A captivating epic tale of ambition, anarchy, and absolute power, "The Pillars of the Earth" is Ken Follett's classic historical masterpiece. During 1135, in a world wrought with civil wars, famine, and religious upheaval, stone mason Tom Builder dreams of the day when he can use his talents to create and build a cathedral like no other.

Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, is shrewd and resourceful, but with money scarce, he knows that for his town to survive, he must find a way to prosper, and so he decides to build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has ever known.

As Tom and Philip met, an epic story begins, marked by ambition, anarchy, and absolute power. In a world filled with strife and enemies seeking to overturn their plans, they will stop at nothing to achieve their goals, in a struggle between good and evil that will pit church against state and brother against brother...

"The Pillars of the Earth" is the first book in "The Kingsbridge Novels" series, followed by "World Without End" and "A Column of Fire". More than 175 million copies have been sold worldwide. It has been published in over eighty countries and in thirty-seven languages. The international No. 1 bestseller returns.