From an early age, Ken Follet has always been interested in the world of letters, being a lover of literature since childhood, he was a tireless devourer of books on different topics.
Among the more than 30 books published since his debut as a writer, there are very few if any that are not considered a success. Let’s see below, ten of the best books written by the Welsh author .
The pillars of the earth
It is one of the first novels Ken Follett wrote, published in 1989, a decade after his first success in a completely different style, and the first of a three-book series.
Set in the twelfth century in the Middle Ages, a crucial time in the history of England due to the clash of the feudal system with the new merchant class. The story revolves around the construction of Kingsbridge Cathedral first , and around the main characters second.
In the White
And from the historical novel we move on to a thriller, that’s how versatile Ken Follet is when it comes to developing a story.
In the target a Scottish pharmaceutical company, responsible for the research and manufacture of vaccines from very dangerous viruses, and its owner, Sanley Oxenford , are preparing to spend a Christmas like any other, or so they thought.
With one of the most advanced security systems installed in the complex , who knew that something would go wrong?
A place called freedom
In 18th-century Scotland, the life of a coal miner was not exactly one of comfort. To long and dangerous hours of work add an existence very similar to slavery.
Mack McAsh was one of those miners until one day, tired of the conditions in which he lived, he defied his master and managed to escape, leading him on an adventure that would take him to London and later to the great hope of freedom of the time. the colonies of North America.
A Place Called Freedom is a quick read story. Agile, at times exciting and one could say addictive, it narrates the struggle to improve the quality of life, the struggle of the immigrants of the time who even risked their lives for the promise of a brighter future.
A world without end
Eighteen years after the publication of The Pillars of the Earth and two centuries into fiction, Ken Follet continues the story in the same town of Kingsbridge where the famous cathedral was built.
Set in the 14th century, during a time of conflict and death with the start of the Hundred Years’ War and the Black Death as a backdrop. A turbulent time where life expectancy was very poor and luck was counted for those poor lucky ones.
With a cast of characters that has great parallels with its predecessor. For example, there is Godwyn the Bishop; Caris , a woman of intelligence and courage to be reckoned with; and Merthin , a character full of fears and ambitions.
The fall of the giants
This book represents the introduction to Ken Follet’s trilogy on the history of the 20th century, published in 2010. History marked by surprising, tragic and wonderful events alike, and the author has managed to capture the magic of these events.
Set between the years 1911 to 1928, it tells the story of five families of different nationalities, with two important historical events as a framework for the narrative, the First World War or Great War, and the Russian Revolution.
The winter of the world
Following in the footsteps of The Fall of Giants, this is the second book in the trilogy and continues shortly after the events of the first. It takes place between the years of 1933 to 1949.
Follow the story of the five families from the first installment, where we will remember some names that are repeated and we will meet new members. Thus we will see the brilliant pen of the author in the development of the characters, and how well he spins all the perspectives throughout the book.
High risk
We are facing a historical and espionage novel, written at the beginning of the year 2000, which is a little out of the stereotype and the conventional with this type of stories.
It’s World War II and a group of six brave women will be assigned to a dangerous infiltration mission. They will have the difficult task of becoming undercover agents in enemy territory, which will generate more than one feeling of anguish, fear and tension throughout the plot.
The characters are well marked, there are very good and some very bad. The crux of the matter is to accompany our protagonists through the situations of constant tension to which they will be subjected.
The third twin
At a prestigious university, research is being carried out on the development of personality and behavior between identical twins. Professor and young scientist, Jeanny , is working on this study using a database to track possible separated twins.
Due to an incident within the university, Jeanny will meet two possible identical twins but from different mothers. With such a discovery, she will immediately investigate what is happening. However, there are certain factors that will try to stop her efforts at any cost.
The man from Saint Petersburg
In the midst of the First World War, an English aristocrat, Stephen Wladen, acts as an intermediary between Winston Churchill and a Russian revolutionary named Felix, who is immersed in the mission of assassinating Prince Orlov, representative of the Tsar of Russia.
A matter of vital importance that must be carried out successfully. What is not known is the common past between the anarchist Félix and the Countess of Walden, a common history that will complicate things.
The island of storms
Paradoxically, we end with the first best-seller by Ken Follett. The island of storms is a story of espionage and adventure, set in World War II.
