The Pillars of the Earth
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The Pillars of the Earth
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Narrated by:
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John Lee
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Written by:
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Ken Follett
About this listen
The Pillars of the Earth tells the story of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk driven to build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has known...of Tom, the mason who becomes his architect - a man divided in his soul...of the beautiful, elusive Lady Aliena, haunted by a secret shame...and of a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state, and brother against brother.
A spellbinding epic tale of ambition, anarchy, and absolute power set against the sprawling medieval canvas of 12th century England, this is Ken Follett's historical masterpiece.
©1989 Ken Follett (P)2007 Penguin Audio, a member of Penguin Group (USA), Inc.You may also enjoy...
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The Evening and the Morning
- Kingsbridge, Book 4
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- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 24 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 772
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 679
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 679
It is 997 CE, the end of the Dark Ages. England is facing attacks from the Welsh in the west and the Vikings in the east. Those in power bend justice according to their will, regardless of ordinary people and often in conflict with the king. Without a clear rule of law, chaos reigns. In these turbulent times, three characters find their lives intertwined.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Too similar
- By Leanne on 2020-10-01
Written by: Ken Follett
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Fall of Giants
- Book One of the Century Trilogy
- Written by: Ken Follett
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 30 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 506
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 439
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 435
Ken Follett's World Without End was a global phenomenon, a work of grand historical sweep beloved by millions of readers and acclaimed by critics. Fall of Giants is his magnificent new historical epic. The first novel in The Century Trilogy, it follows the fates of five interrelated families - American, German, Russian, English, and Welsh - as they move through the world-shaking dramas of the First World War, the Russian Revolution, and the struggle for women's suffrage.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Breathtaking adventure back in time
- By Ashley on 2018-09-20
Written by: Ken Follett
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A Place Called Freedom
- Written by: Ken Follett
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 14 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 239
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 215
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 215
This lush novel, set in 1766 England and America, evokes an era ripe with riot and revolution, from the teeming streets of London to the sprawling grounds of a Virginia plantation. Mack McAsh burns with the desire to escape his life of slavery in Scottish coal mines while Lizzie Hallim is desperate to shed a life of sheltered subjugation to her spineless husband. United in America, their only chance for freedom lies beyond the Western frontier - if they're brave enough to take it.
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3 out of 5 stars
-
Love story, bad narration
- By Janders on 2018-04-27
Written by: Ken Follett
-
Eye of the Needle
- A Novel
- Written by: Ken Follett
- Narrated by: Samuel West
- Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 112
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 103
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 101
His code name was “The Needle.” He was a German aristocrat of extraordinary intelligence - a master spy with a legacy of violence in his blood, and the object of the most desperate manhunt in history.... But his fate lay in the hands of a young and vulnerable English woman, whose loyalty, if swayed, would assure his freedom - and win the war for the Nazis....
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3 out of 5 stars
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Disappointed
- By Anonymous User on 2023-11-20
Written by: Ken Follett
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Never
- A Novel
- Written by: Ken Follett
- Narrated by: January LaVoy
- Length: 23 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 267
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 235
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 235
Never is an extraordinary novel, full of heroines and villains, false prophets and elite warriors, jaded politicians and opportunistic revolutionaries. It brims with cautionary wisdom for our times, and delivers a visceral, heart-pounding story that transports listeners to the brink of the unimaginable.
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2 out of 5 stars
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who wrote this? not Ken Follett for sure
- By nigel holehouse on 2021-11-20
Written by: Ken Follett
-
The Pillars of the Earth
- Written by: Ken Follett
- Narrated by: Richard E. Grant
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 25
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 21
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 21
The Pillars of the Earth tells the story of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk driven to build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has known...of Tom, the mason who becomes his architect - a man divided in his soul...of the beautiful, elusive Lady Aliena, haunted by a secret shame...and of a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state, and brother against brother.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Captivating!
