Shelfology Book Pairing

by Ken Follett

#1 New York Times Bestseller Oprah's Book Club Selection The “extraordinary . . . monumental masterpiece” (Booklist) that changed the course of Ken Follett’s already phenomenal career—and begins where its prequel, The Evening and the Morning, ended. “Follett risks all and comes out a clear winner,” extolled Publishers Weekly on the release of The Pillars of the Earth. A departure for the bestselling thriller writer, the historical epic stunned readers and critics alike with its ambitious scope and gripping humanity. Today, it stands as a testament to Follett’s unassailable command of the written word and to his universal appeal. The Pillars of the Earth tells the story of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk driven to build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has known . . . of Tom, the mason who becomes his architect—a man divided in his soul . . . of the beautiful, elusive Lady Aliena, haunted by a secret shame . . . and of a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state and brother against brother. A spellbinding epic tale of ambition, anarchy, and absolute power set against the sprawling medieval canvas of twelfth-century England, this is Ken Follett’s historical masterpiece.

A Novel

by Colleen McCullough

Colleen McCullough's track record in publishing reads like Caesar's triumphs in battlewide-ranging in scope, masterful in style, unequaled in achievement. From her almost twelve-million-copy-selling Thorn Birds through her four novels in the Masters of Rome series, McCullough has never faltered. Here she turns her attentions to Caesar's conquest of Gaul and to his momentous decision at the river Rubicon to claim his place in the government of Rome. At a time that preceded the technology of any firearm, when military acumen, strategy, and leadership were all, it was Caesar's genius that prevailed, over and over. What Caesar accomplished in Gaul is the stuff of historical epic, of military academies, and of this novel. He was utterly awesome. Yet history forgets that Caesar was also a man, not immune to the human condition. He succeeded brilliantly, but he also suffered great personal grief and disappointment. It is the full portrait of Caesar, a man destined to inspire an empire, that Colleen McCullough paints here--faithfully, magnificently, and in radiant light. "McCullough is on fire.... Caesar is one of her strongest and most fascinating characters."San Francisco Chronicle