Ken Follett is one of the world's best-loved authors, selling more than 160 million copies of his thirty books. Follett's first bestseller was Eye of the Needle, a spy story set in the Second World War.

In 1989 The Pillars of the Earth was published, and has since become the author's most successful novel. It reached number one on bestseller lists around the world and was an Oprah's Book Club pick.

Its sequels, World Without End and A Column of Fire, proved equally popular, and the Kingsbridge series has sold 38 million copies worldwide.

Follett lives in Hertfordshire, England, with his wife Barbara. Between them they have five children, six grandchildren, and three Labradors.

"A deadly romantic triangle, a clandestine mission with global stakes, an exotic location, a plot as gripping and ingenious as Eye of the Needle . . . engineered to perfection with breathless acceleration . . . I couldn't put it down." --Los Angeles Times

"Sheer suspense." --The Washington Post

"Vintage Follett. . . . This is his most ambitious novel and it succeeds admirably . . . tense, vivid, exciting . . . balances physical action with internal drama . . . satisfies on deep levels." --USA Today

"May be Ken Follett's finest yet. . . . The suspense mounts as swiftly as Afghan villagers running to escape Russian guns--and the pages will turn just as fast." --Cosmopolitan

"An exciting and complex tale." --Philadelphia Inquirer

"Masterful . . . plot and counterplot, treachery, cunning and killing . . . keep you on edge every moment." --Associated Press

"Combines modern warfare, international espionage, and a love story while also, in typical Follett fashion, playing out the fate of his characters amid thrilling escapes and shattering revelations." --Richmond Times-Dispatch

"A gripping thriller and love story. . . . Follett builds the tension until it is as taut as a cable across the Khyber Pass. . . . There is an incredible sex scene and desperate trek across ice-covered mountains . . . an exotic setting, a strong, courageous heroine, a strong, courageous hero, good guys, bad guys and a supporting cast of thousands. . . . A roaring good read." --Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"Solid suspense fiction . . . romance, adventure, exotic settings with a healthy dash of intrigue. . . . When it comes to reliable entertainment, few authors deliver as consistently as Follett." --Pittsburgh Press

"Follett's great strength is his female characters--they are smart, strong, independent, and when they love a man, by golly, he knows the game is up." --People

"Harrowing escapes . . . larger-than-life characters performing larger-than-life deeds. . . . It shouldn't work but it does." --Booklist

"Beautiful in conception and execution . . . full of adventure and love blended as only a master such as Follett can do . . . a most provocative tale." --Ocala Star Banner

"Ken Follett scores again . . . an enthralling web of suspense . . . a well-crafted love story . . . unrelieved page-to-page tension . . . a wonderfully clean and simple writing style . . . holds constant interest." --The Anniston Star

"Exciting . . . romance, adventure, intrigue. . . . Ken Follett can hold his own with the best." --Indianapolis Star

"Lions roars . . . highly entertaining, quickly paced . . . skillfully crafted . . . and a nicely detailed quartet of characters that make the novel click." --Los Angeles Herald Examiner

"Deftly-built tension . . . the thrills of a chase . . . well-developed characters and atmosphere . . . keep the action going and have the credibility of a true tale." --The Orlando Sentinel

Publisher: Penguin Books

Pub date: 2003-12-02

Length: 306 pages