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    A Column of Fire
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    A Column of Fire
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    A Column of Fire
    Audiobook (abridged)12 hours

    A Column of Fire

    Written by Ken Follett

    Narrated by John Lee

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    International bestselling author Ken Follett has enthralled millions of readers with The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End, two stories of the Middle Ages set in the fictional city of Kingsbridge. The saga now continues with Follett's magnificent new epic, A Column of Fire.
     
    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.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateSep 12, 2017
    ISBN9780525497196
    Unavailable
    A Column of Fire
    Author

    Ken Follett

    Ken Follett was born in Cardiff, Wales. Barred from watching films and television by his parents, he developed an early interest in reading thanks to a local library. After studying philosophy at University College London, he became involved in centre-left politics, entering into journalism soon after. His first thriller, the wartime spy drama Eye of the Needle, became an international bestseller and has sold over 10 million copies. He then astonished everyone with his first historical novel, The Pillars of the Earth, the story of the building of a medieval cathedral, which went on to become one of the most beloved books of the twentieth century. One of the most popular authors in the world, his many books including the Kingsbridge series and the Century trilogy - a body of work which together chronicles over a thousand years of history - and his latest novel Never - which envisages how World War III could happen - have sold more than 188 million copies. A father and husband, Ken lives with his wife in England and enjoys travelling the world when he can.

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    Reviews for A Column of Fire

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    • 3/5
      This is awful historical fiction. I don’t know why I finished this tale of life during the Elizabethan era in England and France. Some historical characters provide the background to this dreary tale of the political and religious strife between Catholics in France and Protestants in England.The characters are one dimensional, the historical context too briefly explained and the story very predictable and long.My last Ken Follett book.
    • 4/5
      #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER“Absorbing . . . impossible to resist.” —The Washington PostAs Europe erupts, can one young spy protect his queen? International 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. 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.Quelle: amazon.de
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed this one - almost as much as the Pillars.
    • 4/5
      This was a riveting and spellbinding conclusion to The Kingsbridge Trilogy. The plot wove together expertly, characters were realistic and intriguing, and the writing was effectual and crafted with the art of a master. Truly, Follett is amazing at historical novels-- this series is the second of his that I have finished, the other being The Century Trilogy. I was astounded at the way that Follett was able to weave fact and fiction together, interlacing them within the framework of the world that once existed. It was all very impressive and Follett does it with power. This novel is a tour-de-force that expands upon everything that has happened in the previous novels and allows one to glimpse into the past in order to witness things as they happened, or how we would have seen it through the eyes of our characters. The villains are believable and well-fleshed out and the manner in which people act, guided by their own impulses and yearnings, drives the plot forward into an astounding conclusion.

      For those who have read the others in the series, finish it. This novel is well worth it. Follett will remain a master of his craft and this is one of the finest exemplars of him at his best.

