The Pillars of the Earth is a historical novel about the building of a cathedral in Kingsbridge (a fictional town located roughly where the present-day town of Marlborough, Wiltshire is) in England, written by Ken Follett. It is set in the middle of the 12th century, primarily during the time of war known as The Anarchy. His publishers were apprehensive about both the content and the length at 973 pages. When it was published in 1989, Follett surprised readers since he until then was known only to write thrillers. However, it became Follett's best selling work.
The novel covers the time between when the White Ship sunk up to the murder of Thomas Becket.
Some major characters are prior Phillip, Aliena, Jack, Richard, Ellen, William of Hamleigh and Waleran Bigod.
The book features some explicit sexuality, including a rape scene, and in 1994 it was banned by the Chanute, Kansas school library.
In late 2004 Ken Follett announced on his official website that he is working on a sequel for The Pillars of the Earth. He expects to release the book in 2007.
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