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)

Gripping!

What did you love best about Fall of Giants?

I learned about a period of history that I was not much familiar with.

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

John Lee is a brilliant reader.

Fantastic Follett

This was my first Ken Follett novel; it won't be my last. Superb narration and characterization.

Follett's finest!

Would you consider the audio edition of Fall of Giants to be better than the print version?

John Lee's voice and talents are perfect for this book. Every character is distinctive, male or female, without seeming to strain. I read this book once and have now listened to it three times. (I decided to re-listen to the 1 and 2 to get my memory ready for Edge of Eternity.) Every listen is like a long vacation with a treasured old friend, even better if possible than the one before. I loved Pillars and its sequel, but this is I believe the finest of Follett's work. Fantastic characters bring history to life. My first trips through this book, reading and listening, actually made World War One interesting, which takes some doing. And the rest of the century makes so much sense through the eyes of its first twenty years. Follett does such a great job of making characters you can truly see and understand that you can appreciate why they believe as they do regardless of what you might believe yourself or what knowledge of how history's experiments worked out reveals that they could not know.

Fantastic! A book you just can't stop listening to.

This was a very interesting book and fascinating pice of historical fiction. I wish I knew what was true and what was fiction, however. I am looking forward to listening to the second book in the trilogy.

Great narrator

He could make c-span sound intriguing and interesting. The story is pretty great also. Learned a lot about WWI

Great Book and Performance!

Let me start off by saying the performance is really great. One of the best readers I've heard for a book with this many characters. There are just a few characters I disliked him reading.

As a book though, this was a great historical fiction piece that takes the time to set up the characters to have you care for them. By the end of the book you will be in love or hate them but in a way that the author intended. Some characters have better stories than others, but like so many of people's lives, they change with the war. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of historical fiction!

Perfect Historical Fiction

This is my kind of book! Great writing, interesting, layered characters, and written in a time we know about but the story makes it come to life. If I find a series I like I usually won't read them back to back so I can draw out the series - but I can't wait!!! I'm starting book 2 now because I can't wait to hang out with these characters more!

Best novel & narration of WW 1.

I enjoyed all aspects of this well researched novel. I could barely put it down. Characters were well drawn and believable throughout. As a narrator, John Lee was excellent and his ability to speak in all the 'accents of the characters made the listening just so worthwhile. I hope he reads books 2 & 3 as well.

Great book

Would you listen to Fall of Giants again? Why?

Ken Follett lived up to his reputation built on his previous two novels Pillars of the Earth and World without End. The story is a great read and the history is best lived through characters, which Ken Follett provides.

Great Historical Fiction

I adore Ken Follet and he didn't disappoint with this novel. He does such a fantastic job with character development and intertwining the real aspects of history with the fictional. This book gives a wonderful perspective of the lives of people from the countries that were key players in WWI to really help understand the struggles that were endured. If only history books could be written so well!