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 series, which follow the life of Harry Clifton from his birth in 1920, through to his funeral in 1993.
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.
Jeffrey Howard Archer, Baron Archer of Weston-super-Mare (born 15 April 1940) is an English novelist, former politician, convicted perjurer, and peer of the realm.
He was imprisoned (2001–2003) for perjury and perverting the course of justice, ending his elected political career. ==Early life and education== Jeffrey Howard Archer was born in the City of London Maternity Hospital in Holloway, London on 15 April 1940.
In 1940 Rosemary married the famous lawyer Brien McMahon who went on to become the Democratic senator for Connecticut (1945–52) and a contender for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1952.
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.
As a boy Archer dreamt about being captain of Bristol Rovers Football Club, and is still a fan of the club. ===Wellington School=== In 1951, Archer won a scholarship to Wellington School in Somerset, not Wellington College in Berkshire, as he was later inclined to claim.
In 1940 Rosemary married the famous lawyer Brien McMahon who went on to become the Democratic senator for Connecticut (1945–52) and a contender for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1952.
After Brien McMahon’s death that year, Rosemary married, in 1953, the Belgian ambassador to Washington Baron Silvercruys, and the First Lady, Mamie Eisenhower, was the guest-of-honour at their wedding.
His father, William (died 1956), was 64 years old when Jeffrey Archer was born.
He later worked as a physical education teacher, first at Vicar's Hill, a preparatory school in Hampshire, and later at Dover College in Kent. ===Oxford=== In 1963 Archer was offered a place at the Oxford University Department for Continuing Education to study for a Diploma of Education.
Television coverage survives of him making false starts in a 1964 sprint race, but he was not disqualified.
The then chairman of the UNA, Humphry Berkeley, alleged that there were numerous discrepancies in Archer's expense claims whilst he worked at the UNA. Around this time, Archer began a career in politics, serving as a Conservative councillor on the Greater London Council (1967–1970). Archer set up his own fundraising and public relations company, Arrow Enterprises, in 1969.
The gallery ultimately lost money, however, and Archer sold it two years later. ==Member of Parliament== At 29, Archer was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for the Lincolnshire constituency of Louth, holding the seat for the Conservative Party in a by-election on 4 December 1969.
In 1970 he took part in the Kennedy Memorial Test, a 50-mile running/walking race from Louth to Skegness and back. In parliament, Archer was on the left of the Conservative Party, rebelling against some of his party's policies.
In 1971, he employed David Mellor to deal with his correspondence.
She went on to specialise in solar power. They have two children: William Archer (born 1972), a theatrical producer, and James Archer (born 1974), a financial adviser and businessman. In 1979 the Archers purchased the Old Vicarage, Grantchester, a house associated with the poet Rupert Brooke.
I'm what you might call centre-right but I've always disliked the right wing as much as I've disliked the left wing." ==Financial crisis== In 1974, Archer was a casualty of a fraudulent investment scheme involving a Canadian company called Aquablast.
Fearing imminent bankruptcy, he stood down as an MP at the October 1974 general election. While he was a witness in the Aquablast case in Toronto in 1975, Archer was accused of stealing three suits from a department store.
No charges were ever brought. ==Writing career== Archer wrote his first book, Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less, in the autumn of 1974, as a means of avoiding bankruptcy.
She went on to specialise in solar power. They have two children: William Archer (born 1972), a theatrical producer, and James Archer (born 1974), a financial adviser and businessman. In 1979 the Archers purchased the Old Vicarage, Grantchester, a house associated with the poet Rupert Brooke.
Fearing imminent bankruptcy, he stood down as an MP at the October 1974 general election. While he was a witness in the Aquablast case in Toronto in 1975, Archer was accused of stealing three suits from a department store.
The book was picked up by the literary agent Deborah Owen and published first in the U.S., then eventually in Britain in the autumn of 1976.
She went on to specialise in solar power. They have two children: William Archer (born 1972), a theatrical producer, and James Archer (born 1974), a financial adviser and businessman. In 1979 the Archers purchased the Old Vicarage, Grantchester, a house associated with the poet Rupert Brooke.
