Ken Follett
Author of The Pillars of the Earth
About the Author
Ken Follett was born in Wales, United Kingdom on June 5, 1949. He received an Honours degree in philosophy from University College, London. He began his career as a newspaper reporter for the South Wales Echo and later with the London Evening News. He decided to switch to publishing and worked for show more a small London publishing house, Everest Books, eventually becoming Deputy Managing Director. His first bestselling novel, Eye of the Needle, was published in 1978 and won the Edgar Award. His other works include Triple, The Key to Rebecca, The Man from St. Petersburg, Lay Down with Lions, The Pillars of the Earth, The Third Twin, The Hammer of Eden, Code to Zero, Whiteout, World Without End, The Century Trilogy, and A Column of Fire. Many of his novels have been adapted into films and television miniseries. He has won numerous awards including the Corine Prize in 2003 for Jackdaws. His nonfiction works include On Wings of Eagles. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Disambiguation Notice:
Ken Follett has written under several pen names, including Martin Martinsen, Simon Myles, Bernard L. Ross, Zachary Stone.
Image credit: Photograph by Barbara Follet, www.ken-follett.com
Series
Works by Ken Follett
Ken Follett The Kingsbridge Novels Stories Collection 3 Books Set (The Pillars of the Earth, World Without End, A… (2018) 18 copies
[unidentified works] 5 copies
(Kingsbridge PB *) The Ken Follett Collection [The Pillars of the Earth / World Without End / A Column of Fire / Notre… (2021) 3 copies
Buzz Books 2020: Fall/Winter 3 copies
Ken Follett's Thundering Good Thrillers: Eye of the Needle / Hornet Flight / Jackdaws (2012) 3 copies
Um mundo sem fim, Volume I 3 copies
A Place Called Freedom/The Third Twin/Hammer of Eden (The Ken Follett Value Collection) (1841) 2 copies
Trilogía The Century (edición pack con: La caída de los gigantes | El invierno del mundo | El… (2021) 2 copies
Livros Condensados: Perigo Biológico | O Verão da Minha Ousadia | O Pianista | Que Natal! (2005) — Author — 2 copies
עורבות 2 copies
Paper Money [and] Eye of the Needle 2 copies
LE CODE REBECCA 1 copy
Reader's Digest Książki Wybrane: Sąsiadka / Szepczący Wiatr / Kryptonim Kawki / Płonące Echo (2003) — Contributor — 1 copy
Voo para a liberdade (83) 1 copy
L'hiver du monde ( T 2) 1 copy
PAS IN DOI 1 copy
5 Ken Follett Books--Lie Down with Lions ,The Third Twin,The Man from St. Petersburg,Hornet Flight,The Hammer of Eden (1986) 1 copy
NOCHE SOBRE LAS AGUAS 1 copy
The Art of Suspence 1 copy
Trilogía Los pilares de la Tierra (pack con Los pilares de la Tierra | Un mundo sin fin | Una columna de fuego)… (2020) 1 copy
Le ragazze ladre 1 copy
The Pillars of the Earth 1 copy
Associated Works
Reader's Digest Condensed Books: Jackdaws • The Smoke Jumper • Hostage • On the Street Where You Live (2001) 12 copies
Readers Digest Condensed Books: A Dangerous Fortune • The Client • The Estuary Pilgrim • The Bear (1994) 12 copies
Reader's Digest Condensed Books: Code to Zero • Winter Solstice • High Risk • Beneath the Skin (2000) 11 copies
Reader's Digest Condensed Books: The Hammer of Eden • A Sight for Sore Eyes • The Kremlin Device • Firebird (1998) — Contributor — 9 copies
Reader's Digest Condensed Books: The Man from St Petersburg • Fever • Flash • Cold is the Sea (1982) — Author — 7 copies
Reader's Digest Select Editions: Whiteout | Paranoia | Rosie | Web of Deceit (2005) — Contributor — 7 copies
Reader's Digest Auswahlbücher 157 - Die Löwen. Was weiß die Taube auf dem Dach von Liebe. Kaffern-Boy. Durch die… (1988) 6 copies
Condensed Books. A Place Called Freedom, by Ken Follett; Icebound, by Dean Koontz; Hidden Riches, by Nora Roberts; The… (1995) — Contributor — 5 copies
Reader's Digest Select Editions: The Last Juror | The Various Haunts of Men | The Codex | The Curious Incident of the… (2004) — Author — 5 copies
