Winter of the World

The Century Trilogy, Book 2

By: Ken Follett

Narrated by: John Lee

Length: 31 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

Picking up where Fall of Giants, the first novel in the extraordinary Century Trilogy, left off, Winter of the World follows its five interrelated families - American, German, Russian, English, and Welsh - through a time of enormous social, political, and economic turmoil, beginning with the rise of the Third Reich, through the great dramas of World War II, and into the beginning of the long Cold War.

Carla von Ulrich, born of German and English parents, finds her life engulfed by the Nazi tide until daring to commit a deed of great courage and heartbreak...

American brothers Woody and Chuck Dewar, each with a secret, take separate paths to momentous events, one in Washington, the other in the bloody jungles of the Pacific...

English student Lloyd Williams discovers in the crucible of the Spanish Civil War that he must fight communism just as hard as fascism...

Daisy Peshkov, a driven social climber, cares only for popularity and the fast set until war transforms her life, while her cousin Volodya carves out a position in Soviet intelligence that will affect not only this war but also the war to come.

©2012 Ken Follett (P)2012 Penguin Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Gripping....powerful." (The New York Times)

"[Follett] is so good at plotting a story, even one that takes on such a complex topic such as the World War II era. That's what makes Winter of the World so hard to put down. You want to know what happens next." (The Associated Press)

"A consistently compelling portrait of a world in crisis." (The Washington Post)

Another winner for Ken Follet Fans

Follet continues to educate the listener about world wars and the inner circles of decision making along with strong loves and failures. I recommend it certainly after reading Fall of Giants. The fears and problems of living in dictatorships is sharply drawn and makes one shutter at the reality he draws. Well done Mr. Follett

Follett's Magnificent Saga continues!

His artful way of weaving these family stories into historic situations is fascinating. Excellent narration!

Big picture, Butterfly Effect

Follett is the master of plot, and one of the most entertaining aspects is to see how one small event 40 years in the past can alter the history of the world. Remember how Gregori in the first book saved Katerina from the police officer- and what unfolded.

The narrator was mostly great (again), but I was irritated by Daisy’s accent. Think of the Dewar’s and her brother Greg— did she sound like an uptight WASP or a movie star from the 40s? No, she sounds like she’s from a poor neighborhood in Queens, or maybe New Orleans.

Anyway, despite that, I recommend this, but only if you read the first book before this.

Great book to listen to

Listening to this book the second time through currently. I feel like I didn't get all of the story or feelings from the book the first time through. I do not regret my decision to listen to his book a second time through. Definitely recommend this book to anyone that needs a book to listen to.

five stars by default

p the book is well crafted without ever quite being elegant. unlike many books that I read, there is very little filler here. the plot sometimes feels a bit contrived but it is never boring. the plot boils along nicely and we get an excellent overview of the crowded history of the years covered by the book. it is mostly about Germany and Hitler but there's also plenty of information about Russia and the United States.

Great book for a long haul

Quite a majestic undertaking. I like that you get personal views from everyday people in Berlin before, during and after WWII as well as the allied nations. Not good for people who don’t like to read about death. BTW, UC Berkeley is not in San Francisco. Near would have been a better word.

LOVED it!

Absolutely loved listening to this book, learned a lot and the story was hard to stop listening to. Highly recommend!

narrator is the best on audible. fabulous.

Ken follet is a legend. incredible story. most engaged character development ever. loved every minute of it

Great book

One aspect I really liked is that it’s a 2nd world book that doesn’t focus solely on the concentration camps. It gives an angle I had never read before, including politics (role of communism in post war era), among other details that make the storyline quite interesting. Good sequel to the fall of giants.

Great read!

Would you listen to Winter of the World again? Why?

Maybe. It is complex enough that we might revisit it again.

What other book might you compare Winter of the World to and why?

I think it was better than The Fall of Giants, but a close comparison.