Jeffrey Archer was born on April 15, 1940, in Somerset, England, and has survived a roller coaster life of fame, financial ruin, political prominence, and scandal. After graduating from Oxford, Archer founded his own company named Arrow Enterprises and promptly amassed a fortune. In 1969, he was elected to the House of Commons. A conservative Member of Parliament, Archer was, at the age of 29, the youngest member at that time. While in Parliament, Archer invested in a corporation and lost his fortune because of embezzlement. Devastated and facing financial ruin, Archer recounted his experiences in his book, "Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less." The success of this book launched Archer's… writing career. "Kane & Abel" and "Honor Among Thieves" are some of Archer's other well-known titles. "Shall We Tell the President?", a work of fiction about an assassination plot on "President Edward Kennedy," created much controversy, and was considered to exhibit poor taste toward the Kennedy family. Archer himself encountered controversy when, while he was serving as the Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party in 1987, a prostitute claimed to have had sex with him and to have accepted money to leave the country. Archer won a case against the tabloids that printed the story and once again survived an unpleasant situation. In 1992, Archer was created a Life Peer. In addition to his controversial writings, Archer also writes plays and children's books.
Ken Howard was educated at University College School, London and Edinburgh University. He trained with Granada TV and for several years in the Drama department of BBC TV. His directing career has spanned drama, documentary and the arts with a particular emphasis on childrens programming. Braveheart and Today I Am a Man both won the Royal Television Society Award for Best Childrens Programme and were followed by Youve Got A Friend on childrens imaginary friends, Listen to Meabout deaf children and Open Mind dealing with child psychotherapy. Ken wrote and directed the award-winning BBC dramas A Penny For Your Dreams, John Lennon: A Journey in the Life and Sunny Stories on Enid Blyton. He has… won and been nominated for many of the most prestigious broadcasting awards, including Emmy and BAFTA.Ken is also a celebrated composer with over 40 international hits and many million-selling discs to his credit and was the first British writer to write hits for Elvis Presley. West End musicals include The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Mardi Gras and Matilda. Numerous TV scores include Miss Marple, The Flame Trees of Thika, Shadowlands and By The Sword Divided.He devised the board game, Sophies World, for his company, Sophisticated Games, which also publishes the million-selling Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Beowolf, Ingenious and Golden Compass games. He is a director of Landseer Productions in London.