Livros Condensados: O Martelo do Paraíso | És Minha | A Ilha Maldita | Amy e os Gansos Bravos (1999) — Author — 5 copies
Reader's Digest Condensed Books: Night over Water • Loves Music, Loves to Dance • Stormchild • The Darling Buds… (1965) 5 copies
Reader's Digest Auswahlbücher 193 : Nacht über Wasser. Ärztin unter Anklage. Im Zeichen des Bären. Eine höllische… (1994) 5 copies
Reader's Digest Condensed Books: Hornet Flight • Year of Wonders • The Analyst • Unscathed (2003) — Contributor — 5 copies
Reader's Digest Condensed Books: Storm Island • Does She Know She's There? • The Storrington Papers • Flight to… (1979) — Contributor — 5 copies
Reader's Digest Condensed Books: Break In • The Two Farms • Cry Wild • Lie Down With Lions (1986) 5 copies
Livros Condensados: Voo Para a Liberdade | O Ano dos Cães | Os Milionários | A Última Promessa (2003) — Author — 4 copies
Reader's Digest Auswahlbücher 201 : Die Pfeiler der Macht/ Schau Dich nicht um/ Wolfstage/ Virusjagd (1995) 4 copies
Der Mann aus St. Petersburg. - Egen, Jean: Die Linden von Lautenbach. - Braunburg, Rudolf: Der verratene Himmel. -… (1984) 4 copies
Livros Condensados: O Encantador de Cavalos | Justiça Local | Um Lugar Chamado Liberdade | O Gato que Gostava de… (1996) 4 copies
Det Bästas Bokval (1995) vol 183 : Pengars onda makt; Hårda bud; Miraklet i öknen; Mrs Pollifax och den andra tjuven — Author — 3 copies
Mannen från S:T Petersburg / Sara Dane / Natt över dalen / Dopad — Author — 3 copies
Reader's Digest Condensed Books: The Tigris Expedition • The Key to Rebecca • Horowitz and Mrs Washington •… (1980) 3 copies
Livros Condensados: Contagem Decrescente | Corações Em Silêncio | Explosão de Cristal | Notícias do Lago (2001) — Author — 3 copies
Die Nadel / Ein Nordlicht / Der tödliche Biss / Kudenow oder An fremden Wassern weinen (1980) 3 copies
Livros Condensados: Gralhas | O Filho De Eddie | Faith Uma Mulher De Coragem | Diário Para O Meu Filho (2002) 3 copies
Het Beste Boek 98: Code: Rebecca / Spoel en spade / Zou ze weten dat ze leeft / Eenzame strijd — Contributor — 2 copies
Reader's Digest Auswahlbücher, Bestseller-Sonderband - Das zweite Gedächtnis. Das schweigen des Glücks. Der… (2002) — Author — 2 copies
Het Beste Boek 180: Vaders mooiste / De paardenfluisteraar / De vlam van de vrijheid / Mijn kleine wolven (1996) 2 copies
Reader's Digest Condensed Books: Triple • Jenny's Mountain • Seal Morning • The Churchill Diamonds (1989) 2 copies
Livros Condensados: Uma Fortuna Perigosa | O Rancheiro da Montanha | Tinta Vermelha | O Inverno do Pekan (1995) — Author — 2 copies
Reader's Digest Condensed Books: Night Over Water • Bygones • Search Dog • Doctor on Trial — Contributor — 2 copies
Det Bästas Bokval (2003) vol 224: I minnets labyrint; Bitter avund; Tillbaka till Himalaya; Julie och Romeo — Author — 2 copies
Det Bästas Bokval (1999) vol 204 : Den tredje tvillingen; Kvinnans plats; Toxin; Amy och vildgässen — Author — 2 copies
Reader's Digest Auswahlbücher, Bestseller-Sonderband - Die Glasbläserin / Die Leopardin / Wenn Engel schweigen (2004) — Author — 2 copies
Válogatott könyvek 15. Ken Follett - Az Éden Kalapácsa; Luanne Rice - Hetedik Mennyország; Michael Palmer -… (2000) 2 copies
RDCBLP v069 Night Over Water | The Leader of the People | The Hands of Mr. Ottermole (1993) 2 copies
Het Beste Boek 128: Blokje om, hoekje om / Goeiemorgen Lora / Sporen naar de dood / Boom van goud (1987) 2 copies
Reader's Digest Auswahlbücher 229 - Die Kinder von Eden. Frühstück zu viert. Der Schneefalke. Grössenwahn (2000) 2 copies
Det Bästas Bokval (1993) vol 173: Över mörka vatten; Kvinnan som liknade Greta Garbo; Skymningsskogen — Author — 2 copies
Det Bästas Bokval (1998) vol 196: En dröm om frihet; Skamgrepp; Tre unga lejon; Handen som gungar vaggan (1998) — Author — 2 copies
Kirjavaliot - Kohtalokas diagnoosi (Error of judgment ∙ The key to Rebecca ∙ Ring of bright water ∙ The Aviator) (1982) 2 copies
