WRITER

Ken Follett

1949 - Today

Ken Follett

Kenneth Martin Follett, (born 5 June 1949) is a Welsh author of thrillers and historical novels who has sold more than 160 million copies of his works. Follett's commercial breakthrough came with the spy thriller Eye of the Needle (1978). After writing more best-sellers in the genre in the 1980s, he branched into historical fiction with The Pillars of the Earth (1989), an epic set in medieval England which became his best-known work and the first published in the Kingsbridge series. Read more on Wikipedia

Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Ken Follett has received more than 3,153,791 page views. His biography is available in 48 different languages on Wikipedia. Ken Follett is the 351st most popular writer (up from 370th in 2019), the 242nd most popular biography from United Kingdom (up from 292nd in 2019) and the 30th most popular British Writer.

Ken Follett is most famous for his novel "The Pillars of the Earth" which is about the building of a cathedral in the 12th century.

Memorability Metrics

3.2M
Page Views (PV)
69.22
Historical Popularity Index (HPI)
48
Languages Editions (L)
7.75
Effective Languages (L*)
2.78
Coefficient of Variation (CV)

Notable Works

The Pillars of the World

This fabulous story of a German Spy won Follett the Edgar Award for best novel. Set in the year 1940, it is the story of a highly skilled spy codenamed ‘Da Nadel’ who is on a mission to bust the American plan of D- Day landings which were actually to happen in Normandy as opposed to their claim of Calais being the spot to misguide the Germans.

1989

The Eye of The Needle

Fiction

The story evolves as the series of events occur around the lives of people while building of a Cathedral in the fictional town of Kings bridge in England. The fight for the throne of England, civil unrest, erection of a religious structure and shifty economics are few of the many topics covered in this book.

1978

World Without End

The success of The Pillars of the Earth made Ken Follett write a number of books under the Kingsbridge series. It tells the story of the descendants of the characters involved in building the Cathedral. The book marks the start of 100 years war between England and France and by the mid part of the book, the plight of Europe under Back Death is well depicted.

2007

Edge of Eternity

The third installment of the Century trilogy, this book repeats the glory of the first book in the series. A continuation of the lives of five families, related by events, this book has a myriad of present day history ranging from the fall of Berlin Wall, civil unrest to assassinations of U.S president J.F Kennedy and Martin Luther King, all written down with different viewpoints.

2014

The Fall of Giants

This is the first book of the Century trilogy which tells the journey of 5 different yet related families across the span of 20th century. All important, life changing mega events of the century have been depicted with life like quality. The lives of men and women affected by the oppressor aristocrats and subsequent mutinies are the major topics. In the background of World War I, Russian revolution and other political upheavals, the suffering and the success of common people is the catch in this book.

2010

Jackdaws

Among his thrillers, Jackdaws is another fabulous spy story. The title of the book is the code name of an all women gang of spy that dares to go behind enemy lines to Germany to unearth Nazi secrets. A never ending string of secrets within the Nazi Army make their work ever more daunting.

2001

Storm Island

English Spy stories, Fiction, German Espionage

One enemy spy knows the secret to the Allies' greatest deception, a brilliant aristocrat and ruthless assassin -- code name: "The Needle" -- who holds the key to ultimate Nazi victory.Only one person stands in his way: a lonely Englishwoman on an isolated island, who is beginning to love the killer who has mysteriously entered her life.All will come to a terrifying conclusion in Ken Follett's unsurpassed and unforgettable masterwork of suspense, intrigue, and the dangerous machinations of the human heart.

1978

Night Over Water

Fiction, Romance, Transatlantic flights

On a bright September morning in 1939, two days after Britain declares war on Germany, a group of privileged but desperate people gather in Southhampton to board the largest, most luxurious airliner ever built, the Pan American Clipper bound for New York.

1981

On Wings of Eagles

Foreign relations, Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981, History

When two of his American employees were held hostage in a heavily guarded prison fortress in Iran, one man took matters into his own hands: American businessman H. Ross Perot. His team consisted of a group of volunteers from the executive ranks of his corporation, hand-picked and trained by a retired Green Beret officer. To free the imprisoned Americans, they would face incalculable odds on a mission that only true heroes would have dared. (from Amazon)

1983

The Pillars of the Earth

White Ship, The Anarchy, Battle of Lincoln

The Pillars of the Earth is a historical novel by Welsh author Ken Follett published in 1989 about the building of a cathedral in the fictional town of Kingsbridge, England. Set in the 12th century, the novel covers the time between the sinking of the White Ship and the murder of Thomas Becket, but focuses primarily on the Anarchy. The book traces the development of Gothic architecture out of the preceding Romanesque architecture, and the fortunes of the Kingsbridge priory and village against the backdrop of historical events of the time. ---------- See also: - [The Pillars of the Earth: 1/2](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL23632562W) - [The Pillars of the Earth: 2/2](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL23632516W)

1800

Triple

Fiction, uranium, nuclear arms

It was never determined what had actually happened to the 200 tons of uranium,” but three countries know the truth. Three young men met decades ago and now world events have cast them as adversaries. Nat, Israel’s hero, known as ‘The Pirate’, stages a daring nuclear exploit. Breathing down his neck, the KGB’s Rostov and Egyptian intelligence’s Yassif. A furious race against time builds to an extraordinary climax on a doomed cargo boat.

1979

The Man from St. Petersburg

Spies, English, Fiction

Feliks came to London to commit a murder that would change history. He had many weapons at his command, but his most dangerous were the love of a innocent woman, and the passion of a lady demanding satisfaction. Against him were ranged the English police, a lord, and Winston Churchill himself.

1982