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The Pillars of the Earth

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The Pillars of the Earth

Written by: Ken Follett

Narrated by: John Lee

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About this listen

The Pillars of the Earth tells the story of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk driven to build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has known...of Tom, the mason who becomes his architect - a man divided in his soul...of the beautiful, elusive Lady Aliena, haunted by a secret shame...and of a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state, and brother against brother.

A spellbinding epic tale of ambition, anarchy, and absolute power set against the sprawling medieval canvas of 12th century England, this is Ken Follett's historical masterpiece.

Genre Fiction

Historical Fiction

Suspense

Thriller & Suspense

Middle Ages

Fiction

England

Classics

What the critics say

"Follett is a master." (The Washington Post)

"A historical novel of gripping readability, authentic atmosphere and detail and memorable characterization." (Publishers Weekly)

Editorial Review

When the throne of England is left without an heir, anarchy reigns in 12th century England. In the midst of this political turmoil, the small town of Kingsbridge rises to undertake a massive project: to build a cathedral.

Rather than focus on the technical aspects of the development of Gothic architecture, Ken Follett’s historical thriller describes the humans and the historical events which caused the people of medieval Europe to create this multitude of exceedingly expensive structures. Through the eyes of several inhabitants of the town of Kingsbridge, The Pillars of the Earth transports its listeners into a time of conflict, where noblemen and churchmen alike become conspirators and traitors.

By the time Ken Follett wrote this historical novel, he had already received several awards for his previous works. Despite the fact that this first installment of the Kingsbridge series was his first non-spy thriller, Follett did not disappoint - The Pillars of the Earth became a best-seller in several countries and was adapted into a miniseries which was nominated for 3 Golden Globes. This audiobook version of the novel brings the intrigue to life thanks to John Lee’s masterful narration, which will keep you captivated for hours.

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John Lee is a fantastic voice actor. His narration is high quality and Ken Follett's story is superb.
The audio quality at times, though, sounds as though it was downloaded from a scratched CD. I'm not entirely sure why Audible or even Penguin Books didn't get a better quality version to upload here.