Edge of Eternity

Book Three of The Century Trilogy

By: Ken Follett

Narrated by: John Lee

Length: 12 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

Ken Follett’s Century Trilogy follows the fortunes of five intertwined families - American, German, Russian, English, and Welsh - as they make their way through the 20th century. It has been called “potent, engrossing” (Publishers Weekly) and “truly epic” (Huffington Post). USA Today said, “You actually feel like you’re there.”

Edge of Eternity, the finale, covers one of the most tumultuous eras of all: the 1960s through the 1980s, encompassing civil rights, assassinations, Vietnam, the Berlin Wall, the Cuban Missile Crisis, presidential impeachment, revolution - and rock and roll.

East German teacher Rebecca Hoffman discovers she's been spied on by the Stasi for years and commits an impulsive act that will affect her family for the generations.... George Jakes, himself bi-racial, bypasses corporate law to join Robert F. Kennedy's Justice Department, and finds himself in the middle of not only the seminal events of the civil rights battle, but a much more personal battle.... Cameron Dewar, the grandson of a senator, jumps at the chance to do some espionage for a cause he believes in, only to discover that the world is much more dangerous than he'd imagined.... Dimka Dvorkin, a young aide to Khrushchev, becomes an agent both for good and for ill as the Soviet Union and US race to the brink of nuclear war, while his twin sister, Tania, carves out a role that will take her from Moscow to Cuba to Prague to Warsaw - and into history.

These characters and many others find their lives inextricably entangled as they add their personal stories and insight to the most defining events of the 20th century. From the opulent offices of the most powerful world leaders to the shabby apartments of those trying to begin a new empire, from the elite clubs of the wealthy and highborn to the passionate protests of a country’s most marginalized citizens, this is truly a drama for the ages.

With the Century Trilogy, Follett has guided listeners through an entire era of history with a master’s touch. His unique ability to tell fascinating, brilliantly researched stories that captivate listeners and keep them listening is unparalleled. In this climactic and concluding saga, Follett brings us into a world we thought we knew but now will never seem the same again.

©2014 Ken Follett (P)2014 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"[Follett] is a commanding storyteller who has taken on an impossibly large task and accomplished it with passion, intelligence, and skill. Like its predecessors, Edge of Eternity is a solid, rigorously researched work of popular fiction. It's an honest entertainment that brings back vivid, sometimes painful, memories of the not-too-distant past." (The Washington Post)

"Edge of Eternity is as compulsively readable a mighty page-turner as its two predecessors." (The Seattle Times)

"Hugely ambitious, the trilogy serves as a massive history lesson as well as an example of good, old-fashioned storytelling." (The New York Daily News)

The 20th century, amazing

absolutely fabulous, rise and fall of communism, civil rights and much more. a historical must

Totally disappointed!

Compared to the first two books of the trilogy this was a total letdown. Instead of focusing on the characters in their lives, the book focused on the Cold War and the details involved in the politics between the USSR and the US. It was not interesting to me at all.

Ok

not as good as the first 2, but I would still say it was worth a credit.

Not Marked Well

The book is great and a wonderful conclusion to the series. However this VERSION IS ABRIDGED. It was not marked well. I didn't realize until I was already several hours in and I didn't want to rebuy and then re-listen.

Great version for someone not looking for a 25+hr commitment.

Great story. Very easy to listen to. Makes a long journey in the car go quickly

Great story. Very easy to listen to. Makes a long journey in the car go quickly.

So good.

Great ending to this awesome trilogy. So well written/told; very powerful stories and messages.

Wonderful read

Incredibly well told story. Perfect mesh of a macro historical perspective to the micro consequences to the human condition. Brilliant!

Disappointed

I was very disappointed to learn after listening to the end I had gotten the abridged version. I returned to the original description and the only place I saw “abridged “ was printed on the picture of the cover of the book. I had to actively look for the marking instead of it being indicated in the description.

excellent for a TV series!

it is very effective to see the World Wars and civil rights struggles through the eyes of 5 families on all sides. If this was a TV series perhaps people would remember all that has gone before to create what we have now. and remember the real price of war and tyranny!!!

Great story

The book was great but I really think it needed more. Didn’t like the ending.