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Kingsbridge #1-2
Ken Follett Epic Historical Collection
Epic Historical Collection Ken Follett Dive into the #1 New York Times bestselling author's masterpiece of medieval drama, The Pillars of the Earth, and its long-awaited sequel, World Without End. Sweeping from 12th to 14th century England, centered around the building of a great cathedral and the families and individuals affected by it, these novels "will hold you, fascinate you, surround you" (Chicago Tribune) and "you will willingly lose yourself for quite a spell" (Denver Post). The Pillars of the Earth World Without End
2064 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2007
43 people are currently reading
298 people want to read
About the author
Ken Follett
601 books59k followersKen Follett is one of the world’s most successful authors. Over 170 million copies of the 36 books he has written have been sold in over 80 countries and in 33 languages.
Born on June 5th, 1949 in Cardiff, Wales, the son of a tax inspector, Ken was educated at state schools and went on to graduate from University College, London, with an Honours degree in Philosophy – later to be made a Fellow of the College in 1995.
He started his career as a reporter, first with his hometown newspaper the South Wales Echo and then with the London Evening News. Subsequently, he worked for a small London publishing house, Everest Books, eventually becoming Deputy Managing Director.
Ken’s first major success came with the publication of Eye of the Needle in 1978. A World War II thriller set in England, this book earned him the 1979 Edgar Award for Best Novel from the Mystery Writers of America. It remains one of Ken’s most popular books.
In 1989, Ken’s epic novel about the building of a medieval cathedral, The Pillars of the Earth, was published. It reached number one on best-seller lists everywhere and was turned into a major television series produced by Ridley Scott, which aired in 2010. World Without End, the sequel to The Pillars of the Earth, proved equally popular when it was published in 2007.
Ken’s new book, The Evening and the Morning, will be published in September 2020. It is a prequel to The Pillars of the Earth and is set around the year 1,000, when Kingsbridge was an Anglo-Saxon settlement threatened by Viking invaders.
Ken has been active in numerous literacy charities and was president of Dyslexia Action for ten years. He was chair of the National Year of Reading, a joint initiative between government and businesses. He is also active in many Stevenage charities and is President of the Stevenage Community Trust and Patron of Home-Start Hertfordshire.
Ken, who loves music almost as much as he loves books, is an enthusiastic bass guitar player. He lives in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, with his wife Barbara, the former Labour Member of Parliament for Stevenage. Between them they have five children, six grandchildren and two Labradors.
Born on June 5th, 1949 in Cardiff, Wales, the son of a tax inspector, Ken was educated at state schools and went on to graduate from University College, London, with an Honours degree in Philosophy – later to be made a Fellow of the College in 1995.
He started his career as a reporter, first with his hometown newspaper the South Wales Echo and then with the London Evening News. Subsequently, he worked for a small London publishing house, Everest Books, eventually becoming Deputy Managing Director.
Ken’s first major success came with the publication of Eye of the Needle in 1978. A World War II thriller set in England, this book earned him the 1979 Edgar Award for Best Novel from the Mystery Writers of America. It remains one of Ken’s most popular books.
In 1989, Ken’s epic novel about the building of a medieval cathedral, The Pillars of the Earth, was published. It reached number one on best-seller lists everywhere and was turned into a major television series produced by Ridley Scott, which aired in 2010. World Without End, the sequel to The Pillars of the Earth, proved equally popular when it was published in 2007.
Ken’s new book, The Evening and the Morning, will be published in September 2020. It is a prequel to The Pillars of the Earth and is set around the year 1,000, when Kingsbridge was an Anglo-Saxon settlement threatened by Viking invaders.
Ken has been active in numerous literacy charities and was president of Dyslexia Action for ten years. He was chair of the National Year of Reading, a joint initiative between government and businesses. He is also active in many Stevenage charities and is President of the Stevenage Community Trust and Patron of Home-Start Hertfordshire.
Ken, who loves music almost as much as he loves books, is an enthusiastic bass guitar player. He lives in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, with his wife Barbara, the former Labour Member of Parliament for Stevenage. Between them they have five children, six grandchildren and two Labradors.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 18, 2012
Found it okayish if a bit pedestrian for the first 100 pages or so, but I had to stop when the incredibly over-the-top sappy romance bit kicked in. And I say this as someone who can watch and enjoy "Love Actually" or "Pretty Woman", but this POTE romance bit is more like I imagine Danielle Steel to be, to the point where I was wondering if it was maybe a joke. Alas, no. Dead serious.
+ Descriptions of everyday life and living conditions at the time
+ Easy read
- Characters not very compelling (to me)
- Sappy romance show-stopper
+ Descriptions of everyday life and living conditions at the time
+ Easy read
- Characters not very compelling (to me)
- Sappy romance show-stopper
September 15, 2019
Ich habe viel gelernt, nachdem ich dieses Buch gelesen hatte. Über das Mittelalter. Über das damalige Europa. Über den Stand der Wissenschaft. Über die Entwicklung der für den Bau gotischer Kathedralen nötigen Gewölbetechnik. Das alles ist in eine trotz aller epischen Ausladung sehr spannende Rahmenhandlung eingegliedert.
Die Entwicklung der Figuren über Jahrzehnte mitzuverfolgen, macht Spaß. Wie Jack Shareburg hinter das Geheimnis seines Namens kommt, hat mich berührt. Die Reisen durch das damalige Europa wirken auf mich authentisch und wirklichkeitsnah.
Teilweise ist mir der Schreibstil des Autoren jedoch zu wirklichkeitsnah. Ich habe vieles mit Gewinn gelesen. Was ich mir aber gerne erspart hätte, ist die ausführliche Beschreibung einer Mehrfachvergewaltigung. An dieser Stelle hätte ich das Buch beinahe beiseite gelegt. Ich finde, daß man nicht alle Aspekte abbilden muß, um zu einer realistischen Beschreibung der damaligen Zeit zu kommen. Insgesamt sind das für mich vier von fünf Sternen.
Die Entwicklung der Figuren über Jahrzehnte mitzuverfolgen, macht Spaß. Wie Jack Shareburg hinter das Geheimnis seines Namens kommt, hat mich berührt. Die Reisen durch das damalige Europa wirken auf mich authentisch und wirklichkeitsnah.
Teilweise ist mir der Schreibstil des Autoren jedoch zu wirklichkeitsnah. Ich habe vieles mit Gewinn gelesen. Was ich mir aber gerne erspart hätte, ist die ausführliche Beschreibung einer Mehrfachvergewaltigung. An dieser Stelle hätte ich das Buch beinahe beiseite gelegt. Ich finde, daß man nicht alle Aspekte abbilden muß, um zu einer realistischen Beschreibung der damaligen Zeit zu kommen. Insgesamt sind das für mich vier von fünf Sternen.
July 11, 2018
Eines meiner Lieblingsbücher. Tolle und fesselnde Geschichte
October 11, 2019
Although I have read many complains that it is almost the same as the first book, I disagree. There are some common components in the beginning the developments are very peculiar.
September 5, 2025
Tolles Buch, handelt vom Mittelalter. Viel kleiner Text
March 28, 2014
Saga du 10ème siècle qu'on ne peut arrêter de lire. Un classique
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews