Fall of Giants

Book One of the Century Trilogy

By: Ken Follett

Narrated by: John Lee

Length: 30 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

Fall of Giants is Ken Follett's magnificent new historical epic. The first novel in The Century Trilogy, it follows the fates of five interrelated families—American, German, Russian, English, and Welsh—as they move through the world-shaking dramas of the First World War, the Russian Revolution, and the struggle for women's suffrage.

Thirteen-year-old Billy Williams enters a man's world in the Welsh mining pits…. Gus Dewar, an American law student rejected in love, finds a surprising new career in Woodrow Wilson's White House…. Two orphaned Russian brothers, Grigori and Lev Peshkov, embark on radically different paths half a world apart when their plan to emigrate to America falls afoul of war, conscription, and revolution…. Billy's sister, Ethel, a housekeeper for the aristocratic Fitzherberts, takes a fateful step above her station, while Lady Maud Fitzherbert herself crosses deep into forbidden territory when she falls in love with Walter von Ulrich, a spy at the German embassy in London….

These characters and many others find their lives inextricably entangled as, in a saga of unfolding drama and intriguing complexity, Fall of Giants moves seamlessly from Washington to St. Petersburg, from the dirt and danger of a coal mine to the glittering chandeliers of a palace, from the corridors of power to the bedrooms of the mighty. As always with Ken Follett, the historical background is brilliantly researched and rendered, the action fast-moving, the characters rich in nuance and emotion. It is destined to be a new classic.

In future volumes of The Century Trilogy, subsequent generations of the same families will travel through the great events of the rest of the 20th century, changing themselves—and the century itself. With passion and the hand of a master, Follett brings us into a world we thought we knew, but now will never seem the same again.

Exclusive interview: Ken Follett and John Lee Talk about Fall of Giants.

©2010 Kevin Follett (P)2010 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"A big Book, Follett''s hugely ambitious saga is a sweeping success. Ken Follett has hit another one out of the park with the initial installment of the hugely ambitious Century Trilogy. His fans will rejoice at the richness, complexity, historical sweep and simmering lust in a saga spanning the years 1911 to 1923." ( Newark Star Ledger)

"A dark novel, motivated by an unsparing view of human nature and a clear-eyed scrutiny of an ideal peace. It is not the least of Follett''s feats that the reader finishes this near 1000-page book intrigued and wanting more." ( Chicago Sun-Times)

"[Follett] meticulously reconstructs an era and leads us through the follies and occasional heroics of its protagonists real and imaginary. He is masterly in conveyers so much drama and historical information so vividly...Grippingly told, and readable to the end." ( New York Times Book Review)

I don't want to wait

I loved listening to this book. John Lee is a wonderful narrator and I was sorry to have it end. I can't wait for the next installment.

Fall of Giants

A+ once again Ken Follett and John Lee deliver a master-peice. I thought Pilliars and World Without End were GREAT but this one is also one of the best books I have listened to.......when is Book 2 coming out.....please continue to use John Lee as narrator for is is also part of this master-peice.

another good one

I started reading Follet's spy novels way back when and was a fan. I really enjoyed his trilogy about building a cathedral in medieval England. So he undertakes another epic trilogy this one starting with WWI. It was an enjoyable listen, gave me a good perspective on how all of the pieces of that war fit together, and I'll look forward to the next one. And, he weaves a nice, little story while educating us on history.

Excellent Listen

Well read and well written. I'd put this alongside Pillars of the Earth. Both are good stories that keep your interest.

History made personal...sometimes too personal.

What made the experience of listening to Fall of Giants the most enjoyable?

I've listened to a lot of audio books, even produced one of my own. So, I appreciate the GREAT reading of this book. The reader goes from Gaelic to English to German accents like he grew up in all of the countries involved in WW1. And because history is written by the victors I've never had the perspectives the Ken Follett's characters bring. I wish all politicians had to consider the plights of everyone affected by their decisions.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Fall of Giants?

A priest is giving mass while a sniper that he let into the bell tower is murdering innocent protesters.

What does John Lee bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Like I said, the accents John Lee brought to the reading made it more authentic.

Who was the most memorable character of Fall of Giants and why?

Lady Maude. She gave up the indulgences of the entitled to live right and fairly.

Any additional comments?

I think Ken Follett could tell these stories without sex scenes that sound like porn. But then, he sells a lot more books than I do. Maybe he knows something I don't.

A good start to a promising trigoly

A great read and great reader (John Lee)!!

This book is almost, in a way, like a Shakepearan or Aristolian tragedy (though not to that level of "literature"). Everyone thinks they are doing the right thing, but it just leads to more conflict and escalates. What it does do is show so effectively the attitudes and opinions that were stuck in the 19th century and led to a great tragedy in the 20th. And, presumably, set the stage for even greater hardship in the next installment in the trilogy. WWI is a forgotten war in many ways. That era is often overlooked, but the events that took place in the 1910s shaped the world we all inherited in the latter 20th century. I learned a lot, and it prompted me to investigate aspects of WWI I never knew about before. The array of opinions and characters may be preditctable, but they do reflect their age.

I read a few reviews that objected only to "sexual" references. Those negative few are laughable. People had sex (and always have) and not always in the Puritanical sense that some would prefer. That is the way people are and have always been. If you want Disney, this isn't your book. It reflects a realistic picture of life a century ago, and how we are still the same and we continue to make the same mistakes.

Great first installment, Ken. I look forward to the next issue.

Good listen. Great Narrator

Not quite as good as Pillars of the Earth but very enjoyable. I read Pillars so possibly I wasn't as distracted. I think Ken Follett is a master in his research and this is a great way to get a history lesson too.

loved it

great book, engrossing beginning to end. now on book 2, Winter of the World. thoroughly enjoyed the book!

A most enjoyable way to learn history.

The world today is moving forward faster then ever . Few of us have time to look back, and understand our past. Dispite being fictional, the characters of this book help me to understand the real human experience of the time. And to find something relatable in each class and culture represented. The narrator is incredibly talented, and I love to hear all the accents . Truly entertaining and educational!

Could not get enough of this book!

What made the experience of listening to Fall of Giants the most enjoyable?

John Lee did a magnificent job with the accents in this novel. The story line was wonderful, it was easy to connect with all the characters and differentiate between them with Lee's voices.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Fall of Giants?

One of the final scenes when Ethel Williams makes Fitz move aside so that she and her son may pass.

Which character – as performed by John Lee – was your favorite?

Ethel Williams

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I fell in love with the book and several times I laughed out loud or started to sniffle at the characters' misfortune.

Any additional comments?

I would recommend this book, to anyone and everyone, to listen to. Lee was phenomenal and Follett is a fantastic storyteller. I recommend getting the sequel before you even start listening to this one, because you will want to start it immediately after finishing "Fall of Giants".