1135. In a troubled world a resourceful monk strives to build the world's greatest Gothic cathedral. The worldwide phenomenon includes an extract from the third novel in the Kingsbridge series, A Column of Fire.

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

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.

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

Vorwort
1135. In a troubled world a resourceful monk strives to build the world's greatest Gothic cathedral. The worldwide phenomenon includes an extract from the third novel in the Kingsbridge series, A Column of Fire.

Autorentext
Ken Follett was born in Cardiff, Wales. Barred from watching films and television by his parents, he developed an early interest in reading thanks to a local library. After studying philosophy at University College London, he became involved in centre-left politics, entering into journalism soon after. His first thriller, the wartime spy drama Eye of the Needle, became an international bestseller and has sold over 10 million copies. 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. One of the most popular authors in the world, his many books including the Kingsbridge series and the Century trilogy - a body of work which together chronicles over a thousand years of history - and his latest novel Never - which envisages how World War III could happen - have sold more than 188 million copies. A father and husband, Ken lives with his wife in England and enjoys travelling the world when he can. Richard E Grant was born and brought up in Mbabane, Swaziland. He came to London in 1982, where he waitered, repped, toured and fringed until getting a role in a television satire about advertising, Honest, Decent and True. This led to his being cast in the seminal movie Withnail And I (1986). He is the author of a book of film diaries With Nails: The Film Diaries of Richard E Grant (1996) and the novel By Design: A Hollywood Tale (1998). He has written occasional pieces for the Sunday Times, Observer, Vanity Fair and Premiere Magazine. Richard E Grant lives with his family in London.