Det Bästas Bokval (2003) vol 230: Svarta fåglar; Tallies bok; Låtas att du inte ser henne; Olovligt byte — Author — 2 copies
Reader's Digest Condensed Books: The Third Twin • Wilderness of Mirrors • The Notebook • Trading Reality (1997) — Author — 2 copies
Marie Curie - L'uomo di Pietroburgo - "Piccolo albero" - A cuore aperto — Author — 1 copy
Reader's Digest Auswahlbücher, Bestseller-Sonderband - Eisfieber / Der dunkle Spiegel / Das letzte Versprechen (2007) — Author — 1 copy
Livros Condensados: A Chave De Rebeca | O Safari De Mrs. Pollifax | Um Dia Feliz | Malevil — Contributor — 1 copy
Reader's Digest Condensed Books: To the Hilt • The Outsider • The Third Twin • Moonlight Becomes You (1997) — Author — 1 copy
Det Bästas Bokval (2005) vol 240 : Nattväktarna; Nätterna vid havet; Kodex; Damernas detektivbyrå — Author — 1 copy
Livros Condensados: Noite Sobre a Água | Sara Dane | Condição Negra | A Torre de Marfim (1993) — Author — 1 copy
Appendici in giallo 1 (racconti) — Contributor — 1 copy
Reader's Digest Condensed Books: No Job for a Lady • The Key to Rebecca • Banners of Silk • The Tigris Expedition — Author — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Follett, Ken Martin
- Other names
- Martinsen, Martin
Myles, Simon
Ross, Bernard L.
Stone, Zachary - Birthdate
- 1949-06-05
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- UK
- Birthplace
- Cardiff, Wales, UK
- Places of residence
- London, England, UK
Cardiff, Wales, UK
Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England, UK - Education
- University College London (Philosophy)
Harrow Weald Grammar School
Poole Technical College - Occupations
- journalist
publisher
novelist - Organizations
- Labour Party (UK)
Plymouth Brethren - Awards and honors
- Fellow of University College, London (1994)
Royal Society of Arts (Fellow)
Olaguibel Prize, awarded by the Colegio Oficial de Arquitectos Vasco-Navarro for contributing to the promotion and awareness of architecture (2008)
Honorary Doctorate (DLitt | University of Glamorgan)
Honorary Doctorate (Letters | Saginaw Valley State University | 2007)
ITW Thrillermaster (2010) - Agent
- Al Zuckerman (Writers House)
Amy Berkower
Bob Booman - Short biography
- He was born on 5 June 1949 in Cardiff, Wales, the son of a tax inspector. He was educated at state schools and graduated from University College, London, with an Honours degree in philosophy. He was made a Fellow of the college in 1995.
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. He then went to work for a small London publishing house, Everest Books, eventually becoming Deputy Managing Director. He continued to write novels in his spare time. Eye of the Needle was his eleventh book, and his first success. Around 100 million copies of his books have been sold worldwide. - Disambiguation notice
- Ken Follett has written under several pen names, including Martin Martinsen, Simon Myles, Bernard L. Ross, Zachary Stone.
Members
Discussions
trilogy about cathedral building in Name that Book (November 2015)
*Group Read: World Without End by Ken Follett* General Thread in 75 Books Challenge for 2010 (January 2011)
Reviews
The Pillars of the Earth (Kingsbridge, #1) by Ken Follett
Behind the simple plot of "Building the greatest Gothic Cathedral ever" is a 900 page epic saga, filled with historical details, action, murder, death, love and numerous other sub-plots which depicts the dark scenery of 12th century Medieval England in a very accurate way. Despite very minor historical deviations the book presents the readers with an action-packed plot that keeps historic fiction fans intrigued and eagerly waiting for the resolution.
I enjoyed the first two volumes of the trilogy more, but that was due more to the periods of history than to the plot or characters.
BIBLIOGRAPHIC DETAILS
(Print: ©11/09/2021; 978- 0593300015; Viking; 816 pp.)
(Digital: Yes).
*Audio: ©11/09/2021; Penguin Audio; Duration 23:58:00; unabridged
(Film: No.)
Series: No.
