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Mightier than the Sword: Clifton Chronicles, Book 5
- Narrated by: Alex Jennings
- Series: Clifton Chronicles, Book 5
- Length: 12 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction
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Summary
The fifth novel in the epic Clifton Chronicles series.
When the bomb goes off, how many passengers on the Buckingham lose their lives? You will only find out if you read the opening chapter of Mightier than the Sword.
When Harry visits his publisher in New York, he's told that he's been elected the new president of English PEN and immediately launches a campaign for the release of a fellow author, Anatoly Babakov, who's imprisoned in a Russian gulag in Siberia. Babakov's crime? Writing a book called Uncle Joe, an insight into what it was like to work as the interpreter for Josef Stalin. So determined is Harry to see Babakov released and the book published, he puts his own life in danger.
Emma Clifton, now the chairwoman of Barrington Shipping, is facing the repercussions of the IRA attack on the Buckingham. Some board members feel she should resign, but Sebastian Clifton, newly elected to the board, is determined that she'll remain chairwoman. Sir Giles Barrington is now a minister of the crown and looks set for even higher office until an official trip to Berlin does not end as a diplomatic success. Once again Giles' political career is thrown off balance by none other than his old adversary, Major Alex Fisher, who, for the second time, is selected to stand against him at the general election. But who wins this time? Sebastian asks his American girlfriend to marry him, and she happily accepts only to break off the engagement when she discovers what Seb has been up to behind her back.
Mightier than the Sword ends with two courtroom trials. One is a libel case held at the High Court in London, a fierce battle between Emma Clifton and Lady Virginia Fenwick, and no one can believe how far Virginia will go to make sure she wins. The second, a show trial, takes place in Russia after Harry is arrested as a spy. Thus continues volume five of the Clifton Chronicles.
This is Jeffrey Archer's most accomplished work to date, with all the trademark twists and turns that have made him one of the most popular authors in the world.
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What listeners say about Mightier than the Sword: Clifton Chronicles, Book 5
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- mollyeyre
- 02-03-15
Still no ending?
If my memory serves me correctly this was originally a trilogy, then it became a chronicle, with 5 parts. BUT this book has again been left on a cliff hanger that points to another one in the series, I find this really annoying and doubt that I will bother with the next one as I feel I am being taken for a ride.
However, I did enjoy the book, apart from the overstated hatred and revenge shown by some of the characters, which I find quite unreal. The story was tense and interesting, BUT....... the ending has made me so cross and I am unwilling to wait a year to be left on yet another hook.
6 people found this helpful
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- Andy T
- 27-10-15
A good yarn
Like so much of Jeffery Archer's writing, this was a compelling story - just don't expect high literature. I'm hooked, so he has achieved his aim!
3 people found this helpful
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- Jill
- 09-12-15
Fantastic book. Full of depth and intrigue
What an amazing series of books I thought this was the final but have been left with another cliffhanger. Very clever Mr Archer
When is the next one due?
Beautifully written and narrated
2 people found this helpful
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- Rebecca Young
- 10-10-15
Pure brilliance
It seems J Archer is turning me into a mature student in History.... His storytelling makes you want to learn more about certain subjects... Wel it does me anyway!
2 people found this helpful
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- Chris W
- 24-11-15
When is the follow up due?
Don't know how long I can wait for the next one in the Clifton chronicles. So many more loose ends to make another superb book
1 person found this helpful
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- Harrycat
- 21-07-15
Still interesting
If you could sum up Mightier than the Sword: Clifton Chronicles, Book 5 in three words, what would they be?
Forced cliffhanger
How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?
Concentrate on Sebastian a little more.
Have you listened to any of Alex Jennings’s other performances? How does this one compare?
All are excellent
Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
No
Any additional comments?
A good read but the earlier Clifton Chronicles were an excellent read.
1 person found this helpful
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- Susan Harris
- 23-04-15
The ending was a disappointment
Very enjoyable and held my attention I thought that naming Seb's daughter was very clever. I was a little disappointed with the ending.
