A Column of Fire (The Kingsbridge Novels)

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Alfonso Willard - Bella's son by Barney Willard, eventually taken to England and becoming Mayor of Kingsbridge.

Follett attributes to the book's antagonist, the staunch Catholic Rollo Fitzgerald, the role of initiating the plot and recruiting Guy Fawkes to implement it. Unlike the first two books which were centered around the characters and their struggles, this was about Catholics and Protestants, two decade long fight between Elizabeth and Mary for the throne. With this book he covers the years from 1558 and 1620, considered one of the most turbulent and revolutionary times in history. Based on that experience, Barney believes that England should not seek to build galleons of its own, but rather create a navy composed of "smaller, more agile ships, which could dance around a galleon and rake it with cannon fire". With this one I had the pleasure of reading and at the same time listening to the audiobook narrated by Jon Lee.Ken Follett again took a lengthy hiatus before penning this third novel in the series, which is reflected in the writing and shall be discussed below.

Unlike the two previous novels in this series, a large portion of the plot takes place outside the town of Kingsbridge, utilizing such far-flung settings as London, Paris, Seville, Geneva, Antwerp, Scotland and the Caribbean, and involving many major characters who have no direct connection with the town. But for the most part, I look at this as a way to step into a different world, one that fascinates me. Along the way in this sprawling novel, we meet many characters both good and evil who want to impose their beliefs on all and who do not believe in the word tolerance.Their strong religious principles do not, however, stop the Cobleys from resorting to occasional underhand tricks to cheat their competitors and employees, and dabbling in the new lucrative field of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. They get Philbert Cobley burned as a heretic for conducting a Protestant service and drive the Willards virtually bankrupt by strictly enforcing anti-usury laws which are usually regarded as a legal fiction (since in fact all merchants take interest on loans). Ken has been active in numerous literacy charities and was president of Dyslexia Action for ten years. He interweaves the happenings of the times into the story line and makes this novel a true work of fiction seem quite real. The true battle pitches those who believe in tolerance and compromise against the tyrants who would impose their ideas on everyone else—no matter what the cost.