      4.5 stars!
    • 3/5
      This final book in Follett’s Kingsbridge trilogy was an okay read, but not anything spectacular or riveting for me. Nothing wrong with Follett’s customary storytelling, although he does have a habit of recycling similar plot themes with some of his character pairings, leaving this reader with a “this is oddly familiar” sensation. I should admit that I struggled with this trilogy as a whole compared with his Century trilogy. I loved the first book, Pillars of the Earth, as a great introduction to the Middle Ages period and cathedral architecture. was a bit of a dud given the huge time jump, so I didn’t go into A Column of Fire with any high expectations. Probably a good thing. At least the final book more or less picks up where the previous book left off (beginning in 1558, and continuing through 1605), so I already had a nodding familiarity with a number of the characters. The story, not surprisingly, has a strong royal and religious focus as we have Tudor family infighting along with Protestant versus Catholic rebellions, neither topic of any great interest to me. It is a bad sign when I find myself skipping forward every three minutes through a chunk of the story because it was dragging. The best part of the story, for me anyways, is near the end where Follett presents the reader with his literary take on Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot. Overall, a rather dud read to wrap up a trilogy that just wasn’t all that riveting for me.
    • 5/5
      This is the third of the Kingbridge books, and so far, my favorite. But perhaps that's because it has been awhile since I read the other two. This one takes place in the 16th century. There is the well-known power struggle, the cruelty of both Catholic and Protestant factions, and lots of torture. It amazes me how barbaric humans can be, even for nothing more important than sport. Some of this is hard to read, or in my case, hard to hear.I liked the combination of real and fictional characters. Follett does a great job of bringing both to life. There is history here, but there is also entertainment, and I cared about the characters. This is a long book but I enjoyed all of it.John Lee's narration is terrific. The various accents, his voice when speaking as a woman, so difficult for men to do well, his intonations all worked for me.
    • 3/5
      The last in the series. While I loved the first two books....this one was not as good. It had more actual history and a little less fiction. It often felt like the personal stories left something missing because the author was so intent on making sure that all the historical facts were touched upon. Having said that, I think part of the problem was that I really liked the first two books so I had very high expectations for this book.
    • 3/5
      Long and kinda tedious but I really wanted to read it because I loved the first two.
    • 4/5
      Ken Follett is perfect when I've read a lot of tough serious books. Historical fiction that verges on a soap opera. I like the characters but I don't cry when they are beheaded. This one is set during the reign of queen Elizabeth and mainly focuses on the struggle between the Catholics and the protestants.
    • 3/5
      900+ pages of Catholics and Protestants fighting each other. The book covers about 80 years of history (1550s on) in France, Spain, Scotland and England. Because it is such a sweeping historical novel that covers many people, places and events, those who love really deep characters will not care for this book as much. I have always been curious about the Queens Mary and Elizabeth, and I do enjoy stories containing court intrigue. Let's just say, it was interesting enough for me to finish the entire thing, so that counts for something. If this is your style of book, this will probably be a touchdown for you.
    • 4/5
      Another excellent historical novel set in Kingsbridge during the reign of Elizabeth 1 & James 1 with stories woven through the history of Catholic/Protestant conflict. Next novel likely to be set later in 17th century around the settlement of the New World by Puritan exiles, where this story ended in early 1600s.
    • 5/5
      Follett follows Pillars of the Earth & World Without End with a griping saga. In 1558 England power shifts as Elizabeth becomes Queen, opening the door to religious choices. France has reasonable empathy for all religions but some in Europe turn against Elizabeth. People love or hate. Religion sponsors death by being burned alive at the stake - a sacred column of fire.
    • 5/5
      It was with great anticipation that I waited for this book to come in the mail, and it was worth the wait. This is the third novel in the Kingsbridge series. The setting this time is during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, during the 1500s. There are characters to love and a couple to despise and plenty of historical action, much of it accurate. As with all good historical fiction, there is a lot to be learned with Follett's latest novel, and I found myself going to the internet several times. It's a big book but well worth the time to read.
    • 4/5
      His books are interesting but because there are so many characters there is minimal character development. In this I thought he lost track of a couple of people. However, I always learn so much about stuff I thought I knew that his books are addictive.
    • 2/5
      It is very rare that I will not finish a book once started, but this time it happened. The other book in this trilogy were very interesting and absorbing - packed with history and detailed character development. "A Column of Fire" was far too dense and jumped all over the place - there were large gaps in time as well and shifts from place to place. The book is completely dominated by the intricacies of Elizabethan court life, the machinations of power, and most of all by religious conflict. It was just not my cup-o-tea.
