A Column of Fire
As Europe erupts, can one young spy protect his queen? Ken Follett takes us deep into the treacherous world of powerful monarchs, intrigue, murder, and treason with his magnificent epic, A Column of Fire—the chronological latest in the Kingsbridge series, following The Pillars of the Earth, World Without End, and the prequel, The Evening and the Morning.
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.
Exciting and ambitious, and set during one of the most turbulent and revolutionary times in history, A Column of Fire will delight longtime fans of the Kingsbridge series and serve as the perfect introduction for readers new to Ken Follett.
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Ken Follett
Ken Follett has built a career on the art of tension, whether it is the quiet suspense of a spy slipping through enemy lines or the slow, awe-inspiring rise of a cathedral that will outlast its makers. His novels combine the pace of thrillers with the sweep of history, pulling readers into stories where personal ambition and world-changing events are always on a collision course.
Born in Cardiff, Wales, in 1949, Follett grew up in a household where television was forbidden, so books became his companions. That early immersion in reading shaped not only his imagination but also his instinct for narrative. After studying philosophy at University College London, he worked as a journalist and later in publishing, careers that sharpened his eye for detail and his sense of how stories reach audiences.
Kingsbridge
Stone by stone, Kingsbridge rises, not just as a town but as a witness to centuries of struggle, ambition, and transformation. At its heart stands a cathedral, a monument to human vision, and around it unfold the lives of ordinary people who dare, suffer, and endure against the backdrop of history’s most turbulent eras.
The saga begins in the shadow of the Dark Ages, when survival itself feels uncertain, and carries through medieval England’s wars and plagues, into the passions of the Elizabethan world, and later the upheavals of revolution and industrial change. Each book immerses readers in a different century, yet the threads remain constant: the hunger for power, the resilience of love, and the fight for justice in societies that are often merciless.
Kingsbridge consists of five books and series is set to expand with the upcoming release of one more book. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