A radio adaptation was aired on BBC Radio 4 in the early 1980s and a BBC Television adaptation of the book was broadcast in 1990. Kane and Abel (1979) proved to be his best-selling work, reaching number one on The New York Times bestsellers list.
Andrina Colquhoun, Archer's former mistress, confirmed that they had been having an affair in the 1980s, thus contradicting the claim that he and Mary Archer had been "happily married" at the time of the trial. Archer never spoke during the trial, though his wife Mary again gave evidence as she had done during the 1987 trial.
It was made into a television mini-series by CBS in 1985, starring Peter Strauss and Sam Neill.
He was appointed deputy chairman of the Conservative Party by Margaret Thatcher in September 1985.
In 1987, he won a court case and was awarded large damages because of this claim.
He had to resign his candidacy in 1999 after it emerged that he had lied in his 1987 libel case.
The first, Beyond Reasonable Doubt, opened in 1987 and ran at the Queen's Theatre in London's West End for over a year.
The case came to court in July 1987.
However, on 21 November 1999 the News of the World published allegations made by Ted Francis, a former friend of Archer's, that Archer had committed perjury in his 1987 libel case.
I will not tolerate such behaviour in my party." On 4 February 2000, Archer was expelled from the party for five years. ==Perjury trial and imprisonment== ===Trial=== On 26 September 2000, Archer was charged with perjury and perverting the course of justice during the 1987 libel trial.
Angela Peppiatt, Archer's former personal assistant, also claimed Archer had fabricated an alibi in the 1987 trial.
Peppiatt had kept a diary of Archer's movements, which contradicted evidence given during the 1987 trial.
Andrina Colquhoun, Archer's former mistress, confirmed that they had been having an affair in the 1980s, thus contradicting the claim that he and Mary Archer had been "happily married" at the time of the trial. Archer never spoke during the trial, though his wife Mary again gave evidence as she had done during the 1987 trial.
On 19 July 2001, Archer was found guilty of perjury and perverting the course of justice at the 1987 trial.
After three weeks, he was moved to the Category "D" HM Prison Hollesley Bay in Suffolk. During his imprisonment, Archer was visited by a number of high-profile friends, including actor Donald Sinden and entertainer Barry Humphries (who performs as Dame Edna Everage). In October 2002, Archer repaid the Daily Star the £500,000 damages he had received in 1987, as well as legal costs and interest of £1.3 million.
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. 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 the accusation for many years, but in the late 1990s he finally acknowledged that he had taken the suits, although he claimed that at the time he had not realised he had left the shop.
A radio adaptation was aired on BBC Radio 4 in the early 1980s and a BBC Television adaptation of the book was broadcast in 1990. Kane and Abel (1979) proved to be his best-selling work, reaching number one on The New York Times bestsellers list.
Archer and Major had been friends for a number of years. ===Political statements in 1990s=== In a speech at the 1993 Conservative conference, Archer urged then Home Secretary Michael Howard, to "Stand and deliver," saying: "Michael, I am sick and tired of being told by old people that they are frightened to open the door, they're frightened to go out at night, frightened to use the parks and byways where their parents and grandparents walked with freedom ...
The News of the World later settled out-of-court with Archer, acknowledging they, too, had libelled him. ===Kurdish charity and peerage=== When Saddam Hussein suppressed Kurdish uprisings in 1991, Archer, with the Red Cross, set up the charity Simple Truth, a fundraising campaign on behalf of the Kurds.
In May 1991, Archer organised a charity pop concert, starring Rod Stewart, Paul Simon, Sting and Gloria Estefan, who all performed for free.
In 1991, Archer had claimed to have raised £57,042,000.
He was made a life peer in 1992 and subsequently became Conservative candidate to be the first elected Mayor of London.
Having been previously rejected, Archer was made a life peer on 27 July 1992 as Baron Archer of Weston-super-Mare, of Mark in the County of Somerset.
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 series, which follow the life of Harry Clifton from his birth in 1920, through to his funeral in 1993.
Archer and Major had been friends for a number of years. ===Political statements in 1990s=== In a speech at the 1993 Conservative conference, Archer urged then Home Secretary Michael Howard, to "Stand and deliver," saying: "Michael, I am sick and tired of being told by old people that they are frightened to open the door, they're frightened to go out at night, frightened to use the parks and byways where their parents and grandparents walked with freedom ...
