His books may be massive, but thanks to his writing style, every book has a perfect flow and every page is full of fascinating (and evil) characters, details and surprises. The antagonism between Catholics and Protestants is at a fevered pitch as Queen Mary, also known as Bloody Mary, tortures and kills those who want to take Christianity in a different direction that of being less ostentatious, less mercurial, and more dedicated to the simplicity of worshiping God.

But, since we didn't see a lot of Barney and Rollo, their two story-lines felt almost arbitrary and random. Exciting and ambitious, and set during one of the most turbulent and revolutionary times in history, A Column of Fire will delight longtime fans of the Kingsbridge series and serve as the perfect introduction for readers new to Ken Follett. Full of adventure and suspense, A Column of Fire is an inspiring and thrilling portrait of one of Europe’s most perilous times in history. years later saw the author then bring out the long awaited World without End and 10 years later I am sitting here with the third instalment.People are put to death for their beliefs and there’s a great tie-in with the Pilgrims’ voyage to America.

Set during one of the most turbulent and revolutionary times in history, A Column of Fire is one of Follett’s most exciting and ambitious works yet. He builds a relationship with young Sylvie Palot, going so far as to marry her so she will eventually reveal the members of the Protestant community to him. Drake's raid on Cadiz in 1587 - emphasizing that as well as delaying the sailing of the Spanish Armada, the English raiders were motivated by seeking to loot Spanish ships (including Follet's viewpoint character, the sea captain Barney Willard). Follett also talks about how he gets ideas for plot points when he visits historical locations and walks about them.On top of that, I didn't feel any affinity for the "good guys", except for a tiny bit near the end (2 pages) about Margery. He seems unaware of how much work it is to furl or set sail, and how easy it is to heave to with the sails set, one mast thrusting in reverse and the other ahead, with the result that the ship holds position fairly well but is ready to fill and gather speed very quickly. This is not intended to be a full statement of all your rights under the Distance Selling Regulations.