Major CHARACTERS:
Tamara Levit, (CIA Agent)
Abdul John Haddad (undercover CIA Agent)
Kiah (Chadian widow)
Naji (Kiah’s son)
Tabdar (Tab) Sadoul (European Union attache’)
Pauline Green (United States President)
Al Farabi (Afghan terrorist)
Chang Kai (Chinese Vice Minister for International Intelligence)
Chang Ting (Kai’s wife)
Kang U-jung (North Korea’s Supreme Leader)
SUMMARY/ EVALUATION:
I wouldn’t have chosen this for the subject matter—nuclear weapons and was aren’t my go-to subjects, but the author and the narrator are trustworthy, so we listened to it, and sure enough—it was excellent. There might be one part where I would have preferred something different, but never-the-less, its highly recommendable!
AUTHOR:
Ken Follett (June 5, 1949). The first paragraph in Wikipedia on Ken says, “[Ken] “is a Welsh-born author of thrillers and historical novels who has sold more than 160 million copies of his works.[3] Many of his books have achieved high ranking on best seller lists. For example, in the US, many reached the number 1 position on the New York Times Best Seller list, including Edge of Eternity, Fall of Giants, A Dangerous Fortune, The Key to Rebecca, Lie Down with Lions, Triple, Winter of the World, and World Without End.[4]”
NARRATOR: January LaVoy. According to Wikipedia, “January LaVoy (born Trumbull, Connecticut) is an American actress, most recognized as Noelle Ortiz on the ABC daytime drama One Life to Live. LaVoy made her Broadway debut in the Broadway premiere of the play Enron at the Broadhurst Theatre on April 27, 2010.[1]”
GENRE:
War & Military Fiction; Military Thriller; Political Thriller
LOCATIONS:
African Sahara Desert, N’Djamena, Chad; Beijing, China, North Korea, United States
TIME FRAME:
Contemporary
SUBJECTS:
Politics, War, Nuclear-weapons
DEDICATION:
Not that I see in the Amazon excerpt, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t one. (Remember I listened to the book, I didn’t read the print.)
SAMPLE QUOTATION:
From chapter 1
Tab got out of the car, putting a wide-brimmed straw hat on his head, and stood beside her. The hat did not suit him—in fact it looked a bit comical—but he did not seem to care. He was well-dressed but not vain. She liked that.
They both studied the village. Among the houses were cultivated plots striped with irrigation channels. The water had to be brought a long way, Tamara realized, and she felt depressingly sure that it was the women who carried it. A man in a galabiya seemed to be selling cigarettes, chatting amiably with the men, flirting a little with the women. Tamara recognized the white packet with the gold-colored sphinx head: it identified an Egyptian brand called Cleopatra, the most popular in Africa. The cigarettes were probably smuggled or stolen. Several morotcycles and motor scooters were parked outside the houses, and one very old Volkswagon Beetle. In this country the motorcycle was the most popular form of personal transport. Tamara took more pictures.
Perspiration trickled down her sides under her clothes. She wiped her forehead with the end of her cotton headscarf. Tab took out a red handkerchief with white spots and mopped under the collar of his button-down.
‘Half these houses are unoccupied,’ Tab said.
Tamara looked more closely and saw that some of the buildings were decaying. There were holes in the palm-leaf roofs and some of the mud bricks were crumbling away.
‘Huge numbers of people have left the area,’ Tab said. ‘I guess everyone who has somewhere to go has gone. But there are millions left behind. This whole place is a disaster area.’
RATING:
4 stars.
STARTED-FINISHED
11/24/2021-12/16/2021… (more)
(Print: ©11/09/2021; 978- 0593300015; Viking; 816 pp.)
(Digital: Yes).
*Audio: ©11/09/2021; Penguin Audio; Duration 23:58:00; unabridged
(Film: No.)
Series: No.
Major CHARACTERS:
Tamara Levit, (CIA Agent)
Abdul John Haddad (undercover CIA Agent)
Kiah (Chadian widow)
Naji (Kiah’s son)
Tabdar (Tab) Sadoul (European Union attache’)
Pauline Green (United States President)
Al Farabi (Afghan terrorist)
Chang Kai (Chinese Vice Minister for International Intelligence)
Chang Ting (Kai’s wife)
Kang U-jung (North Korea’s Supreme Leader)
SUMMARY/ EVALUATION:
I wouldn’t have chosen this for the subject matter—nuclear weapons and was aren’t my go-to subjects, but the author and the narrator are trustworthy, so we listened to it, and sure enough—it was excellent. There might be one part where I would have preferred something different, but never-the-less, its highly recommendable!
