7 reviews for This Was a Man
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This Was a Man
by Jeffery Archer
Description:
The thrilling conclusion to the number one bestselling Clifton Chronicles.
This Was a Man is the captivating final instalment 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.
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.
About The Author
Archer wrote his first book, Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less, in the autumn of 1974, as a means of avoiding bankruptcy. The book was picked up by the literary agent Deborah Owen and published first in the US, then eventually in Britain in the autumn of 1976. A BBC Television adaptation of the book was broadcast in 1990, and a radio adaptation was aired on BBC Radio 4 in the early 1980s.
Kane and Abel (1979) proved to be his best-selling work, reaching number one on The New York Times bestsellers list. Like most of his early work it was edited by Richard Cohen, the Olympic fencing gold-medallist. It was made into a television mini-series by CBS in 1985, starring Peter Strauss and Sam Neill. The following year, Granada TV screened a ten-part adaptation of another Archer bestseller, First Among Equals, which told the story of four men and their quest to become Prime Minister. In the U.S. edition of the novel, the character of Andrew Fraser was eliminated, reducing the number of protagonists to three.
As well as novels and short stories, Archer has also written three stage plays. The first, Beyond Reasonable Doubt, opened in 1987 and ran at the Queen’s Theatre in London’s West End for over a year. However, Archer’s next play, Exclusive, was not well received by critics, and closed after a few weeks. His final play, The Accused, opened at the Theatre Royal, Windsor on 26 September 2000, before transferring to the Theatre Royal, Haymarket in the West End in December.
Archer has stated that he spends considerable time writing and re-writing each book. He goes abroad to write the first draft, working in blocks of two hours at a time, then writes anything up to seventeen drafts in total. In 1988 author Kathleen Burnett accused Archer of plagiarising a story she’d written and including it in his short-story collection, A Twist in the Tale. Archer denied he had plagiarised the story, claiming he’d simply been inspired by the idea.
It has been suggested that Archer’s books undergo an extensive editing process prior to publication. Whilst Archer’s books are commercially successful, critics have been generally unfavourable towards his writing. However, journalist Hugo Barnacle, writing for The Independent about The Fourth Estate (1996), thought the novel, while demonstrating that “the editors don’t seem to have done any work”, was “not wholly unsatisfactory”.
Since 2010, Archer has written the first draft of each new book at his luxury villa in Majorca, called “Writer’s Block”.
In 2011, Archer published the first of seven books in The Clifton Chronicles, which follow the life of Harry Clifton from his birth in 1920, through to the finale in 2020. The first novel in the series, Only Time Will Tell, tells the story of Harry from 1920 through to 1940, and was published in the UK on 12 May 2011. The sixth instalment, Cometh the Hour, was published on 25 February 2016. The final novel in the series, This Was a Man, was published on 3 November 2016.
Archer’s next novel has been provisionally titled Heads You Win, and will be published in 2017, along with another volume of short stories.
Skryf Review
“Excellent Book”
Tisha
While I waited for this last of the Clifton Chronicle Series to be written and published, I built up my expectations based on the overall four stars I gave to the series up to and including the penultimate one; however I believe I simultaneously developed an alternate reality of let down faced by many when reading the last in a series of few. In particular I recall spending over $30 for the pre-publishing rights to be mailed the last of the “Clan of the Cave Bear” series by Jean Auel. I was one of many that were shocked by its lack of quality – apparently, a novel to complete a contract. On the other hand, most readers are aware of the quality of JK Rowlings through to the last word of her last novel of her entire series.Other, than to hint that the final act is a delightful mixture of fictional writing, political speech writing, and poignancy written from the mind and heart of an author who has surely lived and experienced that of which he crafts his ending. It is courageous, eloquent, humanitarian, and worthy of the high ovation he places around those characters of whom he created to demonstrate what faith, courage, and seeking the truth can reap for all communities, which fosters that character. Excellent novel, but I AM SURE it was difficult to write, perhaps even more so than the last in the series for Harry!
Havisha
This novel only gets better and better with each chapter. It engulfs you with myriad emotions at the most unexpected of times. Needless to say, Giles Barrington is a splendid orator. His speeches, his points of debate left me in awe of the power he possess to tide over his audience with mere words. I haven’t read the whole series and yet I was so drawn towards the book, I can’t begin to imagine the state of other Jeffrey Archer fans who have been following the Cliftons from the beginning. The bonds of family and friendship that have been highlighted are beyond commendable. So much so that I wanted to be a part of something as magnanimous. I definitely loved this book a lot more than the previous one. And would encourage you to pick it up, if you haven’t already. It will keep you hooked till the very end and when it does end, you’d be left with a feeling of something great that has washed over you and is now receding. Kudos to Jeffrey Archer! This Was A Man, indeed.
