• The Pillars of the Earth

  • By: Ken Follett
  • Narrated by: John Lee
  • Length: 40 hrs and 56 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (34,731 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)

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
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  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

TRIGGER WARNING - SEXUAL ASSAULT

It’s a good book, but I am astonished that there isn’t a warning about how this book contains graphic depictions of violent sexual assault. I’m only writing this review in the hopes that someone will see it before they get there and end up forced to relive their trauma. Shame on the men who wrote and produced this. They clearly didn’t consider the experiences of their female readers or they would’ve bothered to WARN THEM.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Long and good

loved it. chilling. thrilling. i listened while driving. while going to bed.

that damn William H.

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  • MT
  • 01-06-20

Amazing!

This book is amazing! Narrator is very good! I caught myself thinking about the book eager to resume! It is very well written and keeps you enthralled and longing for more!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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phenomenal

amazing book, rich characters and an every twisting tale of good vs evil. historic and entertaining. highly recommended.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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What an Adventure

An exhilarating story that was magnificently read. Well written, to the best of my knowledge, and honest with the pains of life, to a point. An encapsulating read that won't let you put it down. Thank you for the adventure.

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  • 03-05-20

narrator is a exceptional

I'm about 3/4 of the way through the book and I have very much enjoyed the narrator's efforts to bring the characters to life. narrator's inflection is superb!

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Fantastic

If you love a good story. This is one book you absolutely must read/listen to.

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Outstanding Story

I enjoyed this from the first chapter to the end. Richly told story with many adventures for every character.

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    4 out of 5 stars

Historical fiction at its finest

Ken Follet writes a very historical detailed fictional book. I’m not sure how I even found it in my Audible recommendations All that said I’m glad I listened and am looking forward to watching the mini series.

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What a masterpiece

This book is lovely, sweeping, and captivating. It is beautifully written and so well researched. It humanized the people who lived at the time without glamorizing everything like most medieval books. I really enjoyed the audiobook, it was well read and the narrator was perfect.

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