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)

EXCELLENT READ!

What made the experience of listening to Winter of the World the most enjoyable?

John Lee's reading of this terrific novel was one of the best I've heard. The character voices were excellent and he switched between them so effortlessly.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I think Daisy was my favourite character. She matured with age and learned from her mistakes.

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

John Lee brought the characters to life. There was so much inflection in the voices and the narrative was excellent - almost making me feel as if I was watching the story as opposed to listening to it.

If you could rename Winter of the World, what would you call it?

I don't think I would call it anything different. I love the title as it is!

Any additional comments?

Don't wait another minute to download this title!

Thought Provoking

Ken Follett shines a light on history, giving families from all sides of WWII a voice to what they may have experienced. John Lee never ceases to amaze me in his character portrayals.

What an amazing journey!

It entertained me - it taught me - it took me away! Thank you Ken Follett for every hour you sat in front of a blank screen, as a writer I no longer have an excuse.

Worth the wait in every sense

This is another great Follett piece that weaves the lives and times of such distant families into the tapestry of life and then connects them with such clarity. I never experienced the 'skipping' issue noted earlier. There were certainly references to sexual incidents as one reviewer pointed out, but nothing more than we all experience in life. To omit these references would dilute the work as it helps paint the whole picture. Funny how sexual references will be pointed out as distasteful, but the references to violence go without mention. Not that they are out of place in this book, I just mention as a point. The magic of Follett's work is his ability to create lives and in the times we are all familiar with. Well Done. Encore!

Although a Good story, the writing had flaws

The story is interesting but I am surprised critics have not picked up some sloppy writing habits on the part of the author. He uses the word "however" and the phrase "all the same" constantly through the the book. He also asks questions, usually in pairs very, very frequently throughout the story almost to the point that it seems like a pattern.Examples like "But what will happen?" "Would the outcome be different?" (not word for word from the story but you get the picture). Maybe it was the reader who frequently spoke the questions as if they were statements and not questions at all that made this so apparent.

A

Super Long but never boring

Great story with engaging characters. I feel like I'm learning a lot about history just listening to this book. The narrators American accent is pretty funny. All the American women sound like they're from Brooklyn.

I have enjoy all of Ken Follett's books...

If you could sum up Winter of the World in three words, what would they be?

from the Eye of the Needle, The Man from St. Petersburg, Lie Down with Lions, the Key to Rebecca and the Pillars of the Earth.

It was fascinating to hear his characters come alive in World without end. and get reacquainted with them and their children in Book 2. The only draw back in listening to a book of this multitude of characters and stories, is understanding and remembering the names and how they are interconnected. I read World Without end first and decided, before listening to Book 2, that I should purchase and listen to Book 1. I am glad I did.

I look forward to Book three.

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

War and Peace,

another fine performance

the story which weaves fiction and accurate historical events is another compelling Ken Follett masterpiece. the narration brings to life all the individual characters and personalities and make some real

Wonderful story! A Colorado listener

Robert Lee continues to narrate this series and he has clear diction in many languages--amazing!

I liked every facet of the novel. I will continue with the series next month. It helped me to learn more of Russia's role during WWII and the viewpoint of Russian and German societies toward the US. Mr Follett covered a lot of history. A Colorado Reader/Listener

Not as good as the first book

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

Slightly above average as far as the story and performance.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

I wish Follett had spent a little less time on the characters' sex lives. I'm not a prude but I got a bit tired of every sex act between characters described in detail. I would have rather he spent more of his writing energy on the historical aspects.

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

His narrations is good but I am not real fond of his female voices.

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

Again, the sex scenes were over done and actually became boring instead of scintillating.

Any additional comments?

Despite a my few negative comments I am looking forward to listening to the third book in the trilogy.