Follett began his career as a journalist before turning to fiction. His breakthrough came with the World War II espionage thriller "Eye of the Needle" (1978), which won the Edgar Award and established him as a master of suspense. He followed this success with acclaimed thrillers including "The Key to Rebecca," "The Man from St. Petersburg," and "Lie Down with Lions."
In 1989, Follett pivoted to historical fiction with "The Pillars of the Earth," an epic set in twelfth-century England centered on the building of a cathedral. The novel became an international phenomenon and launched the beloved Kingsbridge series, which includes "World Without End" (2007), "A Column of Fire" (2017), and "The Evening and the Morning" (2020).
His Century Trilogy—"Fall of Giants" (2010), "Winter of the World" (2012), and "Edge of Eternity" (2014)—chronicles five interconnected families through the turbulent twentieth century. Renowned for meticulous research and gripping storytelling, Follett remains one of the most influential voices in popular fiction today.