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)

Extremely engaging book. Bravo!

The characters in this novel were realistic and came to life with the narrator's engaging and emotional tone. At first, the narration seemed to be too quick, but it didn't take long to fall into the captivating rhythm. The historical context gives the reader a fascinating insider's view to the multifaceted nuances of world politics, the class system, and the injustices of war. Well worth the 30 hours!!

Historical novel that makes you listen

Finished listening in record time. Follet uses a technique putting you in history whether or not the scenes are true. The endings are somewhat contrived but I am downloading his second pronto.

Fantastic Narration

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

This book was great and I look forward to the next book off the trilogy!!!

Fall of the Giants: The Century Trilogy, Book 1

Would you listen to Fall of Giants again? Why?

Yes, most definitely, just in case I might have missed something!

Who was your favorite character and why?

That's a hard decision. I liked Maude for standing up for women's rights and supporting those below her station and Ethel for reaching beyond her station in support of women's rights. I believe Billy might have been my favorite for his strength and cheered him all the way through the whole book. But then there's Gregory,(not sure if that's spelled correctly) he was special for being anall round dependable guy and a fighter for what he believed in!
I guess, I'm going to choose Billy!

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

John Lee was wonderful with all the characters, the accents were excellent! I knew them all by his accents and grew to love them all!

Any additional comments?

I recommend this book! The truth is I wouldn't normally chose this type of book and I wanted something that was long to last awhile, I had no idea that I would love it from start to finish and I didn't want it to end!

Second Audible reading

Excellent performance of Fall of Giants and this is my second hearing. Loved the voices of the characters.

Very Entertaining!

If you could sum up Fall of Giants in three words, what would they be?

Historical, vivid, and outstanding

What did you like best about this story?

I loved the range of characters involved in the story. You got to see the events taking place from a variety of different view points. The characters were rich and they came to life within the story. I enjoyed the historical events too. It was fascinating imagining the lives of the characters being affected in various ways by the changes in world politics.

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

John Lee does a brilliant job with all of the various accents in the story. He gives an authentic sound to the characters of each region of the world. I am very fond of his Welsh character voices and his Russian character voices are excellent also. I could understand everyone of them as they spoke but each had their own distinct sound. He is very talented.

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

I laughed a few times during the story, but the strongest reaction I had was one of frustration for several of the characters as they found themselves in near-impossible situations not of their own making.

Any additional comments?

Ken Follett is a master story-teller. I love the way he makes a large variety of characters come alive with his writing. Because of the type of story that this is, it is populated with a huge cast of characters but none of them get lost in the telling. He moves back and forth between the different characters with ease.

Amazing web of change

This is an incredible story which, through a fantastic web of connected characters, details the huge changes in social and world order around WWI. With today's rising income disparity and reduce social mobility, it's important to see how we can't allow ourselves return to such times.

Enjoyable story!

Several reviewers indicated that this book was slow or boring but I did not find it so. I was captivated by the characters and various story lines. The book and the narration was excellent. I can't wait to start book 2.

Outstanding novel and narration!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would and have recommended this audiobook to several friends based not only on the enjoyment that I had in the novel itself but in John Lee's narration of it. I am a hard core fan of both gentelemen. Follett, always and outstanding author, has put together a story that follows families from both sides of WWI that intertwines their lives in a historically correct accounting of that era as well as conditions of each of the social strata that he involves. In turn, John Lee narrates it utilizing his talents in taking on each part as if he were that person, right down to the accents, voice and emotion. "Fall of the Giants" follows the pattern of writing, accuracy and narration of both of these men just as "Pillars of the Earth" and "World Without End" . Can't wait for the next of this series, "Winter of the World" to continue this story!

What did you like best about this story?

No one part is my favorite, it take it all to make the story complete

Which scene was your favorite?

Same as with liking that best-Follett protrays it all so well, there is not any way to make a choice

If you could rename Fall of Giants, what would you call it?

Title is perfect, wouldn't call it another -just would not be the perfect title that it has!

Absolutely Wonderful

What did you love best about Fall of Giants?

I loved learning about why the U.S. got involved in WW1. Follett is amazing as a historian.

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

He brings the characters to life.

Any additional comments?

I can't wait to read the second book in the series.