From Prostitution Scandal to Perjury and Prison... British Political and Literary Giant Jeffrey Archer Dies

[Financial News] Jeffrey Archer, the British bestselling author whose political career collapsed amid scandal, has died at the age of 86.
The Guardian and Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported that publisher HarperCollins announced, "Archer died suddenly but peacefully at home on the 5th (local time) while working on his next book." He died one day before the scheduled publication of Adam and Eve, which had been billed as his final novel.
Born in London in 1940, Archer was elected as a Member of Parliament at the age of 29 but resigned from Parliament in 1974 after falling into debt following failed investments. He later turned to writing and made his debut in 1976 with Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less. His 1979 novel Kane and Abel became a phenomenal success, establishing him as a bestselling author worldwide. More than 50 of his novels, plays and essays have been published in 119 countries, selling more than 300 million copies in total.
Archer continued his political career, becoming deputy chairman of the Conservative Party in 1985. He was granted a life peerage in 1992 and became a member of the House of Lords. However, allegations of prostitution and the perjury surrounding them brought his political career to an end.
In 1987, Archer sued The Daily Star for defamation over its report on allegations that he had solicited sex workers. He won the case and was awarded £500,000 in damages at the time. But after he was selected as the Conservative Party's candidate for mayor of London in 1999, an aide revealed that Archer had given false testimony in an earlier trial. He was ultimately sentenced to four years in prison for perjury and obstruction of justice, serving two years. He later published Prison Diary, recounting his political downfall and time behind bars.
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