This was a fitting end to this epic family saga. I will miss the Cliftons. Great series!

I love Archer's writing style and I now have the Detective William Warwick books to look forward to. ( )

The Clifton Chronicles book# 7

This final volume brings to a close a series spanning more than 60 years. Since the 7 books cover the period from the 1920’s until the early 1990’s, they have to be read in sequence. The series is an excellent family saga covering the lives of the Cliftons and the Barringtons.

In the last hoorah, Harry Clifton sets out to write his most important work as a writer while his wife Emma completes her years as Chairman of Bristol Royal Infirmary to accept a job in Margaret Thatcher’s cabinet. Sebastian Clifton becomes chairman of Farthings Kaufman Bank, Samantha’s daughter Jessica is expelled from school and Lady Virginia has creditors after her but soon sees an opportunity to clear her debts when the Duchess of Hertford dies. This last volume tells us how all this went about and plus.

Told in the third person narrative “This Was a Man” brought the series to a good conclusion by putting the finishing touch to some elements that ran through the books. World and British events are integrated with the family’s story and it doesn’t take long for the author to create his first jaw-dropping moments: should Giles Barrington leave politics and recue the woman he loves? Should Karin tell him the truth before her past dealings comes to light creating a worst-case scenario? What will Lady Virginia do? Then there’s Harry and Emma saga and the many others that crosses the pages. Mr. Archer knows how to up the ante in the family drama with betrayal, deep secrets, treachery and conniving challenges.

As I was making my way through the multiple threads I came across some mind blowing twists and turns that have taken me by surprise and made this tale riveting enough to be a page-turner. But unfortunately all came to an abrupt halt when one of beloved character receives bad news no one wants to hear.

Mr. Archer concludes “The Cliffing Chronicles” in his signature style and grandeur and has giving us an enticing story that is quite captivating and a spellbinding tale not bad at all. ( )

One of those books I couldn't keep it down. Thank you Jeffrey Archer for presenting such a master piece. We lived in Clifton Chronicles. ( )

The saga finally comes to an end, not like the sixer-off-the-last-ball end of a Twenty20 cricket match but like the draw of a Test match. This last episode doesn't have much drama as it deals with the swansong of the protagonists, fading into nothingness after burning bright in their respective roles. The villains try to do their best - or worst - buy eventually run out of steam. There are also some long winded political discussions that could have been done away with as they don't add any value to the story in my view.
The novel still is quite readable due to Mr. Archer's enjoyable prose, especially the moving speech by Giles Barrington summing up Harry Clifton's life.
Having read all the seven books of the series back to back, I feel that, though not his best, Mr. Archer's ambitious undertaking is simple, fast moving and entertaining, somewhat let down by monochromatic characters. ( )

The Clifton Chronicles is een prachtige serie, waarin de geschiedenis van de afgelopen eeuw, via de levens van een aantal gezinnen, op meesterlijke wijze wordt beschreven. Deze manier van geschiedschrijving wordt onder andere door James A. Michener, Edward Rutherford en Ken Follett (in zijn Century Trilogie) gehanteerd, waarbij vooral de laatste het meeste lijkt op de Clifton Chronicles.
Helaas komt in dit boek te veel politiek voor, waarin je je soms verliest in de vele details omtrent de House of Commons en de Lords (ik heb regelmatig Wikipedia moeten raadplegen, want mij zegt het allemaal niet zo veel). Die details deden, wat mij betreft, af aan de loop van het verhaal.
Maar al met al toch een heerlijk boek om te lezen en een waardige afsluiter van een geweldige serie. ( )