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  • A Column of Fire

  • Kingsbridge, Book 3
  • By: Ken Follett
  • Narrated by: John Lee
  • Length: 30 hrs and 19 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (2,721 ratings)
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A Column of Fire

By: Ken Follett
Narrated by: John Lee
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Summary

The thrilling saga that began in The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End, which continues with Ken Follett's magnificent, masterful A Column of Fire.

A World in Turmoil

1558, and Europe is in revolt as religious hatred sweeps the continent. Elizabeth Tudor has ascended to the throne but she is not safe in this dangerous new world. There are many who would see her removed, not least Mary Queens of Scots, who lies in wait in Paris.

A New Order

Elizabeth determines to set up a new secret service: a group of resourceful spies and courageous agents entrusted to keep her safe and in power. As she searches for those who will make the difference, one man stands out.

A Man Who Would Die for His Queen

For Ned Willard the opportunity to serve his queen is God-sent. He cannot stay in Kingsbridge and watch the love of his life marry another, and as fires burn and extremism begins to spark throughout Europe, Ned makes his choice. He will spend his life protecting his monarch from the tyrants who aim to destroy her or die trying . . .

©2016 Ken Follett (P)2016 Pan Macmillan Publishers Ltd.

What listeners say about A Column of Fire

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

A little let down

Firstly I am going to start by saying that this is a well written, well crafted Histofiction novel. I should also point out that the previous two Kingsbridge novels would always make my top ten list of favourites.

The issue I had with this book is that whilst the previous books were rooted deeply in Kingsbridge this one just seems to use it as a point of reference. The previous novels were as much about the growth and development of the settlement into a town as they were about the development of the main characters.This book aims to bring to life the much wider issues and events taking place during the time that the novel is set. By doing so it makes Kingsbridge into such an insignificant part that sadly for me this became just another (very good) histofiction book but not a Kingsbridge novel.

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37 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Ruined by the narrator

Having listened to dozens of audible books and enjoyed almost all of them I can say without hesitation that the narrator of this book is terrible. He seems to be reading it in a style more suited to a children’s book. I mentioned my disappointment to friends over a meal the other day and there was a chorus of agreement, we had all been so looking forward to the book only to be disappointed with the narrator. One chapter in and I have given up, I will buy the book and read it myself.

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22 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Another masterpiece

I've loved all three books in this series and this one is the best yet. A great story, brilliantly told. Audiobook gold !

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17 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A great romp through history

I adored the previous books in this series and loved the detail about the cathedral and its building. This book takes us on and starts in the time of Queen Mary, Elizabeth and then King James. I love this period of history. There is great detail and explanation of how all the people and events linked together, told from a personal point of view of the characters. Narrator always excellent easy listening.

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable and gripping historical fiction

I enjoyed this third part of the Kingsbridge series much more than the first part, which I thought a medieval soap opera populated by caricatures. I skipped part two but reading reviews of this third part gathered that it might be more to my taste and it was. It has far more historical content, albeit the very familiar Tudor period upon which many books and films have been based, but where this book scores is in bringing this turbulent period to life through the experiences of his fictional characters interacting with real people and events. The parallel stories of the fictional characters’ lives adds to the impact of the historical events. The recurring theme in this long saga is religious conflict and intolerance based on relatively small differences in doctrine leading to violence, cruelty and terrible suffering: all in the name of God!

Despite the outcomes being known, I was gripped by the author’s pacy reenactments of historical event such as the St Bartholomew’s Day massacre of protestants in Paris, the aborted invasion of the Spanish Armada and the Gun Powder Plot. Maybe to ease the endless stream of Man’s inhumanity to Man (and often Women) the author indulges in his penchant for raunchy sex scenes and lascivious descriptions of women’s bodies, particularly their breasts: a recurring theme in the author’s books.

Contrary to the views of some other reviewers I think the narrator is excellent.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

It ain’t necessarily so!

