KEN FOLLET > He became a reporter, first with his home-town newspaper the South Wales Echo and later with the London Evening News. While working on the Evening News he wrote his first novel, which was published but did not become a bestseller. Before this novel was published, he was known for writing in the thriller genre. He burst into the book world in 1978 with Eye of the Needle, a taut and original thriller with a memorable woman character in the central role. “The Pillars of the Earth”, became his best-selling work. About this novel, he published a sequel, entitled “World Without End”.
THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH > Set in the turbulent times of twelfth-century England when civil war, famine, religious strife and battles over royal succession tore lives and families apart, The story is divided into six sections plus a prologue. The Pillars of the Earth tells the story of the building of a magnificent cathedral. The novel explores themes of intrigue and conspiracy against historical events. It explores the development of medieval architecture, the civil war, secular/religious conflicts, and shifting political loyalties. Against this richly imagined backdrop, filled with intrigue and treachery, Ken Follett draws the reader irresistibly into a wonderful epic of family drama, violent conflict and unswerving ambition. From humble stonemason to imperious monarch, the dreams, labours and loves of his characters come vividly to life. The Pillars of the Earth is, without doubt, a masterpiece – and has proved to be one of the most popular books of our time. http://www.amazon.it/The-Pillars-Earth-Ken-Follett/dp/045123281X