeffrey Archer's extraordinary storytelling with his trademark twists.
This 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? Harry Clifton sets out to write his magnum opus, while his wife Emma completes her ten years as Chairman of the Bristol Royal Infirmary, and receives an unexpected call from Margaret Thatcher offering her a job. Sebastian Clifton becomes chairman of Farthings Kaufman bank, but only after Hakim Bishara has to resign for personal reasons. Sebastian and Samantha’s talented daughter, Jessica, is expelled from the Slade School of Fine Art, but her aunt Grace comes to her rescue. Meanwhile, Lady Virginia is about to flee the country to avoid her creditors when the Duchess of Hertford dies, and she sees another opportunity to clear her debts and finally trump the Cliftons and Barringtons. In a devastating twist, tragedy engulfs the Clifton family when one of them receives a shocking diagnosis that will throw all their lives into turmoil. This Was a Man is the captivating final installment of the Clifton Chronicles, a series of seven novels that has topped the bestseller lists around the world, and enhanced Jeffrey Archer’s reputation as a master storyteller.
