Jeffrey Archer

Jeffrey Archer is a British novelist and former politician known for bestselling fiction, including the Kane and Abel novels and the Clifton Chronicles, and for his conviction for perjury and perverting the course of justice.

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Kane and Abel: A 1979 novel by Jeffrey Archer about two men born on the same day who become business rivals. This bestselling novel established Archer as a major popular novelist.
Margaret Thatcher: British Conservative politician who served as prime minister from 1979 to 1990. Thatcher appointed Archer deputy chairman of the Conservative Party in 1985.
Wellington School: An independent boarding school in Somerset, England, founded in 1853. Archer attended Wellington School before pursuing university and public life.
Perjury: The criminal offense of knowingly making a material false statement under oath. Archer was convicted of perjury for evidence given in his 1987 libel trial.
The Clifton Chronicles: A seven-novel saga by Jeffrey Archer following Harry Clifton and the Barrington family across much of the twentieth century. The series is one of Archer’s best-known later works.
Ted Francis: A journalist whose 1987 libel case against Jeffrey Archer became central to Archer’s later perjury conviction. Archer’s false evidence concerned his claim that Francis had arranged an encounter with a prostitute.
Oxford University: A collegiate research university in Oxford, England, founded in the twelfth century. Archer studied at Oxford, where his early public profile began to form.
Perverting the Course of Justice: An English criminal offense involving acts intended to obstruct or undermine the administration of justice. Archer was convicted of this offense alongside perjury in 2001.
First Among Equals: A 1984 novel by Jeffrey Archer following four British politicians competing to become prime minister. Its political setting draws on Archer’s experience in public life.
Michael Cockerell: British journalist and documentary filmmaker known for political reporting and interviews. His interviews documented Archer’s political rise and public controversies.