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Jeffrey Howard Archer, Baron Archer of Weston-super-Mare (born 15 April 1940) is an English author and former politician. Before becoming an author, Archer was a Member of Parliament (1969–74), but resigned over a financial scandal which left him almost bankrupt. Later, after a reversal in his fortunes from the royalties of his best-selling novels, he became deputy chairman of the Conservative Party (1985–86) before resigning after another scandal, which would lead to the end of his career in elected office. He was made a life peer in 1992. His political career ended with his conviction and subsequent imprisonment (2001–03) for perjury and perverting the course of justice, which followed his second resignation. His books have sold at least 250 million copies worldwide.

Jeffrey Howard Archer was born in the City of London Maternity Hospital. He was two weeks old when his family moved to the seaside town of Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, where he spent most of his early life. His father, William (died 1956), was 64 years old when Jeffrey Archer was born. Early in his career, Archer gave conflicting accounts to the press of his father's supposed, but non-existent, military career. As a boy Archer dreamt about being Bristol Rovers Football Club's captain, and still remains a fan of the club.

In 1951, he won a scholarship to Wellington School, in Somerset, not Wellington College in Berkshire, as he was inclined to claim in the past. At this time his mother, Lola, contributed a column "Over the teacups" to the local press in Weston-super-Mare and wrote about the adventures of her son 'Tuppence'; this caused Archer to be the victim of bullying while at Wellington School.

After Archer left school passing O-levels in English Literature, Art, and History, he worked for a few months in a number of jobs, including training with the army and for the police. Afterwards he worked as a Physical Education teacher: first at Vicar's Hill, a Prep School in Hampshire where he taught fencing amongst other sports, and later at Dover College in Kent.

His first book, Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less, was picked up by the literary agent Deborah Owen and published first in the US, then eventually in Britain in the autumn of 1976. The book was a success and Archer avoided bankruptcy. A BBC Television adaptation of the book was broadcast in 1990, and a radio adaptation was aired on BBC Radio 4 in the early 1980s.

Kane and Abel proved to be his best-selling work, reaching number one on The New York Times bestsellers list. Like most of his early work it was edited by Richard Cohen, the Olympic fencing gold-medallist. It was made into a television mini-series by CBS in 1985, starring Peter Strauss and Sam Neill. The following year, Granada TV screened a ten-part adaptation of another Archer bestseller, First Among Equals, which told the story of four men and their quest to become Prime Minister. In 1979, Archer purchased the Old Vicarage, Grantchester, a house associated with the poet Rupert Brooke. By now Archer was back in a comfortable financial position and began to hold shepherd's pie and Krug parties for prominent people at his London apartment, which overlooks the Houses of Parliament.

Excerpt from Wikipedia

Kane and Abel series

1. Kane and Abel
2. The Prodigal Daughter
3. Shall We Tell the President?

Prison diaries

1. Hell – Belmarsh
2. Purgatory – Wayland
3. Heaven – North Sea Camp

Clifton Chronicles

1. Only Time Will Tell
2. The Sins of the Father
3. Best Kept Secret
4. Be Careful What You Wish For
5. Mightier Than the Sword
6. Cometh the Hour
7. This Was a Man

Other Novels

1. Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less
2. Shall We Tell the President?
3. First Among Equals
4. A Matter of Honour
5. As the Crow Flies
6. Honour Among Thieves
7. The Fourth Estate
8. The Eleventh Commandment
9. Sons of Fortune
10. False Impression
11. The Gospel According to Judas
12. A Prisoner of Birth
13. Paths of Glory
14. Heads You Win

Plays

1. Beyond Reasonable Doubt
2. Exclusive
3. The Accused

Short Stories/Collections

1. A Quiver Full of Arrows
2. A Twist in the Tale
3. Fools, Knaves, and Heroes
4. Twelve Red Herrings
5. The Collected Short Stories
6. To Cut a Long Story Short
7. Cat O'Nine Tales
8. And Thereby Hangs a Tale
9. The New Collected Short Stories

For children

1. The First Miracle
2. By Royal Appointment
3. Willy Visits the Square World
4. Willy and the Killer Kipper