The Pillars Of the Earth

Published in 1989, Pillars of the Earth was a major departure from Follett’s usual spy and thriller genre, but was enormously successful and continues to be so. In 2007 he published a long-awaited sequel World Without End, and later A Column of Fire in 2017 as the third book in the Kingsbridge Series.

The true first edition of Pillars of the Earth is the UK edition, published by Macmillan in black cloth with gilt spine lettering, in a pictorial jacket featuring lightening striking a distant cathedral. As is customary for Macmillan UK, the first edition reads “First published 1989” on the copyright page. The first US edition was published subsequently in tan boards and a jacket featuring a gargoyle. It has a number line on the copyright page that starts with one and is noted “First Edition”. First UK editions might currently fetch $300-500, depending on whether it’s signed (Follett’s signature is not uncommon) and US editions $150-250.