Kingsbridge books in order

Q: "How many books are in the Kingsbridge series?"

"There are five books in the Kingsbridge series, published between 1989 and 2023."

Q: "What is the first book in the Kingsbridge series?"

"The first book in the Kingsbridge series is The Pillars of the Earth, published in 1989."

Q: "What time periods do the Kingsbridge books cover?"

"The five Kingsbridge books together span nearly a thousand years of English history. The Evening and the Morning covers the 10th century, The Pillars of the Earth the 12th century, World Without End the 14th century, A Column of Fire the 16th century, and The Armor of Light the 18th century. Publication order differs from chronological order."

Reading order

#	Title	Published	Author	Buy on Amazon
1	The Pillars of the Earth	1989	Pillars of Earth	Buy
2	World Without End	2007	Pillars of Earth	Buy
3	A Column of Fire	2017	Pillars of Earth	Buy
4	The Evening and the Morning	2020	Pillars of Earth	Buy
5	The Armor of Light	2023	Pillars of Earth	Buy

The Kingsbridge series by Ken Follett is a collection of five historical novels set in the fictional English cathedral town of Kingsbridge. The Pillars of the Earth (1989) kicked off the series and follows the decades-long effort to build a Gothic cathedral in the 12th century, with a large cast of characters including monks, builders, nobles, and outlaws. It became a worldwide bestseller and is widely considered one of the greatest historical novels of the 20th century.

World Without End (2007) returns to Kingsbridge two centuries later during the time of the Black Death. A Column of Fire (2017) covers the religious wars of the Elizabethan period. The Evening and the Morning (2020) is a prequel set in the Dark Ages, before the cathedral exists. The Armor of Light (2023) is the most recent installment, set during the early days of the Industrial Revolution. The books are listed above in publication order, which is the most common reading order. Each novel works as a standalone, with new characters and new conflicts, though descendants of earlier characters sometimes appear in later books.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Kingsbridge series?

There are five books in the Kingsbridge series, published between 1989 and 2023.

What is the first book in the Kingsbridge series?

The first book in the Kingsbridge series is The Pillars of the Earth, published in 1989.

What time periods do the Kingsbridge books cover?

The five Kingsbridge books together span nearly a thousand years of English history. The Evening and the Morning covers the 10th century, The Pillars of the Earth the 12th century, World Without End the 14th century, A Column of Fire the 16th century, and The Armor of Light the 18th century. Publication order differs from chronological order.

Reading order#

Frequently Asked Questions

Reading order