    • 5/5
      Loved it! Fascinating read, even though very little takes place in Kingsbridge. A Column of Fire is much better written and the characters better developed than the Follett's last Century Trilogy novel but Kingsbridge, and it's people, have lived with Follett for far longer. I waited 7 years for this installment of Kingsbridge and it was well worth the wait.
    • 5/5
      The third book in the Kingsbridge series (which includes my favorite book of all time, The Pillars of the Earth) did not disappoint, though it definitely took a different turn from the first two books, which are more centered around Kingsbridge. If you enjoyed the first two, this is a must read!
    • 5/5
      A Column of Fire is the third in the Kingsbridge series, the first two of which have been instant 5 star reads for me. Just like The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End, A Column of Fire can be read as a stand alone, although fans of the series will notice the occasional nod to the past and the characters who built the cathedral or the bridge etc.It's 250 years since World Without End and A Column of Fire begins in our favourite town of Kingsbridge although spends little time there throughout the 750 pages. Instead the scope is extended as far as France and Spain to take in a global and politically charged plot that reads more like a Philippa Gregory novel.Set between the years 1558 - 1606 and the reign of Elizabeth I, the novel captures the political turmoil of the time and the religious debate between Protestants and Catholics. The cover art features a ship and the scenes involving the Spanish Armada were some of the best I've ever read on the topic in historical fiction.However, where I mourned the ending of World Without End and wanted it to continue forever, I was at peace with the ending of A Column of Fire.Follett cleverly reminds the reader of the relationship between characters (and who's who) and I imagine if you put the book down for a few weeks, you could easily fall back into the story despite the complexities. Naturally I would never put down a Ken Follett novel and in fact I maintained a strictly monogamous reading schedule until I'd finished this great chunkster of a book.Highly recommended.* Copy courtesy of Pan Macmillan Australia *
    • 4/5
      Ugh the only negative is that it is abridged so still great but I would hav loved all the material
    • 3/5
      Good writing, I like Ken Follett's stories. However, the plot is a bit slow going in this book. It took too long to connect the character threads and many were a bit stereotyped and didn't come alive for me, with the exception of the mother who had lost her mind in the nunnery, that was unique. I liked 'Pillar Of the Earth' much better.
    • 3/5
      The Pillars of the Earth books take commitment, and I enjoyed this novel quite a bit even though it took a while to get read. It was nice to have on travels. These books do take much out of me as I spend so much time getting to know people whom life treats so unfairly. Caution: there are many spoilers below. Ned Willard serves as our cornerstone for this novel, outliving most everyone and eventually marrying the love of his adolescent years. Ned, despite never attending college, becomes an advisor to Queen Elizabeth (the Virgin Queen) after his family unfairly loses their wealth and business in Kingsbridge. Much of the novel does not even take place in Kingsbridge and the Cathedral is barely mentioned. In this time period, Protestants and Catholics are battling it out. Queen Elizabeth is a Protestant and wants everyone to worship as he or she pleases. Of course, mankind cannot have freedom of choice because people INSIST that they are right and all people should worship as they do. Ned witnesses a horrible Protestant death administered by the Catholic Church in Kingsbridge. The same corrupt priest has a hand in losing the Willard family business. Ned determines that no one should ever be forced to worship one religion. As hard as Elizabeth and Ned seek to provide religious freedom, Elizabeth metes out justice cruelly to a few Catholics. The novel also takes place in Paris where Catholics cruelly punish and kill Protestants. The Guise family provide much of the violence and cruelty. It's here in Paris where Ned meets Sylvie. Sylvie's innocence dies when she is used by a Guise family bastard to root out Protestants. She decides to continue selling illegal Bibles to help people find Protestantism. She believes Catholicism separates man from God and that the church is corrupt. Both Sylvie and Ned use their intellect to spy on Catholics who plan to persecute Protestants, including the Guises. There are many characters in the novel. Ned's brother, Barney, sails the world. We see Spain and the New World through his eyes. His years of sailing help England as they must hold off a Spanish attempt to seize England in the name of Catholicism. Ned's adolescent love is Margery. We see the role women have, which is to be abused by men. She marries well, having a great deal of money and prestige, but these rewards come with the high cost of having an ass for a husband and an abusive father-in-law. She remains devoutly Catholic and secretly helps Catholic priests into the country along with her brother who chooses never to marry but to serve only the church. His method of serving God involves a great deal of violence.Overall, I did enjoy the novel. I didn't love it. It just suddenly started ending abruptly. We learn a great deal about history as always: mankind uses God to justify violence over and over throughout history, harming one another instead of loving one another. Stubbornness and pride remain the worst attributes of man. These vices certainly haven't disappeared over time. As I was reading, I enjoyed learning about the King of Spain and France as well as Bloody Mary and Mary, Queen of Scots. Apparently, the novel needed to end because suddenly everything starts happening really quickly. We then jump forward to Ned's old age, which I get. We have to see how things turned out over time. The conclusion just didn't work--too hurried and characters we hadn't seen suddenly are dead. Still, I look forward to book four.