AUTHOR:
Ken Follett (June 5, 1949). The first paragraph in Wikipedia on Ken says, “[Ken] “is a Welsh-born author of thrillers and historical novels who has sold more than 160 million copies of his works.[3] Many of his books have achieved high ranking on best seller lists. For example, in the US, many reached the number 1 position on the New York Times Best Seller list, including Edge of Eternity, Fall of Giants, A Dangerous Fortune, The Key to Rebecca, Lie Down with Lions, Triple, Winter of the World, and World Without End.[4]”
NARRATOR: January LaVoy. According to Wikipedia, “January LaVoy (born Trumbull, Connecticut) is an American actress, most recognized as Noelle Ortiz on the ABC daytime drama One Life to Live. LaVoy made her Broadway debut in the Broadway premiere of the play Enron at the Broadhurst Theatre on April 27, 2010.[1]”
GENRE:
War & Military Fiction; Military Thriller; Political Thriller
LOCATIONS:
African Sahara Desert, N’Djamena, Chad; Beijing, China, North Korea, United States
TIME FRAME:
Contemporary
SUBJECTS:
Politics, War, Nuclear-weapons
DEDICATION:
Not that I see in the Amazon excerpt, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t one. (Remember I listened to the book, I didn’t read the print.)
SAMPLE QUOTATION:
From chapter 1
Tab got out of the car, putting a wide-brimmed straw hat on his head, and stood beside her. The hat did not suit him—in fact it looked a bit comical—but he did not seem to care. He was well-dressed but not vain. She liked that.
They both studied the village. Among the houses were cultivated plots striped with irrigation channels. The water had to be brought a long way, Tamara realized, and she felt depressingly sure that it was the women who carried it. A man in a galabiya seemed to be selling cigarettes, chatting amiably with the men, flirting a little with the women. Tamara recognized the white packet with the gold-colored sphinx head: it identified an Egyptian brand called Cleopatra, the most popular in Africa. The cigarettes were probably smuggled or stolen. Several morotcycles and motor scooters were parked outside the houses, and one very old Volkswagon Beetle. In this country the motorcycle was the most popular form of personal transport. Tamara took more pictures.
Perspiration trickled down her sides under her clothes. She wiped her forehead with the end of her cotton headscarf. Tab took out a red handkerchief with white spots and mopped under the collar of his button-down.
‘Half these houses are unoccupied,’ Tab said.
Tamara looked more closely and saw that some of the buildings were decaying. There were holes in the palm-leaf roofs and some of the mud bricks were crumbling away.
‘Huge numbers of people have left the area,’ Tab said. ‘I guess everyone who has somewhere to go has gone. But there are millions left behind. This whole place is a disaster area.’
RATING:
4 stars.
STARTED-FINISHED
11/24/2021-12/16/2021… (more)
BIBLIOGRAPHIC DETAILS
-PRINT: ©September 26, 2023; 978-0525954996; Viking; 752 pp.; unabridged
-DIGITAL: ©September 26, 2023; Viking; 750 pp.; unabridged
- *Audio: ©September 26, 2023; Penguin Audio; 21:39:00; unabridged
-FILM: No
SERIES: Kingsbridge # 5. (Goodreads shows this as #4. It is not.)
CHARACTERS: (not comprehensive)
Sal Clitheroe – Weaver; Young mother of a small child
Christopher (Kit) Clitheroe – Sal’s son
Harry Clitheroe – Sal’s Husband
Ike Clitheroe – Sal’s brother-in-law
Sarah - Sal's Aunt
Alec Pollock – Barber-surgeon
George Box – Member of the Society of Friends
Joan Box – Member of the Society of Friends
George Riddick – Squire of Badford
Will Riddick – Eldest son of the squire of Badford
Roger Riddick – Youngest son of the squire of Badford
Henry Northwood – A viscount and colonel
Jane Midwinter – Daughter of the Methodist Canon
Charles Midwinter – Methodist Canon; Jane’s father
Arabella Latimer – Bishop’s wife
Elsie Latimer – Bishop’s daughter
David (Spade) Shoveller – A weaver
Amos Barrowfield – Son of a clothier
Obadiah Bradford – A clothier; Amos’s father
? Hornbeam – A Clothier
Harold Hornbeam – Mr. Hornbeam’s son
Debra Hornbeam – Mr. Hornbeam’s daughter
SUMMARY/ EVALUATION:
-SELECTED: I enjoy this Kingsbridge series. Don is getting a little weary of the fact that one’s favorite characters are often subjected to horrendous treatment, and I probably have to agree, but the characters and the plots are so spellbinding that I just couldn’t NOT read (listen) to a new addition the moment it’s out.