- By Ivonne Leonel de cervantes on 2019-07-08
Written by: Ken Follett
-
The Evening and the Morning
- Kingsbridge, Book 4
- Written by: Ken Follett
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 24 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 772
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 679
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 679
It is 997 CE, the end of the Dark Ages. England is facing attacks from the Welsh in the west and the Vikings in the east. Those in power bend justice according to their will, regardless of ordinary people and often in conflict with the king. Without a clear rule of law, chaos reigns. In these turbulent times, three characters find their lives intertwined.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Too similar
- By Leanne on 2020-10-01
Written by: Ken Follett
-
Fall of Giants
- Book One of the Century Trilogy
- Written by: Ken Follett
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 30 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 506
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 439
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 435
Ken Follett's World Without End was a global phenomenon, a work of grand historical sweep beloved by millions of readers and acclaimed by critics. Fall of Giants is his magnificent new historical epic. The first novel in The Century Trilogy, it follows the fates of five interrelated families - American, German, Russian, English, and Welsh - as they move through the world-shaking dramas of the First World War, the Russian Revolution, and the struggle for women's suffrage.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Breathtaking adventure back in time
- By Ashley on 2018-09-20
Written by: Ken Follett
-
A Place Called Freedom
- Written by: Ken Follett
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 14 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 239
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 215
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 215
This lush novel, set in 1766 England and America, evokes an era ripe with riot and revolution, from the teeming streets of London to the sprawling grounds of a Virginia plantation. Mack McAsh burns with the desire to escape his life of slavery in Scottish coal mines while Lizzie Hallim is desperate to shed a life of sheltered subjugation to her spineless husband. United in America, their only chance for freedom lies beyond the Western frontier - if they're brave enough to take it.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Love story, bad narration
- By Janders on 2018-04-27
Written by: Ken Follett
-
Eye of the Needle
- A Novel
- Written by: Ken Follett
- Narrated by: Samuel West
- Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 112
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 103
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 101
His code name was “The Needle.” He was a German aristocrat of extraordinary intelligence - a master spy with a legacy of violence in his blood, and the object of the most desperate manhunt in history.... But his fate lay in the hands of a young and vulnerable English woman, whose loyalty, if swayed, would assure his freedom - and win the war for the Nazis....
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Disappointed
- By Anonymous User on 2023-11-20
Written by: Ken Follett
-
Never
- A Novel
- Written by: Ken Follett
- Narrated by: January LaVoy
- Length: 23 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 267
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 235
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 235
Never is an extraordinary novel, full of heroines and villains, false prophets and elite warriors, jaded politicians and opportunistic revolutionaries. It brims with cautionary wisdom for our times, and delivers a visceral, heart-pounding story that transports listeners to the brink of the unimaginable.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
who wrote this? not Ken Follett for sure
- By nigel holehouse on 2021-11-20
Written by: Ken Follett
-
The Pillars of the Earth
- Written by: Ken Follett
- Narrated by: Richard E. Grant
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 25
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 21
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 21
The Pillars of the Earth tells the story of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk driven to build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has known...of Tom, the mason who becomes his architect - a man divided in his soul...of the beautiful, elusive Lady Aliena, haunted by a secret shame...and of a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state, and brother against brother.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Captivating!
- By Ivonne Leonel de cervantes on 2019-07-08
Written by: Ken Follett
-
A Dangerous Fortune
- Written by: Ken Follett
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 16 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 439
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 390
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 390
In 1866, tragedy strikes the exclusive Windfield School when a young student drowns in a mysterious accident. His death and its aftermath initiate a spiraling circle of treachery that will span three decades and entwine many lives. From the exclusive men’s clubs and brothels that cater to every dark desire of London’s upper class to the dazzling ballrooms and mahogany-paneled suites of the manipulators of the world’s wealth, one family is splintered by a shared legacy.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Astounding!
- By Amazon Customer on 2019-05-05
Written by: Ken Follett
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Code to Zero
- Written by: Ken Follett
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins
- Abridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 10
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 7
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 7
A man wakes to find himself lying on the ground in a railway station. He does not remember how he got there. He has forgotten where he lives. He cannot even remember his own name.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Fantastic
- By Jean Billingham on 2023-10-18
Written by: Ken Follett
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The Man from St. Petersburg
- Written by: Ken Follett
- Narrated by: Richard Armitage
- Length: 12 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 69
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 63
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 60
His name was Feliks. He came to London to commit a murder that would change history. A master manipulator, he had many weapons at his command, but against him were ranged the whole of the English police, a brilliant and powerful lord, and the young Winston Churchill himself. These odds would have stopped any man in the world - except the man from St. Petersburg.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Brilliant
- By Amanda MacDuffee on 2021-04-30
Written by: Ken Follett
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Hornet Flight
- Written by: Ken Follett
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 14 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 68
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 63
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 63
It's June 1941, and the low point of the war. England throws wave after wave of RAF bombers across the Channel, but somehow the Luftwaffe is able to shoot them down at will. The skies, indeed, the war itself seem to belong to Hitler.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Good One!
- By Harvey on 2024-12-13
Written by: Ken Follett
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The Key to Rebecca
- Written by: Ken Follett
- Narrated by: Tim Downie
- Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 66
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 56
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 57
A brilliant and ruthless Nazi master agent is on the loose in Cairo. His mission is to send Rommel’s advancing army the secrets that will unlock the city’s doors. In all of Cairo, only two people can stop him. One is a down-on-his-luck English officer no one will listen to. The other is a vulnerable young Jewish girl....