    • 5/5
      The series is awesome. This epic is as well-- however this was much more political and I found myself on wiki looking up history a great deal more than I like while reading....but that was my own curiosity. Love these books and I can only hope he will continue the series. Pillars I reread at least every few years it is truly a classic. I read it when it first came out --long before Oprah found it.
    • 4/5
      An epic continuation of the Kingsbridge saga rich with historical significance. A wonderful story set in the sixteenth century telling the story of Queen Elizabeth I's Secret Service over her 40-year reign.
    • 4/5
      No smud! You can say that I was shocked, shocked I say that there was no real smud at all! Especially after World Without End was full of it.The story itself was a fun read. I appreciate when a history novell is well researched and I can overlook some artistic freedoms. In the end though it suffered from too much story. The last third seemed to be kind of dragging along. A lot happened during the reign of Elizabeth I but did the main character really had to have his fingers in all of it? Did he really had to be part of the shipcrew during the Spanish Armada episode, when his brother was already participating?Speaking if brother, the book kind of ends sudden with questions open of what happened to the rest of the family. We know when Margery died, but not Barney. Did he settle down for good? Did he died at sea? And what about Carlos? Too many loose ends there which I would have prefered to tie up instead of having the Guy Fawlks episode. It also felt like that the writing style got even more simple towards the end, as if the heart was not in it anymore but the determination to get more history lesson in.Anyway, it was a fun book, even without the smud ;-)
    • 3/5
      Long and kinda tedious but I really wanted to read it because I loved the first two.
    • 4/5
      A Column of Fire is the third book in Ken Follett's Kingsbridge series. If you have not already read, "The Pillars of the Earth" and "World Without End" then you must do so immediately. At 909 pages, A Column of Fire is packed full of lively characters, drama, history and action. Ken Follett is such an amazing and talented writer.The book takes place in 16th century England in a time of violence and religious turmoil. It spans from 1558 to 1606. There is always someone scheming to murder the queen or king and there is a constant battle for power between the Catholics and Protestants. I am not a fan of historical fiction and care nothing about politics. The characters are what I loved best about this book.Ned Willard is the hero of the book. Ned has all the characteristics of your typical hero. He is kind, honest, clever, trustworthy, determined, handsome and courageous. He becomes a man of power and importance as he spends his life fighting for Queen Elizabeth. All Ned wants is peace between the Catholics and Protestants. Ned: "What we did that momentous year of 1558 caused political strife, revolt, civil war and invasion. There were times in later years, when in the depths of despair I would wonder whether it had been worth it. The simple idea that people should be allowed to worship as they wished caused more suffering than the ten plagues of Egypt. So if I had known then what I know now, would I have done the same? Hell, yes."The book also has many romances and a heart breaking love story. At the beginning of the book, the woman Ned is in love with is forced to marry someone else. Margery is one of the heroines of the book. She has a willful and rebellious nature but she is "deeply pious at heart," and she feels it is her duty to God to obey her parents. Her parents arrange her marriage to someone that will bring prestige and nobility to their family, even though Margery despises their choice. She devotes her life to doing clandestine work for England's deprived Catholics. Her and Ned spend a lifetime in love with one another.There are so many characters that I can't begin to write about all of them and I don't want to spoil the book for anyone else. The huge cast of hero/heroines and villains in this book do not disappoint. They endured so much loss, death, hardship, and heartbreak. There were also many despicable characters that I just wanted to see destroyed."Evil men always frustrated the efforts of the peacemakers.""There are no saints in politics. But imperfect people can still change the world for the better."Another masterpiece by Follett. I can't imagine how much research he had to do to be able to include so many historical details and even though I am easily bored with history, I truly enjoyed this thrilling epic saga. Well done, Mr. Follett!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      Not as good as Pillars of the Earth. One thing to note - which is stated NOWHERE in Scribd before you buy the book - this is an ABRIDGED version. Very frustrating that I paid for the book without knowing that.