If you want to know who committed all the unsolved crimes in history, look no further than Kingsbridge. The descendants of people we met in the first two volumes are let out on the wider world to behave as if they were clones of their antecedents, as if being a baddie were inevitable- biology as destiny!
Jon Lee struggles with the narration, can’t manage accents or pronounce French, makes most women in the early chapters sound inordinately snooty - time for a revolution maybe not just a reformation.
This historical period has already been done to death in fiction, film and TV. I had hoped for something new(ish) with mentions of Edinburgh and Geneva in the blurb, but I should have known better, given that the main male character was misnamed...
Follett has limited (and prejudiced) understanding of theology and perpetuates every calumny of that age, unless it applies to Anglicans! Catholics and Protestants keep your cool as you listen.
It turns out that Kingsbridgers are responsible for all the unsolved crimes of the age (except those carried out by Pierre, bastard son of a bastard priest fathered by a “nobleman” - that’s his “excuse”!)
Jack the Ripper, JFK, Archduke Franz Ferdinand - Kingsbridgers are in the frame!
This is written for the US market, with no concession to UK listeners. (The narration is decidedly mid-Atlantic.)
As if it’s not bad enough being told Carlisle and Newcastle are (were, actually) in northern England or that Holyrood Palace and Edinburgh Castle are (“were”) in Edinburgh, there’s that patronising postscript where he says he’s often asked which of his characters are real and which invented. There’s a list - Mary, Queen of Scots, Mary I and Elizabeth I of England, James VI & I, Walsingham, the Cecils and Guy Fawkes did exist, along with Philip of Spain, François II and the Guises, la Reine Margot, Coligny, whose murder triggered the St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre (Lord have mercy!) Admittedly this part of French history may be less well known to Anglophones, though it’s been well covered in film, though generally misrepresented as a result of the novel by Alexandre Dumas père. Follett does attribute ultimate blame differently from Dumas, but I suspect that’s more in the interests of his own plot, and increasing the list of crimes of his characters, than of historical accuracy.
There are few people to like, although the women are usually more sympathetic. The most decent men are in the “supporting cast”.
Naturally in any book set in this period there have to be horrific martyrdoms, but it seems to Follett that Elizabeth I didn’t really want to kill people.... She did execute almost as many folk as her half-sister “Bloody” Mary I. Follett admits in one sentence, only to affirm that Elizabeth I didn’t kill anyone for their religious beliefs. They were executed for “treason” and it’s only a coincidence that most were Catholic!
That’s the casuistry that later, talks of collateral damage, friendly fire and extraordinary rendition.

I do wish he’d lay off the violent sex scenes. Sex, chez Follett, is either blissful or revoltingly aggressive.

It wasn’t bad, certainly eventful. Nothing important could happen in Northern Europe, it would appear, without a Kingsbridger popping up to make history happen.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

It's not 'Pillars of the Earth' - but close!

Having loved Pillars of the earth and subsequent A world without end, I was very excited to hear there was another Kingsbridge novel.
I'm not sure if it was the narrator that put me off? Maybe I should have read the book instead? but it just wasn't the same. Didn't ignite me as the previous books did?
Having said that, I still enjoyed this book and love the historical accuracies and drama of the era. The heroes and villains were there- but weaker versions of similar characters in both Pillars and World without end.
I would buy the next one he publishes anyway. His last trilogy was awesome!
I think it's just me? You can never read your favourite novel (a second or third time) and feel the same way you did when you turned the last page for the first time? For me that was 'The pillars of the earth' - that's just my opinion but essentially it's a great book! Buy it x

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7 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Another history lesson with a good story thrown in.

The book is absolutely captivating. Although a similar set up to the other two book it is more adventurous with its locations. Took a lot of driving to to finish this book.

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6 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Good story

The narrations by John Lee are fantastic. He takes you on a journey through the story.

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5 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Another great book

This the third book in this trilogy, I love them all, fiction mixed with fact extremely well. John Lee the very best narrator. You must read them in the right order to best enjoy all three.

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3 people found this helpful