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The Pillars of the Earth is a historical novel by Ken Follet. Set in 12th century England, it tells the story of those who are building the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has ever known. Summary of the Book In the 1100s, people undertake the construction of a gargantuan cathedral in an English town. Tom Builder is tasked with the seemingly impossible responsibility of seeing the project to its completion. During the construction of the cathedral, the people in the village change, beginning a conflict between church and state that will pit brother against brother in an epic battle of good against evil. Constantly, the cathedral looms in the background, its completion the sole goal of those who support it, its destruction the ideal of those who see it as a representation of all that is wrong with the Church. About Ken Follet Ken Follet is a Welsh novelist known for his thrillers and historical novels. He has also written The Key to Rebecca, Fall of Giants, Lie Down with Lions, Triple, Winter of the World and World Without End. Follet won the Edgar Best Novel Award from the Mystery Writers of America, the Qué Leer Prize for Best Translated Book in Spain and the Libri Golden Book Award for Best Fiction Title in Hungary. Pillars of the Earth was adapted into a TV series by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan, starring Ian McShane, Matthew Macfadyen and Eddie Redmayne. Series Reading Order The story continues in World Without End.