      5 people found this helpful

    • 4/5
      This is a long complex saga, essentially the story of two families told through the fortunes of Ned Willard and Margery Fitzgerald and set against the politics, religious conflict and history of the second half of the 16th century. The key historical events covered start with the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre through the Armada and end with the Gunpowder Plot. The very real religious conflicts of 5he time are represented through the Willard family’s Protestantism and the Fitzgerald’s Catholicism.This very long book contains enough incident, colour and pace to draw the reader in, although there are a lot of characters and plot strands, so I sometimes found myself at a loss as to who was who and what was what. Some characters and incidents seemed separate from the overall story and served no real purpose other than to exist in themselves. It is difficult to see if they were filler, or for completeness or to tee up some future volumes in the series. Not having read previous volumes in this series was no great barrier to senjoying this one.
    • 5/5
      Book DescriptionIn 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.My ReviewIt was great to be back with Ken Follett and his Kingsbridge series. I listened to this book on audio and enjoyed the experience very much. I appreciate all the research that Follett has gathered and found his characters very intriguing. I think Follett is an excellent writer and his many plots held my interest until the very end. I'm looking forward to the next installment as this book ends in 1620. I would highly recommend this series to those who love history of the United Kingdom.
    • 4/5
      A Column of Fire: Ken Follett, author; John Lee, narratorThis long and well researched novel about the history of the royal families in Europe, during the latter half of the 16th century, completes Follett’s Kingsbridge trilogy. This book covers half a century, from the middle of the 1560’s to just after 1600. The rivalry existing between royal families, in order to determine the right to the throne, and the brutality committed in the name of religion in Europe, with the Inquisition in full swing during that time, is brought to life with the focus on two fictional families, the Willards who are Protestant and the Fitzgeralds who are Catholics. Of opposite religious faiths, the reader travels with them over the course of their lives as they move in many different directions. Their religious beliefs are truly believed to come from G-d, and these beliefs govern their choices, lifestyle and behavior.Plots to overthrow the English royal family are exposed, and the murder of perceived and actual heretics is evident in the lives of the citizens depending on the country in which they reside. The methods used to interrogate and punish the sinners and traitors are violent and cruel. Each subject remains loyal to his/her monarch and to his/her religious belief, above all. Protestants murder Catholics and Catholics murder Protestants. There are plans and plots to capture and/or murder the opposing royal competition in various countries in order to overthrow one monarch and install another. Few are without sin in that regard. The subjects of the different European royal families, who are often engaged in the plots to overthrow and destroy the political leaders and religious leaders they oppose, believe G-d justifies their behavior.I was disappointed in this third novel of the trilogy because the author seems to have succumbed to the decadent use of crude and vulgar language and sexual description so common today in mass produced books. I found them unnecessary and out of place. I believe they reduced the value of the book and certainly did not enhance it. Still, the book immerses the reader in the lives of Europeans from many countries during the latter half of the 16th century and begins in the same area of Kingsbridge as the previous novels in the series. It continues to travel throughout other European countries as royal conflicts and religious prejudices become the prominent subjects of history.The story takes us through the reign of Mary Tudor and Elizabeth Tudor. It reveals the history of Mary Stuart, the Queen of Scots, whose subjects never gave up plotting to overthrow Elizabeth Tudor, in order to place Mary on the throne of England, as the rightful Queen recognized by the Pope.(Mary was a devout Catholic and Elizabeth was a Protestant who was far more tolerant of other religions, neither believing in the torture of heretics nor in their murder. She believed they could all get along in the world without having to eliminate each other.)As the story progresses, the reader witnesses the constantly changing political and religious scene with all of its concomitant challenges. The battles and intrigue are the best part of the book, with the family rivalries and their opposing beliefs taking a back seat, serving only to move the historical narrative forward. A student of history will know how it will all turn out in the end, but as a novel, it is educational and entertaining.The audio book is read superbly by narrator John Lee.