The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

"Tom Builder's dream is to build a cathedral, but in the meantime, he must scrounge about to find a lord that will hire him. His search pulls him and his family into the politics of 12th-century England, as different lords vie to gain control of the throne in the wake of the recently deceased king.

Prior Phillip, a man raised in the monastery since childhood, also finds himself drafted into the brewing storm as he must protect the interests of a declining church."

- Summary from Amazon & Publishers Weekly

I had never heard of this book until the Starz miniseries and so far the miniseries only deviates a little from the book.

I really liked the illustrations at the beginning of each section, starting with the drawing of the old church, to the plans for the new cathedral, finishing with the completed cathedral.

The book did have a Perils of Pauline theme that became a bit wearing after a while. If the railroad had been invented during this time period someone would have been tied to a rail, you can be sure. (for the sake of alliteration, probably Prior Phillip.)