CONTENTSA Column of Fire Blurb 2

Publication Dates 3 About the Author 4 Map of Kingsbridge 5

Research Books 6 Cast of Characters 7

In Conversation with Ken Follett 10

Ken Follett's Books on Screen 13

The Pillars of the Earth 14 Praise for The Pillars of the Earth 15

World Without End 16 Praise for World Without End 17

On the Trail of History 18

Image Gallery 19

Ken Follett's Career Timeline 20

Digital versions of the text and images in this information packare available to download from:

www.Ken-Follett.com/media

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The saga that has enthralled the millions of readers of The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End now continues with Ken Follett’s magnificent, gripping new story.

Young Ned Willard is coming home to Kingsbridge at Christmas as A Column of Fire opens. The year 1558 will turn Ned’s life upside-down and change Europe for ever.

The ancient stones of Kingsbridge Cathedral look down on a city torn by religious hatred. High principles clash bloodily with friendship, loyalty and love. Ned finds himself on the opposite side to the girl he longs to marry, Margery Fitzgerald.

When Elizabeth Tudor becomes queen, all Europe turns against England. The shrewd, determined young monarch sets up the country’s first secret service, to give her early warning of assassination plots, rebellions and invasion plans.

Waiting in Paris is the alluring, headstrong Mary Queen of Scots, part of a brutally ambitious French family. Proclaimed the rightful ruler of England, she has her own supporters scheming to get rid of Elizabeth.

Ned Willard hunts the slippery, enigmatic Jean Langlais, not knowing that the false name hides a childhood classmate who knows him all too well.

Over a turbulent half-century, the love between Ned and Margery seems doomed, as extremism sparks violence from Edinburgh to Geneva. Elizabeth clings precariously to her throne and her principles, protected by a small, dedicated group of resourceful spies and courageous secret agents.

The real enemies, then as now, are not the rival religions. The true battle pitches those who believe in tolerance and compromise against the tyrants who would impose their ideas on everyone else—no matter what the cost.

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PUBLICATION DATES

Tuesday 12th September - Brazi l , Denmark, Germany, Hungar y, Italy, The Netherlands, Portugal , Spain, Sweden

& The United States

Wednesday 13th September - Poland

Thursday 14th September - France & French Canada

Thursday 21st September - United Kingdom

Tuesday 17th October - Finland

Monday 27th November - Greece

A Column of Fire reached #1 on the bestseller lists in The Unit-ed States, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom, France, French

Canada, The Netherlands, Portugal, Denmark & Italy

“Deeply researched…compelling….A Column of Fire is absorbing, painlessly educational and a great deal of fun.”

The Washington Post, September 2017

"Follett’s sprawling novel is a fine mix of heart-pounding drama and erudite historicism."

Publishers Weekly, September 2017

"A Column of Fire is half historic epic, half thriller – all of it engaging"

The Christian Science Monitor, September 2017

REVIEWS & BESTSELLER LISTS

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KEN FOLLETT’S BIOGRAPHY

Ken Follett is one of the world’s most successful authors. Over 160 million copies of the 31 books he has written have been sold in over 80 countries and in 33 languages.

Born on June 5th, 1949 in Cardiff, Wales, the son of a tax inspector, Ken was educated at state schools and went on to graduate from University College, London, with an Honours degree in Philosophy – later to be made a Fellow of the College in 1995.

He started his career as a reporter, first with his hometown newspaper the South Wales Echo and then with the London Evening News. Subsequently, he worked for a small London publishing house, Everest Books, eventually becoming Deputy Managing Director.

Ken’s last project, The Century Trilogy, has sold 19.5 million copies worldwide. The three books tell the story of the twentieth century through five generations on three continents.

Ken’s first major success came with the publication of Eye of the Needle in 1978. A World War II thriller set in England, this book earned him the 1979 Edgar Award for Best Novel from the Mystery Writers of America. It remains one of Ken’s most popular books.

In 1989, Ken’s epic novel about the building of a medieval cathedral, The Pillars of the Earth, was published. It reached number one on best-seller lists everywhere and was turned into a major television series produced by Ridley Scott, which aired in 2010. World Without End, the sequel to The Pillars of the Earth, proved equally popular when it was published in 2007.

