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Quick answer: If you loved The Pillars of the Earth, read Ken Follett's World Without End and Fall of Giants, then Wolf Hall, Sarum, The Physician and Shogun. All are sweeping historical epics with big casts, power struggles and rich period detail.
Ken Follett's 1989 novel follows the building of a cathedral in twelfth-century England and the people whose lives are tied to it, from a master builder to a scheming bishop, through civil war and famine. It is long, gripping and packed with drama. The books below offer similar big historical sagas.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| World Without End | Ken Follett | Adult | the sequel |
| Fall of Giants | Ken Follett | Adult | the Century Trilogy |
| A Column of Fire | Ken Follett | Adult | Elizabethan spies |
| Sarum | Edward Rutherfurd | Adult | epic of a place |
| London | Edward Rutherfurd | Adult | epic of a city |
| The Physician | Noah Gordon | Adult | medieval medicine |
| Wolf Hall | Hilary Mantel | Adult | Tudor intrigue |
| Shogun | James Clavell | Adult | feudal Japan |
| The Last Kingdom | Bernard Cornwell | Adult | Saxons and Vikings |
| Katherine | Anya Seton | Adult | medieval romance |
| I, Claudius | Robert Graves | Adult | Roman palace intrigue |
| Ivanhoe | Walter Scott | Adult | medieval adventure |
| The Other Boleyn Girl | Philippa Gregory | Adult | Tudor intrigue |
| The Dragonbone Chair | Tad Williams | Adult | classic epic |
| The Eagle of the Ninth | Rosemary Sutcliff | Ages 11+ | Roman Britain |
1. World Without End by Ken Follett
The story returns to Kingsbridge two centuries later, as plague approaches. Another big, gripping saga.
Best for: the sequel.
2. Fall of Giants by Ken Follett
Five families live through the First World War and the Russian Revolution. Sweeping and fast.
Best for: the Century Trilogy.
3. A Column of Fire by Ken Follett
A young woman and a spy navigate Elizabethan England. Tense and long.
Best for: Elizabethan spies.
4. Sarum by Edward Rutherfurd
The story of Salisbury Plain from the Ice Age to modern times. Sprawling and rich.
Best for: epic of a place.
5. London by Edward Rutherfurd
Families live through the history of London. Large and engaging.
Best for: epic of a city.
6. The Physician by Noah Gordon
A boy from England becomes a healer and travels to Persia. Long and rewarding.
Best for: medieval medicine.
7. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Thomas Cromwell rises in Henry VIII's court. Rich, long and brilliant.
Best for: Tudor intrigue.
8. Shogun by James Clavell
An English pilot is stranded in Japan and caught in power struggles. Immersive.
Best for: feudal Japan.
9. The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell
Uhtred, a Saxon raised by Danes, fights in Alfred the Great's England. Gripping.
Best for: Saxons and Vikings.
10. Katherine by Anya Seton
The story of Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt. A classic of historical romance.
Best for: medieval romance.
11. I, Claudius by Robert Graves
Emperor Claudius recounts the scandals of his family. Sharp and sprawling.
Best for: Roman palace intrigue.
12. Ivanhoe by Walter Scott
A knight returns to England in the age of Richard the Lionheart. A classic adventure.
Best for: medieval adventure.
13. The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
Mary Boleyn tells her story at the court of Henry VIII. Dramatic and juicy.
Best for: Tudor intrigue.
14. The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams
A kitchen boy is drawn into a war for a kingdom. Slow and rich.
Best for: classic epic.
15. The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff
A Roman officer seeks his father's lost legion. Short and gripping.
Best for: Roman Britain.
How to Choose
For more Follett read World Without End or Fall of Giants. For British and European history pick Sarum, London or Wolf Hall. For adventure choose The Last Kingdom, Ivanhoe or Shogun. For romance read Katherine or The Other Boleyn Girl. The Pillars of the Earth is huge, so these picks suit readers who like to disappear into a story for weeks. Pillars was adapted into a television miniseries in 2010, but the book gives more detail about the building of the cathedral and the characters' lives. The cathedral and priory are fictional, though the history is real.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Pillars of the Earth about?
The building of a cathedral in twelfth-century England and the lives it touches.
Who wrote it?
Ken Follett.
When was it published?
1989.
Is Kingsbridge real?
No, it is fictional.
How long is it?
Around 1,000 pages.
Is there a TV series?
Yes, a 2010 miniseries.
Is it a series?
Yes, with World Without End and The Evening and the Morning.
What should I read next?
Try World Without End.
Which book here is best for epic of a place?
Try Sarum by Edward Rutherfurd, which suits readers looking for epic of a place.
Which book here is best for Tudor intrigue?
Try Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel, which suits readers looking for Tudor intrigue.
Which book here is best for medieval romance?
Try Katherine by Anya Seton, which suits readers looking for medieval romance.
Which book here is best for Tudor intrigue?
Try The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory, which suits readers looking for Tudor intrigue.
Which book here is best for the Century Trilogy?
Try Fall of Giants by Ken Follett, which suits readers looking for the Century Trilogy.
Which book here is best for epic of a city?
Try London by Edward Rutherfurd, which suits readers looking for epic of a city.