Top 10 Best Ken Follett Books To Read 2023

When it comes to reading books there are a few genres that are more popular than others and then there are some rare genres that only a few authors can do justice to. One of the genres that caught the eyes of only a few is historical fiction and the author that does justice to this genre is none other than Ben Follett. Ben Follett is one of the most successful authors in the world and he has mastered historical fiction writing and written some of the best-selling books as well.
He was born in 1949, Wales, United Kingdom and he went to University College London. In his career, he has written 36 books that have sold 170 million copies in over 80 countries and in 33 languages, which is pretty impressive. Other than historical fiction, he has also written thrillers and spy novels. He got the attention and success with his book Eye of the Needle which was published in 1978 and became an international bestseller as it sold over 10 million copies.
Overall, there are plenty of amazing books written by the author that you should read at least once if you are into historical functions or spy novels. Ben Follett has done amazing work which made him one of the best authors across the world. If you are someone who is just starting with Ben Follett’s books then you should know which are the best Ben Follett Books that you should read.
Since you are here you must be looking for the best books by Ben Follett than you want to start with. Well, you have landed in the right place because we happened to have a list of top 10 books by Ben Follett that you should read. Go ahead and see which are these books and choose a couple of books for yourself to read right away.

Best Ken Follett Books

1. The Pillars of the Earth

Best Ken Follett Books To Read
The Pillars of the Earth is one of the best Ben Follett books that you should read. The book became a bestseller as soon as it was published and the readers were pretty satisfied with Ben Follett’s fast-paced action, intriguing nature, and passionate romance. The book was not standalone but the first book in a trilogy, yet it was something marvelous to read and you shouldn’t miss it either. The book will take you to the 12th century where it is set up around the cathedral, Kingsbridge, England. The book revolves around the subject of building a glorious cathedral.
It features middle age England and Ben has done some great work when it comes to the details of that Era. The vast forests, walled towns, walled towns, castles, and other landscapes that we are familiar with. When we move to the characters, everyone has their own story and it feels like they are all the main characters as they are beautifully written. There is Tom, the master builder, then you will meet Aliena, a beautiful noblewoman, Philip, who is the prior of Kingsbridge, Jack, an artist of stones, and Ellen who is the woman of the forest as she knows how to cast terrifying curses.
The story has so much to offer, there are the characters that we fell in love with, the characters that we would feel sorry for, and then there are characters who will turn our stomachs. There is a perfect blend of love, drama, and revenge. Overall, this is the best Ben Follett book and if you have just started with him then this can be your first book by the author to read. Be ready to fall in love with Ben Follett’s writing with this book!
It is a series so you will be hooked on this story for a long time so if you have that much time, this one should be your first pick.

2. Fall of Giants

Best Ken Follett Books
Fall of Giants is also a part of another popular series by Ben Follett, The Century Trilogy. This book is the first installment of the series and it did a pretty good job in getting a lot of recognition from its fans and becoming a best seller as well. The series follows people from five fictional families. The story takes place at the time of the start of World War I, the Russian Revolution, and even the women’s rights movements. So readers are not just traveling through time but also across the world as there are multiple places featured.
The characters featured in this book are from different social backgrounds so you would be able to look at everyone’s struggles or privileges. So you are going to read about a worker in Welsh Coal mines as well as the President’s assistant in Washington D.C. the novel features the victory of working classes over the atrocities that might change your outlook on certain things and history.
Not only Ben Follett has done a great job in following up to different people and characters but he has also managed to keep up with the story with the children and grandchildren of the main characters. Overall, this is going to be pretty interesting so give it a read, you are not going to be disappointed with it.

3. Eye of the Needle

Top Ken Follett Books
Eye of the Needle became the first major success for the author and with that, it is one of the topmost Ben Follett books that you must read at least once in your life. This book was not only a best seller book but also won the Edgar Award for Best Novel. This novel is part historical and part thriller, the two of the best genres of the author and if you are interested in even one of them, you are going to love this book. The novel combines a thriller story with historical fiction which will keep you on edge throughout the book.
The story is set in the 1940s in Germany and it follows a famous German Spy popularly known as “the Needle”. He is on a mission to collect some information on London that needs to be sent back to Berlin. As the story moves forward and the Needle has to move or run to a Scotland island, he meets a woman who is trapped in a loveless triangle. It is only obvious that the two started to feel something for each other and soon their chemistry becomes a historic event as it might be the reason for some events that we know today.
The movie also inspired a movie under the same title in 1981 starring Donald Sutherland. Overall, if you are a fan of Ben Follet then this is the book that you can’t miss out on.