Ken’s new book, A Column of Fire, is a historical novel about spies and secret agents in the 16th century, the time of Queen Elizabeth I. Set partly in the fictional town of Kingsbridge, it is a sequel to bestsellers The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End and will be published in 2017.

Ken has been active in numerous literacy charities and was president of Dyslexia Action for ten years. He was chair of the National Year of Reading, a joint initiative between government and businesses. He is also active in many Stevenage charities and is President of the Stevenage Community Trust.

Ken, who loves music almost as much as he loves books, is an enthusiastic bass guitar player in two bands. He lives in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, with his wife Barbara, the former Labour Member of Parliament for Stevenage. Between them they have five children, six grandchildren and three Labradors.

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Map artwork by Stephen Raw.

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I used 228 books in my research for A Column of Fire. Many are just for reference, but I read about half all the way through.

I always start with the monumental Oxford History of England—14 authoritative volumes, of which the one relevant to this novel is the eighth, titled The Reign of Elizabeth. This gives me the rigid factual framework of names and dates, battles and assassinations and massacres, within which I must construct my story.

The books most relevant to A Column of Fire are the ones about spymaster Francis Walsingham and the organization of secret agents and codebreakers he created for Queen Elizabeth, especially the three-volume Mr Secretary Walsingham by Conyers Read. Everything they did was secret, of course, so it is difficult to ferret out the details, but several historians with a leaning towards detective work have uncovered a great deal of information.

I was surprised to find that so many historians of this period have a religious bias, either Protestant or Catholic. H. Noel Williams made no pretence of objectivity about the powerful Guise family from Lorraine when he entitled his book The Brood of False Lorraine. Even my friend Antonia Fraser seems partial in Mary Queen of Scots, an affectionate biography of a monarch who really never made a good decision in her life.

Often the hardest facts to find are the commonplace details of everyday existence—underwear, cutlery, coins, toilets, hairdressing, shops, booze—and for these The Time Traveller’s Guide to Elizabethan England is quite marvellous.

Novels of the period can be helpful with this kind of thing, but unfortunately there are no sixteenth-century novels: the form had not yet been invented. Happily we have the plays of Shakespeare, who was writing during the time of A Column of Fire. For example, he gives a useful list of horses’ illnesses in The Taming of the Shrew—lampas, windgalls, and spavins. And Falstaff’s gargantuan appetites tell us about eggs with butter, fat capons (chickens), and sack, a strong wine from Spain.

How far can a horse go in a day? I found out from Horse & Man in Early Modern England. (Answer: it depends on the horse.) What were guns like in the sixteenth century? See Firearms: A Global History to 1700. What kind of tableware did they have—had forks been invented then? I found a French book, Festins de la Renaissance: Cuisine et Tresors de la table with lots of pictures.

Part of what readers enjoy is interesting background detail, but it has to be accurate, and I couldn’t manage that without history books. Hundreds of historians have toiled all their lives to make it easier for me, and I raise a glass to them in gratitude for their work.

MY RESEARCH BOOKS

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CAST OF CHARACTERS

ENGLAND

Willard householdNed Willard

Barney, his brotherAlice, their mother

Malcolm Fife, groomJanet Fife, housekeeper

Eileen Fife, daughter of Malcolm and Janet

Fitzgerald householdMargery FitzgeraldRollo, her brother

Sir Reginald, their fatherLady Jane, their mother

Naomi, maidSister Joan, Margery’s great-aunt

Shiring householdBart, Viscount Shiring

Swithin, his father, earl of ShiringSal Brendon, housekeeper

The PuritansPhilbert Cobley, ship owner

Dan Cobley, his sonRuth Cobley, Philbert’s daughter

Donal Gloster, clerkFather Jeremiah, parson of St John’s in Loversfield

Widow Pollard

OthersFriar Murdo, an itinerant preacher

Susannah, Countess of Brecknock, friend of Margery & NedJonas Bacon, captain of the Hawk

