A Column of Fire (Kingsbridge Series #3)

by Ken Follett

Overview

In the likely near future, humanity is doomed to destruction, and The Omega Team, a group of scientists and humanists, is to reverse the trend and restore, through a ferocious intervention, the well-being of the planet.
After decades of environmental degradation, climate change and consumerism, humanity has backed itself into a corner that it can't get out of without taking drastic and horrifying steps. Our fate rests in The Omega Team's hands - but will they steel themselves and take the necessary measures to prevent extinction?
This novel follows the decline of the economies and behaviour of the West and the surge of the major
"developing" countries - and the inevitable results. It is based on solid scientific facts and informed by the author's long experience with the issues presented. It is not just a scientific thriller but a warning of the consequences of inaction in changing the way we live - before it is too late.
CARLO TESTA has worked in thirty countries and lived in twenty. He served with UNESCO, UNDP (the
United Nations Development Plan), UNICEF and the World Bank, as well as government agencies and private corporations. He has taught at the University of California at Berkeley, at St. Louis and at the University of
Toronto. He is the author of several technical books, one historical novel in Italian, and hundreds of columns on social and economic affairs. He lives in Blandford, Nova Scotia. This book was written in 1999 and kept in a drawer. Without any changes it has become part history and part forecast.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780525954972
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	09/12/2017
Series:	Kingsbridge Series , #3
Pages:	928
Sales rank:	40,653
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.50(h) x 1.80(d)

About the Author

As a young boy growing up in Cardiff, Wales, Ken Follett's love for all things literary began early on. The son of devoutly religious parents who didn't allow their children to watch television or even listen to the radio, Follett found himself drawn to the library. It soon became his favorite place -- its shelves full of stories providing his escape, and ultimately, his inspiration.

Follett's more formal education took place years later at London's University College, where he studied philosophy -- a choice that, as he explains on his official Web site, he believes guided his career as an author. "There is a real connection between philosophy and fiction," Follet explains. "In philosophy you deal with questions like: `We're sitting at this table, but is the table real?' A daft question, but in studying philosophy, you need to take that sort of thing seriously and have an off-the-wall imagination. Writing fiction is the same."

After graduating in 1970, a journalism class touched off Follett's career as a writer. He started out covering beats for the South Wales Echo, and later wrote a column for London's Evening News. Becoming more and more interested in writing fiction on evenings and weekends, however, Follett soon realized that books were his true business, and in 1974 he went to work for Everest Books, a humble London publishing house.

After releasing a few of his own novels to less than thunderous acclaim --including The Shakeout (1975) and Paper Money (1977) -- Follett finally hit it big with 1978's Eye of the Needle. The taut, edgy thriller with more than a dash of sex appeal flew off the shelves, winning the Edgar award and allowing Follett to quit his job and get to work on his next book, Triple. Showing no signs of a sophomore slump, Triple went on to spark a string of bestselling spy thrillers, including The Key to Rebecca (1980), The Man from St. Petersburg (1982), and Lie Down with Lions (1986). 1983's On Wings of Eagles was an interesting departure -- a nonfiction account of how two of Ross Perot's employees were rescued from Iran in 1979.

Follett changed direction even more sharply in 1989, surprising fans with The Pillars of the Earth -- a novel set in the Middle Ages many critics considered his crowning achievement. "A novel of majesty and power," said The Chicago Sun-Times of Follett's epic story. "It will hold you, fascinate you, surround you."

Follett's next three books were a trio considered to be more suspenseful than thrill-filled -- Night Over Water (1991), A Dangerous Fortune (1993) and A Place Called Freedom (1995), but The Third Twin (1996) and The Hammer of Eden (1998) marked a return to Follett's trademark capers. The wartime novels Code to Zero (2000) and Jackdaws (2001) showcased Follett's "unique ability to tell stories of international conflict and tell them well," according to Larry King in USA Today.

Follett "hits the mark again" (Publishers Weekly) with his latest story of international intrigue, Hornet Flight (2002) -- the WWII story of a young couple trying to escape occupied Denmark in a rebuilt Hornet Moth biplane who become unwitting carriers of top-secret information.

In a way, Follett's smash-hit success has allowed him to give back to the library of Cardiff, Wales -- by filling its shelves with his own transporting tales.

Hometown:

Hertfordshire, England

Date of Birth:

June 5, 1949

Place of Birth:

Cardiff, Wales

Education:

B.A. in Philosophy, University College, London, 1970