-ABOUT: It’s turnip harvest and young, reckless, Will Reddick who is in charge, insists on the harvesters prodding an overburdened horse and cart up a hill. This leads, predictably to tragedy and the event causes Sal Clitheroe and her young son, Kit, being thrown into new circumstances, to figure out how to fend for themselves.
But Will isn’t finished causing this family hardship, and we endure much with them before they are forced to move from Badford to Kingsbridge and begin to forge a path ahead.
We become familiar with their new community, which isn’t far enough away from the reach of Will to keep them out of harms way, but strength and character grow, and there’s an entire cast of characters to grow fond of, with a few dangerous exceptions.
-OVERALL IMPRESSION: I loved learning about the early clothier business—weavers, scribblers, looms, wool; Also the embodiment of employers and workers as they scrabble over the adoption of technological advancements that will, in time, cost the employer less, and the employees their jobs.
AUTHOR: Ken Follett (June 5, 1949). Excerpt from Wikipedia: “[Ken] is a Welsh-born author of thrillers and historical novels who has sold more than 160 million copies of his works.[3] Many of his books have achieved high ranking on best seller lists. For example, in the US, many reached the number 1 position on the New York Times Best Seller list, including Edge of Eternity, Fall of Giants, A Dangerous Fortune, The Key to Rebecca, Lie Down with Lions, Triple, Winter of the World, and World Without End.[4]”
NARRATOR: John Lee Excerpt from Wikipedia: “John Rafter Lee is an English actor, narrator, playwright and producer.
Lee was born in England with Irish ancestry.[1] His father worked as a carpenter and other men in his family were blacksmiths, brick layers and plumbers.[1] Lee himself has worked in agriculture, picking fruit, which he considers much more difficult than voice acting.[1]
Lee has narrated hundreds of audiobooks.[1] "His trademark rich, smooth voice with its hint of a growl turns the word into a seduction", according to AudioFile.[1] He has won numerous Audie Awards and AudioFile Earphones Awards, and he was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile in 2009.[1]
In film, he portrayed the mysterious Trevor Goodchild in Peter Chung's Æon Flux. Other voice credits include Meier Link in both Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust and Vampire Hunter D, Pavlo Zaitsev in episode 16 of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Jason Wynn in HBO's Spawn animated series, and Aristotle in Reign: The Conqueror. John also had a role as a voice actor playing Cid Bunansa in the video game Final Fantasy XII.
Lee was also the producer and screenwriter for the 2001 film Breathing Hard, in which he played the character John Duggan. His Æon Flux co-star Denise Poirier plays his wife Carol.
He has written the plays Blood and Milk, Hitler's Head, Passchendaele, Clean Souls and Frankincense. He has adapted into English Schiller's Don Carlos, Racine's Britannicus and Grabbe's Jest, Satire, Irony and Deeper Significance. Passchendaele received its first production at the New York Fringe Festival in August 2010.
His latest film, which he wrote and co-produced, is Forfeit, which received its premier at the 2007 South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas. He is currently writing a film to be shot in his hometown, Birmingham, England.”
*As always, John Lee’s narration is superb!
GENRE: Historical Fiction
LOCATIONS: Badford, England; Kingsbridge, England; Brussels, France; Paris, France
TIME FRAME: 18th Century; 19th Century
SUBJECTS: Trade Unions; Clothiers; Weavers; Technology; Workers replaced by technology; Politics; Women in society; War; Militia; Religion; Methodists; Church of England; Anglicans; Battle of Waterloo
DEDICATION:
“This book is dedicated to the historians.
There are many thousands of them all over the world.
Some sit in libraries, hunched over ancient manuscripts, trying to understand dead languages in mysterious hieroglyphs. Others kneel on the ground sifting earth on the sites of ruined buildings, seeking fragments from lost government papers dealing with long-forgotten political crises. They are relentless in their search for the truth.
Without them we would not understand where we come from. And that would make it even more difficult to figure out where we're going.”
SAMPLE QUOTATION: Excerpt From chapter 2
“Amos Barrowfield realized something was wrong as soon as he came within sight of Badford.
There were men working in the fields, but not as many as he expected. The road into the village was deserted but for an empty cart. He did not even see any dogs.
Amos was a clothier, or ‘putter-out.’ To be exact, his father was the clothier; but Obidiah was fifty and often breathless, and it was Amos who traveled the countryside, leading a string of packhorses, visiting cottages. The horses carried sacks of raw wool, the sheared fleece of sheep.