Jonathan Greenland, first mate aboard the HawkStephen Lincoln, a priestRodney Tilbury, justice

Real historical peopleMary Tudor, queen of England

Elizabeth Tudor, her half-sister, later queenSir William Cecil, advisor to Elizabeth

Robert Cecil, William’s sonWilliam Allen, leader of the exiled English Catholics

Sir Francis Walsingham, spymaster

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CAST OF CHARACTERS

FRANCE

Palot familySylvie Palot

Isabelle Palot, her motherGiles Palot, her father

OthersPierre Aumande

Viscount Villeneuve, fellow student of Pierre’s Father Moineau, Pierre’s tutor

Nath, Pierre’s maidGuillaume of Geneva, itinerant pastor

Louise, marchioness of NîmesLuc Mauriac, cargo broker

Aphrodite Beaulieu, daughter of the count of BeaulieuRené Duboeuf, tailor

Françoise Duboeuf, his young wifeMarquis de Lagny, a Protestant aristocrat

Bernard Housse, a young courtierAlison McKay, lady-in-waiting to Mary Queen of Scots

Fictional members of the Guise householdGaston Le Pin, head of the household guard of the Guise family

Brocard and Rasteau, two of Gaston’s thugsVeronique

Odette, maid to VeroniqueGeorges Biron, a spy

Real historical people: the Guise householdFrançois, duke of GuiseHenri, son of François

Charles, cardinal Lorraine, brother of François

Real historical people: the Bourbons & their alliesAntoine, king of Navarre

Henri, son of AntoineLouis, prince of Condé

Gaspard de Coligny, admiral of France

Real historical people: othersHenri II, king of France

Caterina de’ Medici, queen of France

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CAST OF CHARACTERSChildren of Henri and Caterina:

Francis II, king of FranceCharles IX, king of FranceHenri III, king of France

Margot, queen of Navarre

Mary Stuart, queen of ScotsCharles de Louviers, assassin

SCOTLAND

Real historical peopleJames Stuart, illegitimate half-brother of Mary Queen of Scots

James Stuart, son of Mary Queen of Scots, later King James VI of Scotland and King James I of England

SPAIN

Cruz familyCarlos CruzAunt Betsy

Ruiz familyJerónima

Pedro, her father

OthersArchdeacon Romero

Father Alonso, inquisitorCaptain “Ironhand” Gómez

NETHERLANDS

Wolman familyJan Wolman, cousin of Edmund Willard

Imke, his daughter

Willemsen familyAlbert

Betje, Albert’s wifeDrike, their daughter

Evi, Albert’s widowed sisterMatthus, Evi’s son

Other nationsEbrima Dabo, Mandinkan slaveBella, rum maker in Hispaniola

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IN CONVERSATION WITH KEN FOLLETT

Were you excited about returning to Kingsbridge?

You bet. We’ve watched the place grow from an Anglo-Norman settlement to a thriving medieval town, and now we see it at the start of the English Renaissance. Kingsbridge is Eng-land in miniature.

Where did the idea for A Column of Fire come from?

I read somewhere that Queen Elizabeth I started the first English secret service. That in-trigued me, and I read several books about spies and secret agents in the 16th century. I felt sure this could be the basis of an exciting novel.

Why did you choose to call the book A Column of Fire?

It’s biblical, like The Pillars of the Earth. Spies are sometimes referred to as a Fifth Column. And a lot of people were burned at the stake in the 16th century.

We know that A Column of Fire is about spies and secret agents in the 16th century, what are the other themes surrounding the book?

Most of my recent books are about people struggling for freedom in one form or another: Welsh coal miners, Russian factory workers, Jews, African Americans. This is about religious freedom.

How do these themes relate to your own life?

I’ve always hated people who assume they have authority over me. This made my schooldays a challenge, obviously. A bully makes me angry. I empathize with fictional characters who fight against tyranny.

What sort of research did you do for A Column of Fire?

There’s nobody left to interview, of course. As usual, most of my information comes from history books. I also visited houses and castles built in this period. I looked at 16th century clothing in the London Museum, and I went several times to the National Portrait Gallery to study the faces of Queen Elizabeth, Mary Queen of Scots, Francis Drake and many others.

