• The Pillars of the Earth

  • By: Ken Follett
  • Narrated by: John Lee
  • Length: 40 hrs and 56 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (34,743 ratings)

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The Pillars of the Earth  By  cover art

The Pillars of the Earth

By: Ken Follett
Narrated by: John Lee
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Publisher's summary

The Pillars of the Earth tells the story of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk driven to build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has known...of Tom, the mason who becomes his architect - a man divided in his soul...of the beautiful, elusive Lady Aliena, haunted by a secret shame...and of a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state, and brother against brother.

A spellbinding epic tale of ambition, anarchy, and absolute power set against the sprawling medieval canvas of 12th century England, this is Ken Follett's historical masterpiece.

©1989 Ken Follett (P)2007 Penguin Audio, a member of Penguin Group (USA), Inc.

Critic reviews

"Follett is a master." (The Washington Post)

"A historical novel of gripping readability, authentic atmosphere and detail and memorable characterization." (Publishers Weekly)

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Featured Article: The Best Historical Fiction Audiobooks


Often based on real people, events, and scenarios, historical fiction gives us the opportunity to learn about worlds and times we will never experience while introducing fascinating characters and stories set in their midst. Sometimes, the genre can even give us a peek into hidden storylines that routinely go unmentioned in traditional history books, showing us that those of ages past are perhaps not so different from ourselves.

What listeners say about The Pillars of the Earth

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    26,273
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  • 3 Stars
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  • 3 Stars
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  • 2 Stars
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  • 1 Stars
    284

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Captivating and addictive

great story. Highly addictive. Get's you lost in a world of greed, love, politics and injustice.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic Story-telling!

Each of the characters were brought vividly to life. To learn of the lives of the people and the effort they took to bring to fruition the wonderfully glorious structures we still appreciate to this day as monuments to the glory of God was genuinely enjoyable.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Outstanding

This book was recommended by a friend of mine. I am so pleased that he did so. The elegance in the way the book was written and the strength of the performance was pure perfection. I have already recommended this book to several of my friends and plan on buying a copy for my grandfather to read!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Awesome

An amazing listening experience! Immerse yourself in this fantastic book – you won’t regret it! Ken Follett and John Lee make a dynamite team.

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

Loved it

Great book and narration. I couldn’t stop listening and didn’t want it to end. A sequel??

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

2nd time and still mesmerizing

You feel like you are loosing friends when the book ends. Very Well developed characters.

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

Great story woven through many generations.

I really enjoyed the character virtues and flaws that were developed in this tale, but the message of perseverance was the most satisfying part. Fun read!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wow!

John Lee is a fabulous narrator it was such a delight listening to Ken Follets book read by Mr. Lee. What a powerful story as well. I was throughly entertained.

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

Escape into another time!

This book was my daily vacation into another world. Very easy to get into. It grabs your attention start to finish.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

hate to have it end

narration is phenomenon! wonderfully written storyline and I had a difficult time turning it off & getting back into my own busy life.

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