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The Pillars of the Earth
- Kingsbridge, Book 1
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 40 hrs and 56 mins
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The Pillars of the Earth
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Editor 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.
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.
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)
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What listeners say about The Pillars of the Earth
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 10-06-23
Amazing read
Loved it, couldn’t put it down. Sorry it ended.
The characters just came to life. Will read again I’m sure.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 24-07-23
Brilliant
What a rollercoaster of a ride , fabulous story and detail of what must have been a horrific and hard time to be alive , read this while on holiday 5stars
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Matthew
- 19-10-23
Riveting
I couldn’t stop listening to this, it’s a masterpiece!!! I can’t wait to explore the rest of the Kingsbridge series
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Mark
- 17-11-23
A great way to unwind
Whilst there are plenty of fast paced all action novels, this story winds along at a more mellow pace, a cantor at times and quite gallop now and then .. Nice to dip into when time allows without losing the plot. Overall most enjoyable.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- S Mallalieu
- 27-11-23
Good but…
Immersive environment but no great characters. I loved the setting and how the lives of the characters became entwined. The characters themselves were a little halfbaked, I didn’t really connect with any of them.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- alan john wiltshire
- 21-11-23
What a historical story fantastic will read the book now
Great book and fantastic insight to building of some Britain’s architecture
Glad Ken has found it able to continue as it will be fascinating to continue
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- RS
- 22-11-23
Don’t be put off by the length…
40 hours!! Now I can’t believe it’s finished!! Fantastic story, very well read and now I’m off to purchase the next one…
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Miss Lee
- 18-01-24
the reader
a very well narrated story, but had to take breaks due to some horrific tales.
my interest in stories behind Cathedral buildings and those that built them has peaked:)
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- ChrisW
- 21-12-23
Magnificent!
An excellent story that was vey well narrated. I enjoyed every second of it. One of the best that I have listened to.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Kindle Customer
- 02-03-24
outstanding
it kept me captivated for the who duration leaving me unable to stop listening. I can't wait to listen to the others in the series
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