Only Time Will Tell

The Clifton Chronicles, Book 1

By: Jeffrey Archer

Narrated by: Roger Allam, Emilia Fox

Length: 12 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

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 listener nor Harry Clifton himself could ever have imagined.

©2011 Jeffrey Archer (P)2011 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“Archer delivers another page-turning, heart-stopping saga, with delightful twists, and a surprise ending… readers will surely wait for the next with bated breath.” —Publishers Weekly

“General readers as well as Archer fans will enjoy this unforgettable tale, which abounds with cliff-hangers that propel its intriguing and intricate plot.” —Library Journal (starred review)

“What appears at the outset to be a straightforward coming-of-age tale becomes, by the end, a saga of power, betrayal, and bitter hatred. The novel ends on a deliberately dark note, setting the stage for the sequel…An outstanding effort from a reliable veteran.” —Booklist (starred Review)

Overall excellent.

I love Jeffrey Archer. This is another example of his excellent story telling. I am looking forward to the other books in this series. It ends very abruptly which is why I left out one star on the story. The narration is excellent. There is an interesting style to this story as the story is re-told several times from the viewpoint of each of the main characters. Despite the fact that this is the same story, it keeps your interest up as you hear it from different viewpoints.

Better than "The Winds of War"

What did you like best about this story?

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What does Roger Allam and Emelia Fox bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Both are excellent narrators that bring life to an excellent line up of characters.

Who was the most memorable character of Only Time Will Tell and why?

Old Jack was my favorite character. He ended up tying all of the characters in the story together.

Any additional comments?

As I said before I cannot wait for the next installment of the Clifton Chronicles!

I highly recommend this book.

Excellent

excellent book. Jeffrey Archer draws you in right from the start and keeps you reading. The twists and turns keep you wanting more.

Amazing start.

I loved Harry's story of love, loyalty, strife, friendship and his persistence for excellence. Jeffrey Archer hits it out of the park with this epic tale of a young boy trying, with the help of his friends and family, to make his life something no less than extraordinary. What an excellent beginning to a wonderful adventure. I am definitely going to start immediately with book two that covers Harry's young adult life. The narratives by both, Roger Allam and Emilia Fox were spot on and helped to push this book to a five star for me.

So good I didn't want it to end!

This was my first Jeffrey Archer book -- what a joy it was! I enjoyed the story and characters, and look forward to the next installment. I liked the way the author first told what happened, then later explained why it happened, as well as giving the perspective of various characters. In addition to that, I loved the narrator! He has a wonderful voice, and didn't rush the material, which I sometimes find with narrators -- I never had to go back and listen to a part again just to figure out what was said. The narration was clear and thoughtful, without any annoying character voices (a pet peeve of mine). I will explore other books read by this narrator, while I wait for the next book in the Clifton Chronicles.

I'm having withdrawals!

I finished listening to this in 2 days because I binge listened instead of rationing myself. I believe it was because I was addicted to the evilness of Hugo and finding out the next diabolical thing he'd devise to make me loathe him even more. But it's a great story all-around and performed extremely well. Like other listeners, I can't wait for Book 2. Well done!

A lot of book

If you like long books with good narrators, listen here. I liked it a lot! Something to listen to while cleaning.

Good Story!

Great story with readers who kept you in the action. The twist and turns keep things interesting and keep you reading. Can't wait for the next book... wish I'd found this much later so it wouldn't be so long until the next. Archer is a wonderful story teller, every charector comes to life.

Brilliant Story and Characters

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author demonstrates creative storytelling about a boy named Harry Clifton. I really liked the character perspectives and how they react and their thoughts to the different situations that arise throughout the story. This is a definite recommended listen.

what a great book

I loved every bit of this book. the different perspectives of about six different characters and especially the main character Harry who you route on throughout the whole book. did not know this was a series so glad the story doesn't have to end with this book.