4. The Key to Rebecca

Top Best Ken Follett Books
The Key to Rebecca is another one of the popular books by Ben Follett that you need to read sometime soon if you haven’t already. The story of this book was developed while Ben was researching Eye of the Needle, as he learned about a Nazi Spy named Johannes Eppler which inspired this book. The story of the book also takes place around World War II. The story follows the character of Alex Wolff which is based on Eppler. He is on a mission in Egypt to give German General Erwin Rommel a code that will unlock Cario’s doors to World War II.
The key to unlocking the code is Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca. Rebecca is a sweet young Jewish girl. The story has got some thrilling touch and it will satisfy anyone who likes to read thrilling books. The book will keep you hooked till the end. A TV series in 1985 was also inspired by this book starring David Soul and Cliff Robertson.

5. A Dangerous Fortune

Best Ken Follett Book
A Dangerous Fortune is another one of the best Ben Follett books that you will need to read once you find yourself trapped in Ben Follett’s book universe. This is a little different story than others yet this book will certainly do justice with the thrill and suspense that is generally expected from Ben Follett’s book. This book is set in 1866 and it starts with a tragic incident where a student mysteriously dies by drawing while everyone just watches that happening.
Even after 20 years, the incident still haunts the friends of that student. Those friends are now a part of the upper echelon of British society. What seems like a trauma turns out to be their guilt as their fortune collapses that has sustained them till now. The story is a little different, characters are seen going through loss, guilt, changes, and even retribution. It would be interesting to see how the book ends and what is the fate of the characters in the book. It’s gripping, it’s interesting, and it’s good enough to keep you hooked till the last page.

6. A Place Called Freedom

Ken Follett Book
A Place Called Freedom is another one of the leading Ben Follett books that you would like to read. The story features a movement and revolution for coal miners as they protest against their mistreatment, this protest is led by Mack McAsh. The story is not only focused on a revolutionary moment but also on romance and just like what you have witnessed in The Pillars of Earth, here too you might witness an epic affair of love.
As Mack McAsh meets Lizzie Halim, who is married to one of the owners of these mines, there is some connection that they both feel for each other. The story features the English Isles and European influence on colonial America.
The theme of this book involves corruption, deceit, corruption, love triangles, and riots. Furthermore, the book is set in 18th century Scotland, so it would be fun to travel through Europe of that time.

7. Hornet Flight

Ken Follett Best Books
Hornet Flight is another one of the best seller Ben Follett books which I would want to read sooner than later. It is yet another story based on the World War II Era. The story follows a pilot from Denmark where you will encounter a real-life story featuring true events.
Harald Olufsen, a teenager, has just found a German radar and he has become a new enemy for German forces. Somehow he ends up flying an old plane to England. It is a pretty fascinating story to follow and you would certainly like this one as well.

8. The Man from St. Petersburg

Best Ken Follett Book
The Man from St. Petersburg has also made a place on our list of best Ben Follett books list and you would certainly like to read it as well. The story is set in 1914 where it covers both sides of the war for Russia. The novel shows an event where Winston Churchill and the Earl of Walden conspire a secret alliance and affect the trajectory of history.

9. On Wings of Eagles

Ken Follett Books
On Wings of Eagles is another one of the best Ben Follett books that we liked reading. This book features another true story from the Iranian revolution. The story features the rescue of Paul Chiapparone and Bill Gaylord from the prison in Tehran. It would be interesting to read.

10. Lie Down with Lions

Best Ken Follett Books
This novel will take you to the Afghan mountains. The two young aid workers and an American arrive in the valley of Five Lions. The message is for Masud, a legendary leader of the guerrillas, he is the most wanted man for Russians as they want him dead or alive.

Conclusion

We are pretty sure by this time you are already a fan of Ben Follett. After all, he has chosen some very interesting topics to write books on and you will get a great experience reading these books as well. So go ahead and take a look at the aforementioned books by Ben Follett. You can easily buy these on Amazon. So go ahead buy your favorite Ben Follett books and see how interesting historical fiction can be. That would be all for now and we hope you got a few Ben Follett books to read.

Leave a Comment