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4 out of 5 stars
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Nearly Typical Follet
- By Maureen on 2021-03-19
Written by: Ken Follett
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Triple
- A Novel
- Written by: Ken Follett
- Narrated by: Raza Jaffrey
- Length: 13 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 18
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 16
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 16
As Egypt comes closer and closer to developing a nuclear bomb, the Mossad’s number one Israeli agent is given an impossible mission: to beat the Arabs in the nuclear arms race by finding and stealing two hundred tons of uranium. The world’s balance of power will shift. And the Mossad, the KGB, the Egyptians, and Fedayeen terrorists will play out the final, violent moves in this devastating game where the price of failure is a nuclear holocaust....
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2 out of 5 stars
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honestly the authors most boring book
- By Lane on 2023-11-13
Written by: Ken Follett
What the critics say
"Follett is a master." (The Washington Post)
"A historical novel of gripping readability, authentic atmosphere and detail and memorable characterization." (Publishers Weekly)
Editorial Review
When the throne of England is left without an heir, anarchy reigns in 12th century England. In the midst of this political turmoil, the small town of Kingsbridge rises to undertake a massive project: to build a cathedral. Rather than focus on the technical aspects of the development of Gothic architecture, Ken Follett’s historical thriller describes the humans and the historical events which caused the people of medieval Europe to create this multitude of exceedingly expensive structures. Through the eyes of several inhabitants of the town of Kingsbridge, The Pillars of the Earth transports its listeners into a time of conflict, where noblemen and churchmen alike become conspirators and traitors. By the time Ken Follett wrote this historical novel, he had already received several awards for his previous works. Despite the fact that this first installment of the Kingsbridge series was his first non-spy thriller, Follett did not disappoint - The Pillars of the Earth became a best-seller in several countries and was adapted into a miniseries which was nominated for 3 Golden Globes. This audiobook version of the novel brings the intrigue to life thanks to John Lee’s masterful narration, which will keep you captivated for hours.
What listeners say about The Pillars of the Earth
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kimdra Elliott
- 2021-03-09
Great Story and Narration
John Lee is a fantastic voice actor. His narration is high quality and Ken Follett's story is superb.
The audio quality at times, though, sounds as though it was downloaded from a scratched CD. I'm not entirely sure why Audible or even Penguin Books didn't get a better quality version to upload here.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Carrie
- 2018-12-27
Twists and turns
A little slow to get going but shortly after I started, I found that I couldn’t put it down. What a story! It was extremely interesting and filled with substance. A page turner to be sure!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2019-01-14
Simply excellent
Be prepaired to lose some days with this, because once you start, you cant stop.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kristy
- 2021-02-13
Loved This Book
spellbound throughout this whole book. disturbing at times because it just seemed so real. excellent.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- sykorka
- 2020-10-29
Pleasantly surprised
I have read some of the Ken Follett’s spy and thriller books in the past and always linked him to that genre. As an avid reader of historical novels I was pleasantly surprised - the story grabs you and never lets go. I found myself thinking about it and wanting to know more, it was hard to resist pausing the narrative. I am definitely going to buy his remaining three books with a historical theme.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kyle Rudolph
- 2020-01-29
This has become my favourite book
This book was truly riveting. I really felt like I was back there in that time period. I wasn’t sure I would like this book as I am in now way religious but the books accuracy to history and it’s balance of tender love and brutal violence made it thrilling to listen to for the whole 40 hours.
Highly recommend.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Terri
- 2022-01-31
Gripping
For a book that’s 40 hours long, I can honestly say I was never bored. I had a hard time pausing it. The story is well thought out, full of intrigue and fully engaging. The characters are believable, and demonstrate the intricacies of human emotions. I highly recommend this book, as well the others in the series.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- JPR
- 2023-10-19
Ken places you in the medieval time
I am not sure if I have ever listened to a better novel. Ken writes with passion and detail that I have never experienced. his writing places you i. the events of his literature. I suspect that this is in my top three favorite listening books, Matthew's Green Lights is also there. Enjoy if you wish
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2018-09-18
Pillars of the earth
This was my first experience with audio books and I have to say I loved it. I-Listen to books in the car or while cooking now. Ken is a great plot writer and my wife and I were able to read together :) thanks #Audible1
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- sheila bonin
- 2018-04-30
Riveting
Loved it. It consumed my life fit 40 hours. Wonderful escape to old England and the period of grand Cathedral building.
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