#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER“Absorbing . . . impossible to resist.” —The Washington PostAs Europe erupts, can one young spy protect his queen? #1 New York Times bestselling author Ken Follett takes us deep into the treacherous world of powerful monarchs, intrigue, murder, and treason with his magnificent new epic, A Column of Fire. A thrilling read that makes the perfect gift for the holidays. … thrilling read that makes the perfect gift for the holidays.
In 1558, the ancient stones of Kingsbridge Cathedral look down on a city torn apart by religious conflict. As power in England shifts precariously between Catholics and Protestants, royalty and commoners clash, testing friendship, loyalty, and love.
Ned Willard wants nothing more than to marry Margery Fitzgerald. But when the lovers find themselves on opposing sides of the religious conflict dividing the country, Ned goes to work for Princess Elizabeth. When she becomes queen, all Europe turns against England. The shrewd, determined young monarch sets up the country’s first secret service to give her early warning of assassination plots, rebellions, and invasion plans. Over a turbulent half century, the love between Ned and Margery seems doomed as extremism sparks violence from Edinburgh to Geneva. Elizabeth clings to her throne and her principles, protected by a small, dedicated group of resourceful spies and courageous secret agents.
The real enemies, then as now, are not the rival religions. The true battle pitches those who believe in tolerance and compromise against the tyrants who would impose their ideas on everyone else—no matter what the cost.
Set during one of the most turbulent and revolutionary times in history, A Column of Fire is one of Follett’s most exciting and ambitious works yet. It will delight longtime fans of the Kingsbridge series and is the perfect introduction for readers new to Ken Follett.
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As soon as I finished Ken Follett’s “The Evening and the Morning,” I dove headfirst into the final novel in his “Kingsbridge” Series: “A Column Of Fire.” I’m glad I did—it might be the best one yet. This book stands out as markedly different than the other novels in the Kingsbridge Series. While “The Pillars of the Earth,” “World Without End,” and “The Evening And The Morning” had similar settings, characters, and structure—all of which work brilliantly in those novels— “A Column of Fire” takes place during the Renaissance, offering a refreshing break from the Middle Ages. It also features a decidedly different cast of characters and a sweeping, epic scope that focuses on the conflict between the Catholics and Protestants raging throughout Europe in the late 16th century. Also, actual historical figures play a much more significant role than in any previous “Kingsbridge” novel. Queen Elizabeth features prominently, and Mary Queen of Scot’s story is told intermittently throughout the book. Catherine de’ Medici and several kings of France also play critical roles, as do James I and Sir Francis Drake. Overall, I found it a brilliant read and highly recommend it to fans of historical fiction.
I just completed A Column of Fire by Ken Follett, the third in the Pillars of the Earth trilogy. Even though my reading of the first two was quite a while ago (Column of Fire has been on my bookshelf for years) I had no trouble jumping back into the middles ages, this time the 16th century. I enjoyed so much about this book, the incredible historical details, the intricate medieval settings, the exploration of the everyday lives of individuals, important and ordinary, and the compelling characters—the narrative is told through no less than six different voices on all sides of the conflicts, each one with unique characteristics and motivations. I knew a little more about this period of history than the earlier entries in his series, but Follett’s narrative illuminated so much of the skeleton of what I’d learned earlier. What is most impressive is Follett’s ability to tell his tale and bring the reader along for the journey that I felt I just completed a course on medieval history. Even saying that, I found it the entire book easy reading and generally easy to understand, which is remarkable in itself since much of the context of the story is obscure to modern readers. The 900+ pages literally flew by.
However, this story is not for the faint of heart. Follett provides the reader with vivid, realistic descriptions of great sea battles, riots in town squares as well as gruesome executions. Though never gory, his details causes the reader to witness the horror of these experiences—cannon balls exploding aboard ships, brutal beatings in the streets, beheadings, hangings, burning at the stake and being drawn and quartered.
And, in between the intrigue of both royal courts in France and England and the machinations of Queen Elizabeth’s spy ring, the author provides some sobering lessons about the death and destruction brought about in the name of religion. In the implacable arguments advanced by both the Catholic and Protestant characters, I recognized a cautionary tale for today. Even though today’s divides are seldom about religion per se, the opposite sides in the current political civil wars are much like the Protestants and Catholics of the 16th century. Today, just like Europe so many years ago, each side is so sure they are right, they are blind to the ideas and beliefs of the other side. And as Follett’s narrative deftly portrays, this intractable opposition carried horrendous consequences, usually for the “winners” as well as the “losers.”
This was a really good historical fiction piece. It had a nice mix of fictional characters and actual historical figures and kept the reader engaged.
This series is not to be missed!
Different from the first two, but that was a good thing. To me more of a stand alone than sequel. Very enjoyable. Recommended
Great story with historical theme and interesting characters.
I love this entire series.
A great read.
I did not enjoy this nearly as much as Pillars of the Earth.
Follett never disappoints! Thinking of re-reading this one before the next book in the series comes out.
I felt like I was right there in the thick of what was happening. I read this book 25 years ago and then again a few months ago and it was just as good the second time.
Great series! Follett knows how to bring that time period to life!
Excellent historical novel covering a tumultuous period in English and French history. Lots of twists and turns as Queen Elizabeth I and her spies steer a course through this perilous time. Separate but related story of religious prejudice set in Paris. If you loved Pillars of Earth and World Without End, you will love Column of Fire.
Too boring and involved. Didn’t move forward very much
An author with a record of excellent historical novels, who did not disappoint.
Follett knocked this out of the park. Great history of the Catholics and the Protestants woven with fictional and historical characters. Learned so much and was very entertained.
The Kingsbridge trilogy is well-written and always a compelling read. My book club has read all three!
Enjoyed reading the historical trilogy
Great book, one of a trilogy. Want to read the other two.
Classic Follett. The history is entertaining and addictive.