Follett's 'Pillars of the Earth'-There's an App for That

Interesting partnership that shows just how entertaining our reading can be when old media embraces new media.

Starz – the premium cable network - is teaming up with publisher Penguin Group to create a special electronic version of Ken Follett’s “The Pillars of the Earth” – and delivering it all in an interactive eBook for Apple's iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch..

Follett’s best-selling novel– set in 12th century England - was turned into an 8-hour miniseries that will air on Starz beginning Friday, July 23.

Penguin’s “Amplified Edition” for the iPadis available today and includes dozens of short videos, original music from the series and artwork. For those really wanting more, there’s a “Pillars of the Earth” app for the iPad that includes more than an hour of behind the scenes footage.

As Broadcasting and Cable points out, “The Amplified Editionoffers an array of interactive features designed to enhance the experience of reading the epic novel…Most noteworthy is a character tree, depicted in a virtual stained glass window, which grows as characters are introduced in the book and makes it easier to understand the relationships.”

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