He then astonished everyone with his first historical novel, The Pillars of the Earth, the story of the building of a medieval cathedral, which went on to become one of the most beloved books of the twentieth century. His first thriller, the wartime spy drama Eye of the Needle, became an international bestseller and has sold over 10 million copies. After studying philosophy at University College London, he became involved in centre-left politics, entering into journalism soon after. Barred from watching films and television by his parents, he developed an early interest in reading thanks to a local library. Biography: Ken Follett was born in Cardiff, Wales.The Pillars of the Earth is the first in The Kingsbridge Novels series, followed by World Without End and A Column of Fire. Soon build tensions between good and evil, turning church against state, and brother against brother. Facing enemies that would thwart them, they will stop at nothing to fulfil their grand plans of Kingsbridge. He decides, then, to build Kingsbridge the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has ever known.Ī World of High Ideals and Savage CrueltyĪs the prior recruits his mason, so begins a journey of ambition, anarchy and the struggle for absolute power. A resourceful man, he knows that if his town is to survive at all, it must find a way to truly thrive. Philip is the church prior of Kingsbridge. With his family on the verge of starvation, mason Tom Builder dreams of the day that he can use his talents to create and build a cathedral like no other. It is 1135 and civil war, famine and religious strife abound. Click here to purchase from Rakuten Kobo An epic, spellbinding tale of ambition, anarchy, and absolute power set against the sprawling medieval canvas of twelfth-century England, The Pillars of the Earth is Ken Follett's historical masterpiece.

The pillars of the earth series books