Alex Jennings was excellent as the narrator
1 person found this helpful
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- Kirstine
- 11-03-15
Ends on yet another cliffhanger!
You’ll enjoy this book more if you’ve followed the whole series and are familiar with the characters of the Barrington family and their adversaries. The last book ended just before a bomb was due to go off and this one similarly ends on a cliffhanger that left me feeling shortchanged. We’ve got to the 1970s so it looks like several more books are in the pipeline.
The writing is in the author’s characteristic, rather old-fashioned style reminiscent of John Buchan with good pitted against evil and, despite set-backs, the former prevails. It’s a world that is deferential to titles and where most businessmen, bankers and politicians are honourable men and the bad ones get their comeuppance: gosh those were the days, if they ever existed! I can’t vouch for the authenticity of the numerous contemporary references to exclusive shops, theatre performances, football matches and flight numbers on BOAC planes, but I think they adds to colour to the narrative.
It’s not great literature but it did keep me hooked with so many of the characters being in jeopardy: libel and criminal trials; business skulduggery, revenge and lost loves. I wasn’t convinced by Harry's stupendous feats of memory or the procedures in the libel trial, but it’s fiction not fact.
Alex Jennings has long been one of my favourite actors and he is also an outstanding narrator with a range of voices to make a book more a play than an audiobook.
3 people found this helpful
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- s
- 10-04-15
As always value for money
I'm never disappointed with Jefrey Archer. Even when he spins and drags out a story still enjoyable.
2 people found this helpful
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- Liv Baker
- 24-06-22
A masterpiece from my favourite author
Fabulous book!! It’s so interesting having followed Harry, Emma and Giles since their teen years and seeing their friendships develop over the years. When people refer to Emma as the beautiful young Barrington, you feel like you know the person they’re talking about because you’ve followed since then.
Not ready for this series to end!
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- Mark
- 19-03-15
Fabulous reads
It is fabulous when you find a great story teller. I find new authors to read and that I like a task. I have nearly read all of Jeffrey Archers books and would recommend them to anybody.
2 people found this helpful
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- Charmaine P
- 24-04-17
The saga continues....
Enjoyable. Shocking to realize how conniving and deceitful some human beings can be and still live to tell the tale.... but then, others not...
1 person found this helpful
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- rosemary
- 19-06-20
Series Hijacked by Commercialisation
The plot and writing was good and generally a page-turner but, I felt that it was executed with the main game being a
focus on the sale of the next book. The Reader always feels entitled to a resolution to the crime, or at the very least to be left with something to ponder, but here you are obliged to purchase the next book in the series to get out ANY sort of closure. While this might be good for sales, it leaves a bad taste in the reader's mouth and a feeling of being used as part of a cynical commercial process. I strongly object to this as a literary device .
Has the author lost so much confidence is his readership that he has to try this one on us?
Despite the linking up of some characters and/ or the story-line, we expect each book in any Series to be read as a "standalone", and we feel entitled to have some sort of definitive ending to the prevailing drama.
Of course, I will be finishing the Series but will be unlikely to buy any more of Archer's audio books and, should I do so it will be from the local library.. Neither will I be recommending the Series to others, suggesting that they get them in print without having to use up their credits with Audible.
Alex Jennings was a great narrator and made the characters come alive.
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- J
- 07-03-20
Gripping
Hours of listening pleasure in these Chronicles. Alex Jennings' narration is to be highly congratulated.
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- Ibrahim
- 08-11-16
Good continuation to the clifton
The story continues to grab interest with new twists. This book is better than third & fourth but the first two were the best.
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- Tracey
- 22-08-15
cliftons
What made the experience of listening to Mightier than the Sword: Clifton Chronicles, Book 5 the most enjoyable?
the family saga .the shipping line. the bank. the grudge .plots
Who was your favorite character and why?
cedric hardcastle
What does Alex Jennings bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
leaves you hanging at the end for next book to continue
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
yes
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- John
- 02-04-15
Gripping but
Gripping tale again but the end leaves you in nowhere land. Is there a part 2 to this book