#1 New York Times Bestseller
Oprah’s Book Club Selection
The “extraordinary… monumental masterpiece” (Booklist) that changed the course of Ken Follett’s already phenomenal career - and begins where its prequel, The Evening and the Morning, ended.
Follett risks all and comes out a clear winner,
extolled Publishers Weekly on the release of The Pillars of the Earth. A departure for the bestselling thriller writer, the historical epic stunned readers and critics alike with its ambitious scope and gripping humanity. Today, it stands as a testament to Follett’s unassailable command of the written word and to his universal appeal.
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 twelfth-century England, this is Ken Follett’s historical masterpiece.