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Title details for Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer - Available

Only Time Will Tell

#1 in series

by Jeffrey Archer
Roger Allam
Audiobook
2 of 2 copies available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
2 of 2 copies available

From the internationally bestselling author Jeffrey Archer comes Only Time Will Tell, the first in the ambitious Clifton Chronicles series that tells the story of one family across generations, across oceans, from heartbreak to triumph.
The 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. But then an unexpected gift wins him a scholarship to an exclusive boys' school, and his life will never be the same again.
As he enters into adulthood, Harry finally learns how his father really died, but the awful truth only leads him to question, was he even his father? Is he the son of Arthur Clifton, a stevedore who spent his whole life on the docks, or the firstborn son of a scion of West Country society, whose family owns a shipping line?
This introductory novel in Archer's engrossing series The Clifton Chronicles includes a cast of colorful characters and takes us from the ravages of the Great War to the outbreak of the Second World War, when Harry must decide whether to take up a place at Oxford or join the navy and go to war with Hitler's Germany. From the docks of working-class England to the bustling streets of 1940 New York City, Only Time Will Tell takes listeners on a journey through to future volumes, which will bring to life one hundred years of recent history to reveal a family story that neither the reader nor Harry Clifton himself could ever have imagined.

  • Creators

  • Series

    Clifton Chronicles

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    August 30, 2011

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781427211477
      • File size: 365432 KB
      • Duration: 12:41:18

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      August 1, 2011
      With his latest, Archer (Honor Among Thieves) delivers another page-turning, heart-stopping saga, with delightful twists, and a surprise ending. This first title from the Clifton Chronicles introduces readers to Harry Clifton, a boy growing up in Bristol whose father mysteriously died a full year before his birth, supposedly killed in WWI. Though Harry dreams of becoming a stevedore like his Uncle Stan, crazy Old Jack Tar shows Harry the truths of the stevedore life and becomes his surrogate father. After hearing an angelic treble voice, Harry decides to join the choir and learns to read. The choir in turn gains him a scholarship to boys' boarding school St. Bede'sâa gateway to the life his mother wants for him, far from the harbor and shipping industry. He meets scholarly Deakins and wealthy Giles Barrington, who become his best friends, and the three strive to gain acceptance to Bristol Grammar School. Though Giles' father has a particular aversion to Harry, the boys' friendship proves stronger than any paternal dictates. While Archer hasn't revealed how many books will make up this saga (which will span one hundred years), readers will surely wait for the next with bated breath.

    • Publisher's Weekly

      September 26, 2011
      In this first installment in Archer's new Clifton Chronicles series, Harry Clifton, a dockworker's son from Bristol, England, must grapple with the truth about his fa- ther's history and forge his own identity at the outbreak of WWII. The novel features narration by seven major characters, with Allam tackling the male voices and Fox handling the females. While Allam's work represents the lion's share of this recording, Fox ably holds her ownâand her portrayal of Harry's spunky and deter- mined mother is a definite standout. Allam demonstrates a masterful range of vocal mannerisms and dialects. His rendition of heroic, emotionally wounded Old Jack and diabolically evil shipping executive Hugo Barrington rank among his most memorable. The compelling story and engaging narration combine for a mesmerizing listening experience. A St. Martin's hardcover.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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