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)

An instant classic

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

The narrator was very regular and I love the details he put in the origin of the characters.
The fact that German, Russian, and French characters were all speaking English with the respective accent help me a lot to picture them in my mind.

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

My favourite character was Ethel, John lee brought her to life.

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

Billy was an inspiration, it was a pleasure to follow him thru such a big part of his life.

Ken Follett proofs to be my favorite writer ever!

I loved Pillars and World Without End, but somehow wasn't drawn to the idea of listening to a book set in the 20th century, especially with all the drama in WWII and my me not being a great fan of "war books".

But after a few flings with other authors I kept thinking how nothing compared to the epic tales of Ken Follett. With my new job ahead of me and having to drive 2 hours everyday I needed something to make time fly, something that could absorb me. So I went for it and bought Fall of Giants, and I was hooked immediately!! The thorough character building, the switching from character to character, it was all there and I loved every second of it. Everything I loved about the other Ken Follett books was there, and more! My drives to work flew by, sometimes I caught myself wishing I lived further from work so I could listen to the book a little longer, it's that good!

Aside from it being a great story of different people in different countries set in the early 20th century, it's also a great history lesson. I feel like a WWI expert now! Ken knows how to make the political events really interesting! And even though it's a story about historical events affecting millions of people, he zooms in to the lives of a few key players which gives it the typical Ken Follett feeling.

I loved it!

Great presentation of WW1 history

The book gave the reader a unique and riveting account of historically accurate events in history by creating deep and relatable fictional characters that interact with some of the most influential people and events of that time.

Ein packender Roman...

Ich konnte das Buch nicht unterbrechen, denn es hat mich von Anfang bis Ende gefesselt... Empfehlenswert

Great stories of both sides.

What did you love best about Fall of Giants?

Timelime and characters that told the story of living in those countries.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Billy Williams. A working class hero and good brother.

Any additional comments?

Another enjoyable story from Ken Follett. Looking forward to the sequels.

History Lesson by Follet

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

Don't know. Read Pillars of the Earth. I would say reading is typically better than audio. When the narration is as good as this, it is very close.

What did you like best about this story?

narration.

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

Accents.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Ethel's brother is a hero of hero's

Any additional comments?

the book gave me a new sense of political thoughts relative to socialism, haves and have nots, freedom and progressive treatments.

Follet, good as always...

Would you listen to Fall of Giants again? Why?

yes, Follet writes amazing stories...

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ethel, because of the causes she defends and how she does it.

I Can't Wait for the Next Book in the Trilogy!

Where does Fall of Giants rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Well, I've listened to over 500 audiobooks, but I'd definitely put this in the top ten percent.

Who was your favorite character and why?

All the characters were great, but Ethel seemed like the strongest female character and developed the most during the novel. I happen to like strong female protagonists. They are all multi-faceted and compellingly real.

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

Grigory was my favorite voice. I'm ashamed to admit that this is because I think Russian accents are sexy.

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

It made me intensely interested in World War I, but it did not provoke an intense emotional reaction. It was intellectually fulfilling, though.

Any additional comments?

Definitely get this book if you like historical fiction! Even if you're not interested in World War I, I guarantee that you will enjoy it and will probably be dying to know more about WWI by the time you're finished.

I love this audiobook, like the author's thrillers, and found World Without End and the other book in that series whose name I can't recall to be miserably boring. If you didn't like those two other

Excellent historically novel

Where does Fall of Giants rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the best I listen to thus far

What other book might you compare Fall of Giants to and why?

Winter of the world, writen by the same author

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

The emotions of characters come across and move you.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

The first world war comes to life like never before.

Any additional comments?

I loved this book, it gave me more information on life during this important time than I have ever found elsewhere.

Great story; stentorian reader

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

The story is very well crafted; the intertwining story lines, connected with the real, historical narrative are wonderfully entertaining and enlightening. The reader is adept at the many accents the story requires (Welsh, upper class British, German, Russian, American), but his reading is often stilted.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Billy Twice, because of the growth he shows over the years.

What aspect of John Lee’s performance would you have changed?

He often sounds a bit like William Shatner in his reading style: a bit pompous, a bit stentorian and a lot stiff. His accents were great, however.

Any additional comments?

Great story, good reader; don't let his style deter you; the story is captivating.