The work of transforming fleece into cotton was done mainly by villagers working in their homes. First the fleece had to be untangled and cleaned, and this was called scribbling or carding. Then it was spun into long strings of yarn and wound onto bobbins. Finally the strings were woven on a loom and became strips of cloth a yard wide. Cloth was the main industry in the West of England, and Kingsbridge was at its center.
Amos imagined that Adam and Eve, after they ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge, must have done these different jobs themselves, in order to make clothes and cover their nakedness; although the Bible did not say much about scribbling and spinning, not about how Adam might have built his loom.”
RATING: 5 stars.
STARTED-FINISHED 9/28/2023-10/7/2023
(Serendipitous Connections: I love how my readings, watchings, and daily activities often seem somewhat inter-connected, usually in a mundane, but nevertheless, noticeable way, in that they repeat words, names, or circumstances within a very short time-span. So I have decided to start listing those that occur with the books I am reading, that I can recall: 1. The book by Mick Herron, "Down Cemetery Lane", that we read (listened to) just before this one, also had a main character named 'Amos'. There it was Amos Crane and he was a "bad" person, here it is Amos Barrowfield who is a "good" character. 2. The Endeavor episode we watched just after finishing this book, also had a character, Mr. Box (in the Endeavour episode it is a minor character, here, it is George, a main character). 3. Both that episode and this book also share the saying "Quicker than you can say knife," which is probably a common British saying, and I've heard the "Quicker than you can say" part before, just not "knife".)… (more)
-PRINT: ©September 26, 2023; 978-0525954996; Viking; 752 pp.; unabridged
-DIGITAL: ©September 26, 2023; Viking; 750 pp.; unabridged
- *Audio: ©September 26, 2023; Penguin Audio; 21:39:00; unabridged
-FILM: No
SERIES: Kingsbridge # 5. (Goodreads shows this as #4. It is not.)
CHARACTERS: (not comprehensive)
Sal Clitheroe – Weaver; Young mother of a small child
Christopher (Kit) Clitheroe – Sal’s son
Harry Clitheroe – Sal’s Husband
Ike Clitheroe – Sal’s brother-in-law
Sarah - Sal's Aunt
Alec Pollock – Barber-surgeon
George Box – Member of the Society of Friends
Joan Box – Member of the Society of Friends
George Riddick – Squire of Badford
Will Riddick – Eldest son of the squire of Badford
Roger Riddick – Youngest son of the squire of Badford
Henry Northwood – A viscount and colonel
Jane Midwinter – Daughter of the Methodist Canon
Charles Midwinter – Methodist Canon; Jane’s father
Arabella Latimer – Bishop’s wife
Elsie Latimer – Bishop’s daughter
David (Spade) Shoveller – A weaver
Amos Barrowfield – Son of a clothier
Obadiah Bradford – A clothier; Amos’s father
? Hornbeam – A Clothier
Harold Hornbeam – Mr. Hornbeam’s son
Debra Hornbeam – Mr. Hornbeam’s daughter
SUMMARY/ EVALUATION:
-SELECTED: I enjoy this Kingsbridge series. Don is getting a little weary of the fact that one’s favorite characters are often subjected to horrendous treatment, and I probably have to agree, but the characters and the plots are so spellbinding that I just couldn’t NOT read (listen) to a new addition the moment it’s out.
-ABOUT: It’s turnip harvest and young, reckless, Will Reddick who is in charge, insists on the harvesters prodding an overburdened horse and cart up a hill. This leads, predictably to tragedy and the event causes Sal Clitheroe and her young son, Kit, being thrown into new circumstances, to figure out how to fend for themselves.
But Will isn’t finished causing this family hardship, and we endure much with them before they are forced to move from Badford to Kingsbridge and begin to forge a path ahead.
We become familiar with their new community, which isn’t far enough away from the reach of Will to keep them out of harms way, but strength and character grow, and there’s an entire cast of characters to grow fond of, with a few dangerous exceptions.
-OVERALL IMPRESSION: I loved learning about the early clothier business—weavers, scribblers, looms, wool; Also the embodiment of employers and workers as they scrabble over the adoption of technological advancements that will, in time, cost the employer less, and the employees their jobs.
AUTHOR: Ken Follett (June 5, 1949). Excerpt from Wikipedia: “[Ken] is a Welsh-born author of thrillers and historical novels who has sold more than 160 million copies of his works.[3] Many of his books have achieved high ranking on best seller lists. For example, in the US, many reached the number 1 position on the New York Times Best Seller list, including Edge of Eternity, Fall of Giants, A Dangerous Fortune, The Key to Rebecca, Lie Down with Lions, Triple, Winter of the World, and World Without End.[4]”
NARRATOR: John Lee Excerpt from Wikipedia: “John Rafter Lee is an English actor, narrator, playwright and producer.
