A Column of Fire
Kingsbridge, Book 3
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Narrated by:
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John Lee
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By:
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Ken Follett
About this listen
The thrilling historical saga that began in The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End, which now continues with Ken Follett's magnificent, masterful A Column of Fire.
A World in Turmoil
1558, and Europe is in revolt as religious hatred sweeps the continent. Elizabeth Tudor has ascended to the throne but she is not safe in this dangerous new world. There are many who would see her removed, not least Mary Queens of Scots, who lies in wait in Paris.
A New Order
Elizabeth determines to set up a new secret service: a group of resourceful spies and courageous agents entrusted to keep her safe and in power. As she searches for those who will make the difference, one man stands out.
A Man Who Would Die for His Queen
For Ned Willard the opportunity to serve his queen is God-sent. He cannot stay in Kingsbridge and watch the love of his life marry another, and as fires burn and extremism begins to spark throughout Europe, Ned makes his choice. He will spend his life protecting his monarch from the tyrants who aim to destroy her or die trying . . .
What listeners say about A Column of Fire
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- Anonymous User
- 07-04-18
Enjoyable and gripping historical fiction
I enjoyed this third part of the Kingsbridge series much more than the first part, which I thought a medieval soap opera populated by caricatures. I skipped part two but reading reviews of this third part gathered that it might be more to my taste and it was. It has far more historical content, albeit the very familiar Tudor period upon which many books and films have been based, but where this book scores is in bringing this turbulent period to life through the experiences of his fictional characters interacting with real people and events. The parallel stories of the fictional characters’ lives adds to the impact of the historical events. The recurring theme in this long saga is religious conflict and intolerance based on relatively small differences in doctrine leading to violence, cruelty and terrible suffering: all in the name of God!
Despite the outcomes being known, I was gripped by the author’s pacy reenactments of historical event such as the St Bartholomew’s Day massacre of protestants in Paris, the aborted invasion of the Spanish Armada and the Gun Powder Plot. Maybe to ease the endless stream of Man’s inhumanity to Man (and often Women) the author indulges in his penchant for raunchy sex scenes and lascivious descriptions of women’s bodies, particularly their breasts: a recurring theme in the author’s books.
Contrary to the views of some other reviewers I think the narrator is excellent.
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10 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 26-11-17
Another compelling epic from Ken Follett
With the Kingsbridge trilogy Follett makes accessible a period of history that was as full of political intrigue, religious struggle and daring do as the modern age. Thoughtfully created characters combined with compelling plots makes the book come alive and leaves the reader wanting more. Outstanding narration as always by John Lee. Thoroughly recommended.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 10-04-20
please leave the fake horrible accents
and pronounce the French names and places correctly at least. The story is very good and historically very interesting.
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- Anonymous User
- 29-09-17
Superb story
Loved it, had me enthralled for the whole 30 hours. The narrator was spot on.
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- Anonymous User
- 23-03-22
Best of the three
This book followed all the major events of the period, and gave me a real insight of the religious dissonance of the time. The characters are well drawn and the story sweeps them along. You are drawn in, and feel real empathy for the characters. An excellent historical novel of the Elizabethan era. I not only enjoyed the rich journey, but feel educated. I have since been driven to read other historical sources of the period. Follett clearly has researched his sources well. The best of the three.
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- Anonymous User
- 02-06-18
Less sex, we're British!
Too much "in your face" explicit sex content and description which was definitely not necessary!
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- Anonymous User
- 26-12-17
Follett at his best
Would you listen to A Column of Fire again? Why?
Most definitely. It's one of those stories to get lost in, really transports you to a different era, I loved it.
Which scene did you most enjoy?
Don't want to give any of the plot away, but every scene had me feeling I was there watching from the side lines.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
At over 30 hours it's not possible, but I didn't find myself getting impatient waiting for the next time I could have a listen.
Any additional comments?
Narration was good, but did sound a little robotic at first, ok once you've given it a chance.
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- Anonymous User
- 19-08-18
A story where I hoped more
As usual, I really enjoyed the pen of the author and the narration. Unfortunately, as for the second volume, I did not find this little something more than there was in the first volume.
I would have appreciated some more details about the life of the people of the time. In addition, there were many characters, but eventually few were really present in the story and / or developed.
We went around Europe, it was interesting, and I learned about the conflicts between Catholics and Protestants.
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- Anonymous User
- 11-12-18
outstanding
This has been an incredible journey through history. never a dull moment. An absolute masterpiece.
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- Anonymous User
- 24-08-18
Fantastic Listen
I have just finished the last book in the Pillars of the Earth series as read by John Lee.I loved the trilogy so much that I was devastated when John lee said goodbye to me. I have also listened to The Century Trilogy and cannot recommend both these trilogies enough.
Not only are they engaging but I feel that I have had a thorough insight into the history and politics of the periods covered.
John really brings the characters to life and the plot is addictive. I only wish I could find something equally riveting to replace them. Any suggestions?
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