This was a time when Archer was actively seeking another front-line political role. On Question Time on 20 January 1994, Archer said that 18 should be the age of consent for gay sex, as opposed to 21, which it was at the time.
Historian David Starkey was on the same edition, and said of Archer: "Englishmen like you enjoy sitting on the fence so much because you enjoy the sensation." Archer has also consistently been an opponent of a return to capital punishment. ===Allegations of insider dealings=== In January 1994, Mary Archer, then a director of Anglia Television, attended a directors' meeting at which an impending takeover of Anglia Television by MAI, which owned Meridian Broadcasting, was discussed.
He had to resign his candidacy in 1999 after it emerged that he had lied in his 1987 libel case.
In an interview, in February 1999 Archer said, "I hope we don't return to extremes.
His solicitors admitted that he had made a mistake, but Archer later said that he had been exonerated. ===London mayoral candidature=== In 1999, Archer had been selected by the Conservative Party as candidate for the London mayoral election of 2000, with the support of two former Prime Ministers, Baroness Thatcher and John Major.
However, on 21 November 1999 the News of the World published allegations made by Ted Francis, a former friend of Archer's, that Archer had committed perjury in his 1987 libel case.
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. 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.
His solicitors admitted that he had made a mistake, but Archer later said that he had been exonerated. ===London mayoral candidature=== In 1999, Archer had been selected by the Conservative Party as candidate for the London mayoral election of 2000, with the support of two former Prime Ministers, Baroness Thatcher and John Major.
I will not tolerate such behaviour in my party." On 4 February 2000, Archer was expelled from the party for five years. ==Perjury trial and imprisonment== ===Trial=== On 26 September 2000, Archer was charged with perjury and perverting the course of justice during the 1987 libel trial.
The play concerned the court trial of an alleged murderer and assigned the role of jury to the audience, which would vote on the guilt of Archer's character at the end of each performance. The perjury trial began on 30 May 2001, a month after Monica Coghlan's death in a road traffic collision.
On 19 July 2001, Archer was found guilty of perjury and perverting the course of justice at the 1987 trial.
Archer's mother had died shortly before he was sentenced and he was released for the day to attend her funeral. ===Prison=== Archer was initially sent to Belmarsh Prison, a Category "A" prison, but was moved to Wayland Prison, a Category "C" prison in Norfolk, on 9 August 2001.
He was then transferred to HM Prison North Sea Camp, an open prison, in October 2001.
His prison term also served as inspiration for nine of the 12 short stories in the collection, Cat O' Nine Tales. ===Kurdish aid controversy=== In July 2001, shortly after Archer was jailed for perjury, Scotland Yard began investigating allegations that millions of pounds had disappeared from his Kurdish charity.
In September 2002 he was transferred to a Category "B" prison, Lincoln.
After three weeks, he was moved to the Category "D" HM Prison Hollesley Bay in Suffolk. During his imprisonment, Archer was visited by a number of high-profile friends, including actor Donald Sinden and entertainer Barry Humphries (who performs as Dame Edna Everage). In October 2002, Archer repaid the Daily Star the £500,000 damages he had received in 1987, as well as legal costs and interest of £1.3 million.
That month, he was suspended from Marylebone Cricket Club for seven years. On 21 July 2003, Archer was released on licence from Hollesley Bay after serving half of his sentence. He remained a peer, there being no legal provision through which it could be removed other than passing a new Act of Parliament.
The police said they would launch a "preliminary assessment of the facts" from the audit but were not investigating the Simple Truth fund. ==Subsequent incidents== In 2004, the government of Equatorial Guinea alleged that Archer was one of the financiers of the failed 2004 coup d'état attempt against it, citing bank details and telephone records as evidence.
In 2009, Archer said: "I am completely relaxed about it.
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 series, which follow the life of Harry Clifton from his birth in 1920, through to his funeral in 1993.
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 series, which follow the life of Harry Clifton from his birth in 1920, through to his funeral in 1993.
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.
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