Ken Follett was born in Cardiff, Wales. His first thriller, the wartime spy drama Eye of the Needle, became an international bestseller and has sold over 10 million copies. He then astonished everyone with his first historical novel, The Pillars of the Earth, the story of the building of a medieval cathedral, which went on to become one of the most beloved books of the twentieth century. One of the most popular authors in the world, his many books including the Kingsbridge series and the Century trilogy – a body of work which together chronicles over a thousand years of history – and his latest novel Never – which envisages how World War III could happen – have sold more than 188 million copies.