The Pillars of the Earth: A Novel

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 . A Spellbinding Epic 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 Classic Historical Masterpiece. A Mason With A Dream 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, Prior Of Kingsbridge, Is Resourceful, But With Money Scarce He Knows That For His Town To Survive It Must Find A Way To Thrive, And So He Makes The Decision To Build Within It The Greatest Gothic Cathedral The World Has Ever Known. A World Of High Ideals And Savage Cruelty As Tom And Philip Meet So Begins An Epic Tale Of Ambition, Anarchy And Absolute Power. In A World Beset By Strife And Enemies That Would Thwart Their Plans, They Will Stop At Nothing To Achieve Their Ambitions In A Struggle Between Good And Evil That Will Turn 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. The Pillars of the Earth is a historical novel by Welsh author Ken Follett published in 1989 about the building of a cathedral in the fictional town of Kingsbridge, England. Set in the 12th century, the novel covers the time between the sinking of the White Ship and the murder of Thomas Becket, but focuses primarily on the Anarchy. The book traces the development of Gothic architecture out of the preceding Romanesque architecture, and the fortunes of the Kingsbridge priory and village against the backdrop of historical events of the time. ---------- See also: - [The Pillars of the Earth: 1/2](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL23632562W) - [The Pillars of the Earth: 2/2](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL23632516W) Spellbinding and mesmerizing, Ken Follett's classic masterpiece is beloved throughout the world. In medieval England a resourceful monk strives to build the world's greatest Gothic cathedral. Set in twelfth-century England, this epic of kings and peasants juxtaposes the building of a magnificent church with the violence and treachery that often characterized the Middle Ages IN A BROAD VALLEY, at the foot of a sloping hillside, beside a clear bubbling stream, Tom was building a house.