Did you visit the locations of the key events in A Column of Fire?

Scotland for Loch Leven, the prison from which Mary Queen of Scots escaped; Belgium for Antwerp, then the banking centre of the western world; Spain for Seville, the richest city in Spain; Paris because it was the headquarters of those who conspired to assassinate Queen Elizabeth.

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Plenty of historians have written about this era. Who among them do you particularly like or respect?

Robert Hutchinson has written well about espionage at this time. Geoffrey Parker is the authority on the long and bloody war in the Netherlands. Perhaps the most useful book was Conyers Read’s three-volume biography Mr Secretary Walsingham, about the man who was the Elizabethan equivalent of “M” in the James Bond stories.

Are any of your fictional characters based on real people?

Not really. I might give a villain the hair style of someone I dislike, and of course the female heroes all have something in them of Barbara, my wife; but my fictional characters are never portraits of real people.

A Column of Fire has a number of real historical characters, including several heads of state. Who did you particularly admire?

Three great 16th century leaders understood the need for religious tolerance, and interestingly they were all women: our Queen Elizabeth I; Caterina dei Medici, who was queen of France and then Queen Mother; and Marguerite de Parme, governor of the Netherlands. In an age of relentless bigotry, each of them tried to persuade people of rival religions to live in peace. For that they were hated. Their efforts were only partly successful. Each of them was undermined: Elizabeth by repeated plots to assassinate her, Caterina by the ruthless Guise family, and Marguerite by her half-brother King Felipe II of Spain. I admire their idealism, courage and persistence in the face of bloodthirsty opposition.

What are you most proud of in your career?

It was a pretty good achievement to write a novel about the rather unpromising subject of building a cathedral in the Middle Ages and turning it into an international No.1. We’ve sold about twenty-six-million copies of The Pillars of the Earth. That’s pretty good for a book a lot of people thought would be too dull.

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How long did it take you to write?

The whole thing took three years and three months. After two years I only had about 200 pages, and I felt this was a crisis. And as a novelist the only thing you can do if you want to write faster is work more hours. So I started to work Saturdays and then Sundays as well. The difficulty is simply that you’ve got to keep on making up more and more stuff about the same people. If you write 100,000 words of a thriller, then it’s finished. But after 100,000 words of The Pillars of the Earth that’s like that much. [He holds open first quarter of the book.] I had all that to go. [He holds open the final three-quarters.] That was the great difficulty.

Some writers live in dread of their books being turned into films or TV series. Have you enjoyed the experience?

Seeing good actors giving good performances, bringing to life characters I’ve invented and speaking some of the lines I’ve written is a huge thrill. When it all goes well it’s great. When it goes badly you cringe when you see what’s on the screen, but you have to take that risk. I’m pleased and proud that some of my stories have made good film and TV. It confirms the strength of the story that it can be transformed from one medium to another. And I’m also pleased that my stories have been turned into a stage musical, several board games, and a computer game.

What’s next?

I’m working on a new story, but I’m not yet ready to talk about it—sorry!

The Pillars of the Earth musical at the The Østre Gasværk Teater

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Both The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End were adapted for the small screen with commercial and critical success. Ian McShane, Donald Sutherland, Rufus Sewell, Hayley Atwell and Eddie Redmayne (pictured with Ken below) headlined the star-studded cast for the US $40 million adaptation of The Pillars of the Earth. The series was produced by Tandem Communications and Muse Entertainment in association with Ridley Scott’s Scott Free Films and originally aired in 2011.

The $46 million eight-hour miniseries of World Without End first aired in 2012. As with The Pillars of the Earth miniseries, it was produced by Tandem and Scott Free Films. Principal cast members included Cynthia Nixon, Miranda Richardson, Ben Chaplin, Peter Firth, Charlotte Riley and Tom Weston-Jones.

The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End have been adapted into other forms of entertainment media. Both books have had award-winning board game versions produced by Kosmos. They will also be releasing a new game to tie-in with the publication of A Column of Fire in late 2017.

