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  • The Pillars of the Earth

  • Kingsbridge, Book 1
  • By: Ken Follett
  • Narrated by: John Lee
  • Length: 40 hrs and 56 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (1,436 ratings)

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The Pillars of the Earth

By: Ken Follett
Narrated by: John Lee
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Editorial reviews

Award-winning novelist Ken Follett is at his most magnificent in Pillars of the Earth, Book 1 of the trilogy series by the same name, narrated by professional voice artist John Lee. This incredible book has been voted in the top 100 of Britain’s Best Loved Books in the BBC The Big Read. The scope of detail in this audiobook is unparalleled. Its intricate plot is weaved with history, religion, politics, love and dishonour. It is an all-encompassing saga, delicately capturing the very core of existence in 12th-century England. Available now from Audible.

Publisher's Summary

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.

A Mason with a Dream

It is 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 is the church prior of Kingsbridge. A resourceful man, he knows that if his town is to survive at all, it must find a way to truly thrive. He decides, then, to build Kingsbridge the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has ever known.

A World of High Ideals and Savage Cruelty

As the prior recruits his mason, so begins a journey of ambition, anarchy and the struggle for absolute power. Facing enemies that would thwart them, they will stop at nothing to fulfil their grand plans of Kingsbridge. Soon build tensions between good and evil, turning 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.

©1989 Ken Follett (P)2007 Penguin Randomhouse LLC

Critic Reviews

"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)

"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)

What listeners say about The Pillars of the Earth

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Best book ever

This is one of my faves of all time
narrator was fantastic!
would recommend

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spectacular

well done John Lee and all involved. Mr Follett, your story is wonderful. thank you all for your talents and gifts.

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Epic !

What a fantastic story.
Highly recommended.
Characters that come to life - looking forward to the next book in this series.

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Loved it

I have read very little but scifi for 20 years but was board and wanted something different, this was brilliant, couldn't put it down.

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fantastic

I loved this book. It ticks all the boxes. Definitely worth listening too... ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ all round.

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Brilliantly written

A wonderful story that I am so thankful to have listened to. The book is a best seller for a reason.

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Hard to stop listening!

This is my favourite book. A must read for anyone interested in medieval times. Interesting characters and a gripping plot that revolves around cathedral building, political backstabbing and general medieval life. Excellent detail and well researched, the story being woven around the civil war between King Stephen and Queen Maud.
Excellent narrator, John Lee is very pleasant to listen to and he does great accents so you can distinguish between different characters.

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great book with a great story teller

Loved the story, didnt want to stop listening. I loved John's voice he's a great story teller.

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Staccato delivery

Each of the books in this trilogy are engaging however I found the narrator’s delivery to be jarring and abrupt.

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Enthrauling Epic

It was a compelliing story to listen to. And I enjoyed the Narration. I will be looking forward to the next installment, after a short hiaitus, it was a long one.

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