The Pillars of the Earth Audiobook By Ken Follett cover art

The Pillars of the Earth

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The Pillars of the Earth

By: Ken Follett
Narrated by: John Lee
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A spellbinding epic 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 classic historical masterpiece.

A MASON WITH A DREAM

1135 and civil war, famine and religious strife abound. 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.

A MONK WITH A BURNING MISSION

Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, is resourceful, but with money scarce he knows that for his town to survive it must find a way to thrive, and so he makes the decision to build within it the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has ever known.

A WORLD OF HIGH IDEALS AND SAVAGE CRUELTY

As Tom and Philip meet so begins an epic tale of ambition, anarchy and absolute power. In a world beset by strife and enemies that would thwart their plans, they will stop at nothing to achieve their ambitions in a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state, and brother against brother . . .

The Pillars of the Earth is the first in The Kingsbridge Novels series, followed by World Without End and A Column of Fire.

More than 175 million copies sold worldwide. Published in over eighty territories and thirty-seven languages. The international No. 1 bestselling phenomenon returns.

Genre Fiction Historical Historical Fiction Medieval Sagas Suspense Thriller & Suspense Middle Ages

Critic reviews

A highly enjoyable tale . . . this book evokes its period brilliantly
A historical saga of such breadth and density . . . Follett succeeds brilliantly in combining hugeness and detail to create a novel imbued with the rawness, violence and blind faith of the era (Sunday Express)
Enormous and brilliant . . . this mammoth tale seems to touch all human emotion - love and hate, loyalty and treachery, hope and despair. This is truly a novel to get lost in (Cosmopolitan )

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Intricately Interwoven Backdrop • Compelling Historical Fiction • Excellent Narration • Gripping Storyline

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Would you consider the audio edition of The Pillars of the Earth to be better than the print version?

I think book and audio edition equal....why haven't i read/listened to Follett before now!!!!!....Cannot wait to try his other works.

What did you like best about this story?

The characters were believable.

Have you listened to any of John Lee’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Not sure, but I did find John Lee's performance comfortable to listen too, would gladly listen to more of his works.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No

Any additional comments?

Just that I thoroughly enjoyed it!!!

Wonderful

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an insight into life of that period.and historical facts. Ken Follett supplied a lot of technical detail regarding the construction of a cathedral which was very interesting to me

excellent narration

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Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth is a book on intrigue, romance, strife and the building of a cathedral. Like War and Peace and some of the older classics you are confronted with more of the characters' lives than usual. However, you are not wondering about the main characters.

Although a long listen, this book is worth it. The narrator, John Lee, was able to bring this monumental work of Follett sufficiently to life. He pulled you through the one or two places of boredom.

For those who have or are watching the television series, the book and the series differs substantially. This leaves certain things unpredictable.

The book comes highly recommended.

At lomg last... the unabridged version

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A rich absorbing book with a spellbinding narration. I loved the change of pace and subtlety of the narrator.
Another Ken Follett masterpiece!

Wonderful Narration

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This book was recommended to me and it did not fail to intrigue and keep me on the edge of my seat.

Fantastic plots

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