Also surrounding the publication of A Column of Fire will be the release of a video game adaptation of The Pillars of the Earth. This is being produced by Daedalic Entertainment, part of Bastei Lübbe, publishers of the German editions of Ken’s books. Danish musical producers Høg, Aagaard and Svanekier adapted The Pillars of the Earth into a musical theatre production. This premiered at the Østre Gasværk Teater in Copenhagen on October 12th 2016.

BOOKS ON SCREEN

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In a time of civil war, famine and religious strife, there rises a magnificent Cathedral in Kingsbridge. Against this backdrop, lives entwine: Tom, the master builder, Aliena, the noblewoman, Philip, the prior of Kingsbridge, Jack, the artist in stone and Ellen, the woman from the forest who casts a curse. At once, this is a sensuous and enduring love story and an epic that shines with the fierce spirit of a passionate age.

THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH

The Pillars of the Earth has sold 26,000,000 copies wordwide

I have been asked many times why Pillars has such a big impact. There’s no simple answer, because a novel is so complex. But I come back again and again to the people who built the cathedrals. Human beings have the capacity to rise above mundane circumstances and touch the eternal. That is what Pillars is about and, in the end, I think that may be why it has so profoundly touched the hearts of so many readers for so many years.

Ken Follett

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“Follett is a master.” —The Washington Post “Wonderful . . . will hold you, fascinate you, surround you.” —Chicago Sun-Times

“A towering tale . . . a ripping read . . . There’s murder, arson, treachery, torture, love, and lust.” —The New York Daily News

“With this book, Follett risks all and comes out a clear winner. . . . A historical novel of gripping readability, authentic atmosphere, and memorable characterization. Beginning with a mystery that casts its shadow, the narrative is a seesaw of tension, suspense, impeccable pacing . . . action, intrigue, violence, passion, greed, bravery, dedication, revenge, and love. A love that entertains, instructs, and satisfies on a grand scale.” —Publishers Weekly

“An extraordinary epic buttressed by suspense . . . a mystifying puzzle involving the execution of an innocent man . . . the erection of a magnificent cathedral . . . romance, rivalry, and spectacle. A monumental masterpiece . . . a towering triumph from a major talent.” —Booklist

HONOURS & ACCOLADES

REVIEWS

• The Pillars of the Earth was on The New York Times bestseller list for 18 weeks.• It remained on the German bestseller list for six years.• The Pillars of the Earth ranked at 64th on the 101 Bestselling Books of All Time list at

Ranker.com.• The Pillars of the Earth was selected by Oprah Winfrey as her 60th Book Club Choice in

November 2008. It was the Club’s fastest selling book ever.• In 2009, The Pillars of the Earth was ranked #6 on The Times of London’s list of the 100

best-loved novels published in English since 1949. • In a 2008 official survey of reading habits in Spain, The Pillars of the Earth was the most

popular print novel.• In 2006 The Pillars of the Earth was voted the third-most popular book in Germany

by ZDF TV viewers.• The Pillars of the Earth was chosen as one of Britain’s best-loved books by the BBC’s “The

Big Read” in 2003.

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WORLD WITHOUT END

World Without End has sold 12,000,000 copies wordwide

World Without End takes place in the same town of Kingsbridge, two centuries after the conclusion of The Pillars of the Earth. The cathedral and the priory are again at the centre of a web of love and hate, greed and pride. In a world where proponents of the old ways fiercely battle those with progressive minds, the intrigue and tension quickly reach a boiling point against the devastating backdrop of the Black Death.

World Without End was a challenge for me because The Pillars of the Earth was my most popular book by quite a long way and I couldn’t help but be attracted by the challenge of seeing whether I could do that again...