pankti
Archer completes his heptalogy in fine form, coming full circle with the Cliftons and Barringtons, while peppering the narrative with other key characters and their plights from 1978-92. As the novel opens, the reader is left to wonder what has become of Karin Barrington, revealed to be working with the East German Government and in the clutches of her step-father and handler. Shots ring out and a body falls, but it turns out that MI6 has Karin protected and the ultimate traitor lies bleeding to death. While Karin’s revelation is key to opening the novel, her importance fades as husband, Lord Giles Barrington, forges ahead in the House of Lords. Crippled by a Labour loss in the General Election and subsequent backing of the wrong candidate to take over the Party, Giles is shuffled to the back benches to live out his meagre political life. However, while they are unable to wrest the reins of power out of Thatcher’s Conservatives, failure at the top breathes new life into Giles and offers an opportunity to serve in the Shadow Cabinet, with a new opponent in his crosshairs. Meanwhile, Emma Clifton has been enjoying her time as Chairman of Barrington Shipping, but when there is a takeover offer, the money cannot be ignored and she sells the family business to a competitor, which leaves her open to rise amongst the ranks of a hospital board, acting as Chairman of the largest NHS hospital in the country. Emma immerses herself in the intricacies of the hospital while remaining on the radar of PM Margaret Thatcher. Seeing potential in her friend, Thatcher elevates Emma into the Lords as well, opposite her brother, who is only too happy to show her the ropes before he vows to hang her with one of the political variety. Emma is given Undersecretary of State for Health and the entire NHS program rests firmly at her feet. While she seeks to steer a major piece of legislation through the Lords for the Government, Giles will stop at nothing to see Labour triumph as he bandies the legislation around and bullies the sister he knows all too well, leading to a face-off of epic political proportions. Harry Clifton, patriarch of the family, remains pleased resting his his wife’s shadow, waging his own form of war with the characters in his latest novel. Deciding to fulfill a lifetime promise to his mother, Harry embarks on writing his magnum opus while coming to terms with the passing years around him. The idea that germinates is one that he uses to weather personal storms in his own life, things he wishes not to reveal to the rest of the family. Sebastian, son to Emma and Harry, continues his meteoric rise in the banking industry, though he is called on to make a play for a major company, filled with nemeses from his past, in order to protect the virtue of a young woman who is gifted shares in a Last Will and Testament. Sebastian straddles time on both sides of the Atlantic in order to see truth and virtue restored, while keeping Lady Virginia Fenwick from sullying the reputations of anyone else, but more on her in a moment. Sebastian’s precocious daughter, Jessica, has an eye for art and finds nothing that can stand in her way. Nothing, that is, until a Brazilian man turns the future of this nineteen year-old into something that comes crashing down in short order. Jessica’s life goes to tatters and teeters on the precipice, all she has worked towards lost after a night of bingeing and recklessness. There is a glimmer of hope, which comes in the least likely of relatives. While Jessica tries to right herself, Lady Virginia Fenwick continues to plot in order to elude the taxman and his hefty fines for past legal and financial transgressions. As Lady Virginia barely survives the scandal of her faux pregnancy at the hands of a rich American, she sinks her teeth into the 13th Duke of Hertford. Lady Virginia weasels her way closer to fortune, though the Duke’s family can smell a rat, especially when Lady Virginia makes a quick play after a rushed codicil to the Duke’s will. With her long track record of deception and few friends to call her own, Lady Virginia might have to pull out all the stops to keep herself from flirting with financial ruin and becoming destitute. As Archer meanders through his various characters and uses history as a backdrop, he takes the narrative down some truly interesting avenues, which allows him to remind the reader of how far things have come in the last seventy odd years, including putting to rest the lingering question of Harry’s parentage. Offering his three central characters one last encore at centre stage, Archer lays the groundwork to end the Clifton Chronicles, ensuring that there is not a dry eye left in the house… or wherever the reader chooses to devour this truly amazing piece of writing. A powerful novel to end a stellar series, it will be one that readers will want to revisit repeatedly and recommend at every opportunity.
Anupama
We’ve finally come to the last instalment in the Clifton Chronicles series. What was originally supposed to be a trilogy eventually turned into an amazing seven book series spanning more than 60 years, and I’m so glad it did. I have waited for this book (thankfully not so long in between book 6 and 7 this time!) to put an end to this fantastic series. I enjoyed every word and didn’t want the book to finish.Although it’s obvious, this book is part of a series, and to be honest, you do need to have read the other books before this one. It would make the story much more understandable, and if you didn’t you will miss out on 6 books of great storytelling! I’ve heard a lot of people say that they won’t read any Archer books as they don’t like the man – whatever you feel about him or his past, you can’t deny that the man is an amazing author and storyteller, capturing each decade, scenario or situation perfectly.
Ira
This Was A Man is a finale like no other. Jeffrey Archer, effortlessly, brings together several generations of the Barringtons and Cliftons; binding them in a stronghold of family, friendship and love. While Emma and Harry Clifton are steadily climbing the ladder of success, knocking off obstacles with a flick of their hand, their granddaughter Jessica gets blinded by a carefree lifestyle, careening into a destructive future. Lady Virginia Fenwick plays the part of a puppeteer in an attempt to stay afloat at the cost of others’ despair.
Skryf Review
Good Read
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.
The author’s writing style is flawless, polished and strong yet easy to contemplate with from the readers’ own perspective.The narrative is highly absorbing and it is free flowing with a smooth and moderate pace as the author peels away one after another layer until the readers get to the very depth of the story line.
In a nutshell, the story is extremely enticing, captivating and highly exciting despite being sympathetic in its own way. The author devised one hell of a spellbinding tale that won’t disappoint any of his readers.