Only Time Will Tell Audiobook By Jeffrey Archer cover art

Only Time Will Tell

The Clifton Chronicles, Book 1

Preview

Try for $0.00
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Only Time Will Tell

By: Jeffrey Archer
Narrated by: Roger Allam, Emilia Fox
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $20.24

Buy for $20.24

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

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
Family Life Historical Fiction Sagas Suspense Fiction War Heartfelt
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

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)

What listeners say about Only Time Will Tell

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    3,631
  • 4 Stars
    1,667
  • 3 Stars
    421
  • 2 Stars
    119
  • 1 Stars
    75
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    3,703
  • 4 Stars
    1,223
  • 3 Stars
    231
  • 2 Stars
    44
  • 1 Stars
    34
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    3,242
  • 4 Stars
    1,382
  • 3 Stars
    391
  • 2 Stars
    117
  • 1 Stars
    71

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Loved it

Okay... I have been waiting for a new Jeffrey Archer book for a long time. This one doesn't disappoint... great story... great characters... fantastic narration. Can't wait for the sequels.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

22 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great story albeit somewhat predictable

Where does Only Time Will Tell rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Above average

What other book might you compare Only Time Will Tell to and why?

The Potato Factory

Which character – as performed by Roger Allam and Emelia Fox – was your favorite?

Maizie

If you could take any character from Only Time Will Tell out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Old Jack

Any additional comments?

At the end of the book set about 1940, Harry is read his Miranda rights. I don't think they were routinely read unti 1966.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Be ready to get Hooked

Be ready to be hooked and be prepared to buy the full series. Well written series that keeps you captivated with the suspense Jeffrey Archer builds throughout the books. Because he leaves you with a cliffhanger at the end of each of the books in the series, Archer tantalizes you into continuing the chronicle of the lives of the Cliftons and Barringtons, by picking up the next book in the series.

Exciting, entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable...

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Lead character too perfect

This was a good audio book, but not a great one. The main character is so flawlessly "a good person " that it makes the entire story not seem plausible. Narrator excels.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Awesome story shites real yo I am throughly amused

mr. Archer is a very good storyteller as well as very entertaining and I love the time period set in this book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Loved the story and characters.

Great story. I love the way the author Tells the story through different characters. Keep my attention. I can't wait to start the next in the series.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

No Suspense

What disappointed you about Only Time Will Tell?

The story was too predictable. I like stories that give you enough clues to figure it out towards the end or else go "oh yeah, I should have guessed that". I listened to this book on audible. I immediately knew who the killer was. The story lines that were meant to distract from the real killer were unbelievable and boring. There was only one part of the story that actually surprised me and when the those details were revealed I thought "that is so ridiculous". This is not typical Archer work.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

great book, hope next 4 will be too

I thoroughly enjoyed the narrators (like to have a female and male) Characters were very well developed. Story line flowed. Loved how all the characters were woven together. The book definitely kept my attention and I was able finish it in 2 days! I was thrilled to hear a 2 minute interview with the author at the end of the book explaining his plans for the next 4 books of this series.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Setup for a series

Not enough depth to the characters but a very compelling book. The story starts to pull you in, then switches to another character and repeats time through their pov. It is very well written and great literature. I just felt like I missed some of the character development.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Different

Absorbing and different. The focus on each character pulled me into the plot.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!