A Column of Fire was published by Macmillan in 2017, the third novel in the Kingsbridge series, set in the period 1558–1605. Where Pillars concerned the building of the cathedral and World Without End the Black Death, this novel’s historical backdrop is the Wars of Religion — the bloody conflict between Protestantism and Catholicism that convulsed Europe for a century after Luther.
The central character is Ned Willard of Kingsbridge, who enters the service of Elizabeth I and becomes one of her intelligence operatives — a fictional analogue to the real Sir Francis Walsingham’s spy network. The novel spans the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre in Paris (1572), the execution of Mary Queen of Scots (1587), the defeat of the Spanish Armada (1588), and the Gunpowder Plot (1605).
Follett uses Kingsbridge itself as a microcosm of the religious conflict: the Fitzgerald family represents militant Catholicism, the Willards pragmatic Protestantism, and the town’s fortunes rise or fall with whichever faction holds power.
Collecting A Column of Fire
First edition (Macmillan, London, 2017): Boards with dust jacket.
Market values:
- UK first edition, fine in jacket: $15–$30
- Signed first: $40–$80
Projected values (2026–2036): Moderate appreciation.
A Column of Fire (2017) is the third Kingsbridge novel, set in the Elizabethan era (1558–1605). The novel follows Ned Willard, a young Protestant in the court of Elizabeth I, as England navigates the religious wars between Catholics and Protestants. Follett uses the Kingsbridge setting to explore the birth of religious tolerance — the slow, painful process by which Europeans learned to stop killing each other over theology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Follett’s writing process? Follett writes detailed outlines (sometimes 80+ pages) before beginning a novel. He revises extensively, often producing three or four complete drafts. His wife, Barbara Follett (a former Member of Parliament), reads every draft and provides editorial feedback. The process for a major historical novel takes three to four years.