"Most of my stories have some basis in fact," Follett explained to an interviewer for
Bookreporter.com. "I like to create imaginary characters and events around a real historical situation. I want readers to feel: 'Okay, this probably didn't happen, but it might have.'"
The author's breakout novel, Eye of the Needle, propelled him into international prominence, and his subsequent novels have proved as popular in the United States as in his native Great Britain. With Pillars of the Earth, a sprawling medieval tale about the construction of a great cathedral, Follett surprised fans and critics alike, penning a non-thriller every bit as much a page-turner as his novels of espionage and intrigue. However, after a couple more forays into mainstream fiction, Follett returned to the territory for which he is best known: thrillers. Washington Post correspondent Paul Hendrickson claimed that Follett has earned a reputation as an "international thriller writer with a genius for threading the eye of the literary needle."
Welsh Background
Born in Cardiff, Wales, in 1949, Follett grew up in a household where radio and television were forbidden. His father, Martin Follett, was a tax inspector whose salary did not allow for many luxuries in the Follett household.
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