Armour of Light

Ken Follett is a great storyteller. The Armour of Light tells the story of families living in Kingsbridge, England, covering the period  1792-1824. Two major events - The Industrial Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars - greatly affect the lives of those living and trying to make a living in the town.

The first part of the book explores how a group of people depends on the textile industry for their livelihood, first as spinners or weavers working in their own homes and then as workers in factories which grow larger and use larger equipment employing fewer people. The novel also explores the relationship between employers and employees and the move to create trade unions as the workers attempt to ensure that they have a say in their working conditions.

The second part of the novel tells of the impact of the Napoleonic wars on the families of Kingsbridge and describes the experiences of some of the Kingsbridge residents involved in the battles at this time.

But the novel is primarily about individual people and how they struggle to survive under conditions where their control over their lives is limited by those who believe that they are the people of power in the community. The rise of Methodism is another theme of the book.

The Kingsbridge series consists of five books - The Evening and the Morning (beginning 997); The Pillars of the Earth (beginning in 1135); World Without End (beginning in 1327); A Column of Fire (beginning in 1558) and now The Armour of Light (beginning in 1792).

The Pillars of the Earth

Medieval Europe saw the building of many of the cathedrals that continue as religious and architectural wonders in the twenty-first century.  In the novel, The Pillars of the Earth, Ken Follett describes the building of a cathedral in the town of Kingsbridge in Twelfth Century England. 

The background for the story is the time of the Anarchy - 1135-1153 - when Matilda (in this account, Maud) and her cousin, Stephen, each maintain their right to the throne after the death of Matilda's father, Henry I. This results in a number of small battles throughout the country with the leadership of the country alternating between the two protagonists, as well as a major siege at Lincoln. Consequently this was a time of unrest throughout the country. Local leaders swapped allegiances as it suited them, the struggle between the church leaders and the ruling class continued to have a major impact on the governance of the country and the villagers and farm workers suffered as there was a focus on battle and shoring up a power base rather than managing crops and the welfare of local people.

The book is a work of fiction however it does portray a vivid account of what life may have been like living in Medieval England. Among the description about the building of cathedral is intertwined the dramas faced by those working on the project. The Pillars of the Earth is the saga of a families who attempt to survive during these turbulent times as well as the story of a prior who strives, against all odds, to ensure that the cathedral will be built. At 1088 pages this is a long novel but one well reading.