Ken Follett

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“[A] well-researched, beautifully detailed portrait of the late Middle Ages... Follett’s no-frills prose does its job, getting smoothly through more than a thousand pages of outlaws, war, death, sex, and politics to end with an edifice that is as well constructed and solid as Merthin’s bridge.”—The Washington Post “Follett tells a story that runs the gamut of life in the Middle Ages, and he does so in such a way that we are not only captivated but also educated. What else could you ask for?” —The Denver Post “So if historical fiction is your meat, here’s a rare treat. A feast of conflicts and struggles among religious authority, royal governance, the powerful unions (or guilds) of the day, and the peasantry . . . With World Without End, Follett proves his Pillars may be a rarity, but it wasn’t a fluke.”—New York Post “A work that stands as something of a triumph of industry and professionalism.” —The Guardian (UK) “Populated with an immense cast of truly remarkable characters . . . this is not a book to be devoured in one sitting, tempting though that might be, but one to savor for its drama, depth, and richness.” —Library Journal

HONOURS & ACCOLADES

REVIEWS

• #1 on The New York Times bestseller list. • Remained on this list for six months.• #1 in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Spain the United Kingdom and the

United States.• #1 on the lists of The Sunday Times, Entertainment Weekly, Publishers Weekly and The

Wall Street Journal.• Was the fastest-selling book ever published in the Spanish language.• In 2009, World Without End is Number 24 on The Times of London’s list of the 100 best-

loved novels published in English since 1949.• In 2013, World Without End was voted Best Foreign Novel by Club Literario Creatio in

Spain.

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ON THE TRAIL OF HISTORY

Other filming locations include:

Carlisle CastleCathedral of Our Lady, AntwerpCathédrale Sainte-Croix d’OrléansChâteau Groslot, OrléansThe Club Hotelier of OrléansDundrennan AbbeyEdinburgh CastlePalace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh

The film opens with Ken at the Old Palace, Hatfield House, where Elizabeth I spent her childhood and was later exiled. He also spent time researching in the port-city of Seville, Spain, a key location in A Column of Fire. Ken filmed at various notable landmarks in the city including Real Alcazar (Royal Palace) and The Torre del Oro (Tower of Gold). The National Portrait Gallery in London

is home to portraits of many of the historical figures that feature in A Column of Fire. Ken viewed portraits of Elizabeth I, William Cecil and Philip II of Spain, and talks about their significance to the plot of A Column of Fire.

At the Museum of London, Ken was filmed discussing 16th century clothing that his characters might have worn.

Over the last three years, Ken has visited a number of locations researching A Column of Fire. He was filmed at each of the locations talking about the background to the book. The resulting short film can be used by the media, publishers and booksellers around the world to promote the book.

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IMAGE GALLERY

All photos credit Olivier Favre

Please contact publicity@thefollettoffice.com if you require additional images.

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Born on 5th June in Cardiff to Martin and Lavinia FollettMarries Mary Elson. Their son, Emanuele, is bornGraduates from University College, London with B.A. in PhilosophyBecomes a Reporter on The South Wales EchoDaughter, Marie Claire, is bornBecomes a reporter for London Evening News Becomes Deputy Manager Director at Everest Books, LondonPublishes The Big Needle and The Big Black as Symon MylesPublishes The Big Hit by as Symon Myles and The Shakeout as Ken FollettPublishes The Modigliani Scandal as Zachary StonePublishes The Mystery Hideout as Ken FollettPublishes The Power Twins as Martin Martinsen Publishes Amok: King of Legend as Bernard L. RossPublishes Paper Money as Zachary StonePublishes Capricorn One as Bernard L. Ross Publishes Eye of the Needle as Ken FollettPublishes TriplePublishes The Key to RebeccaPublishes The Man From St. PetersburgPublishes On the Wings of EaglesMarries Barbara Broer and gains three step-children, Jann; Kim & AdamPublishes Lie Down With LionsPublishes The Pillars of the EarthPublishes Night Over WaterPublishes A Dangerous FortunePublishes A Place Called FreedomPublishes The Third TwinPublishes The Hammer of EdenPublishes Code to ZeroPublishes JackdawsPublishes Hornet FlightPublishes WhiteoutPublishes World Without EndPublishes Fall of GiantsPublishes Winter of the WorldPublishes Edge of EternityPublishes A Column of Fire

1949 1968 1970 1971 1973

1974 1975 1976

1977 1978 1978 1979 1980 1982 1983 1985 1986 1989 1991 1993 1995 1996 1998 2000 2001 2002 2004 2007 2010 2012 2014 2017

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