Lee was born in England with Irish ancestry.[1] His father worked as a carpenter and other men in his family were blacksmiths, brick layers and plumbers.[1] Lee himself has worked in agriculture, picking fruit, which he considers much more difficult than voice acting.[1]
Lee has narrated hundreds of audiobooks.[1] "His trademark rich, smooth voice with its hint of a growl turns the word into a seduction", according to AudioFile.[1] He has won numerous Audie Awards and AudioFile Earphones Awards, and he was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile in 2009.[1]
In film, he portrayed the mysterious Trevor Goodchild in Peter Chung's Æon Flux. Other voice credits include Meier Link in both Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust and Vampire Hunter D, Pavlo Zaitsev in episode 16 of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Jason Wynn in HBO's Spawn animated series, and Aristotle in Reign: The Conqueror. John also had a role as a voice actor playing Cid Bunansa in the video game Final Fantasy XII.
Lee was also the producer and screenwriter for the 2001 film Breathing Hard, in which he played the character John Duggan. His Æon Flux co-star Denise Poirier plays his wife Carol.
He has written the plays Blood and Milk, Hitler's Head, Passchendaele, Clean Souls and Frankincense. He has adapted into English Schiller's Don Carlos, Racine's Britannicus and Grabbe's Jest, Satire, Irony and Deeper Significance. Passchendaele received its first production at the New York Fringe Festival in August 2010.
His latest film, which he wrote and co-produced, is Forfeit, which received its premier at the 2007 South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas. He is currently writing a film to be shot in his hometown, Birmingham, England.”
*As always, John Lee’s narration is superb!
GENRE: Historical Fiction
LOCATIONS: Badford, England; Kingsbridge, England; Brussels, France; Paris, France
TIME FRAME: 18th Century; 19th Century
SUBJECTS: Trade Unions; Clothiers; Weavers; Technology; Workers replaced by technology; Politics; Women in society; War; Militia; Religion; Methodists; Church of England; Anglicans; Battle of Waterloo
DEDICATION:
“This book is dedicated to the historians.
There are many thousands of them all over the world.
Some sit in libraries, hunched over ancient manuscripts, trying to understand dead languages in mysterious hieroglyphs. Others kneel on the ground sifting earth on the sites of ruined buildings, seeking fragments from lost government papers dealing with long-forgotten political crises. They are relentless in their search for the truth.
Without them we would not understand where we come from. And that would make it even more difficult to figure out where we're going.”
SAMPLE QUOTATION: Excerpt From chapter 2
“Amos Barrowfield realized something was wrong as soon as he came within sight of Badford.
There were men working in the fields, but not as many as he expected. The road into the village was deserted but for an empty cart. He did not even see any dogs.
Amos was a clothier, or ‘putter-out.’ To be exact, his father was the clothier; but Obidiah was fifty and often breathless, and it was Amos who traveled the countryside, leading a string of packhorses, visiting cottages. The horses carried sacks of raw wool, the sheared fleece of sheep.
The work of transforming fleece into cotton was done mainly by villagers working in their homes. First the fleece had to be untangled and cleaned, and this was called scribbling or carding. Then it was spun into long strings of yarn and wound onto bobbins. Finally the strings were woven on a loom and became strips of cloth a yard wide. Cloth was the main industry in the West of England, and Kingsbridge was at its center.
Amos imagined that Adam and Eve, after they ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge, must have done these different jobs themselves, in order to make clothes and cover their nakedness; although the Bible did not say much about scribbling and spinning, not about how Adam might have built his loom.”
RATING: 5 stars.
STARTED-FINISHED 9/28/2023-10/7/2023
(Serendipitous Connections: I love how my readings, watchings, and daily activities often seem somewhat inter-connected, usually in a mundane, but nevertheless, noticeable way, in that they repeat words, names, or circumstances within a very short time-span. So I have decided to start listing those that occur with the books I am reading, that I can recall: 1. The book by Mick Herron, "Down Cemetery Lane", that we read (listened to) just before this one, also had a main character named 'Amos'. There it was Amos Crane and he was a "bad" person, here it is Amos Barrowfield who is a "good" character. 2. The Endeavor episode we watched just after finishing this book, also had a character, Mr. Box (in the Endeavour episode it is a minor character, here, it is George, a main character). 3. Both that episode and this book also share the saying "Quicker than you can say knife," which is probably a common British saying, and I've heard the "Quicker than you can say" part before, just not "knife".)… (more)
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