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)

Such a fabulous, weaving of history and fiction!

I love this series, as well as his medieval series, by Ken Follett. The characters are beautifully drawn and woven into real history. The narration by John Lee is superb although some of his female voices can be a bit milquetoast. I’m looking forward to starting the third book in the series.

Love the histoy

I love the way Follett gives historical backgroud in his novels. I look forward to finishing this series!

Great series

Thanks so much for this story of WWI and WWWII. Can’t be beat. I always remember it

Great follow-up in the series

Book #2 in the Century trilogy is every bit as good as the first book, (Fall of Giants). Follett’s telling of the history of the 20th century brings the history to life in a very personal way. And John Lee’s narration is always worthy of a 5-star rating. I could listen to him read the phone book!

Wish I could give this book more than 5 stars...

in all three catagories!

More than a great story. I love a novel that educates.

Reader is perfect.

Lost a whole weekend because I couldn't turn it off...

I like my history with a little soap opera!

The second in this series does not disappoint. John Lee is a superb narrator - his talent to move between characters and voices/accents is amazing! As usual Ken Follett does his research and writes so well. The book serves up a great history lesson with just enough soap opera to keep my interest. Looking forward to Book 3.

Follett does it again!

"The Fall of Giants" was a great book. I have been reading every book I can find about WW1 and this was one of the great ones. "Winter of the World" takes us into WWII and up to the cold war. I was a bit disappointed that Follett did not put as much emphasis on the social changes as he did in the "Fall of Giants" but he did put emphasis on what people or individuals had to do to survive in impossible situations. As in the first book this book follows the five interrelated families, American, German, Russian, English and Welsh. The book starts with the Spanish Civil War and the rise of Hitler. The key historical figures are not forgotten but also play a roll in the book such as, Churchill, Stalin, Hitler and FDR and Truman. He does cover some of the less well known aspects of the Holocaust, Pearl Harbor, the war in the Pacific but the major part of the war was based on the war of the eastern front. He does show how much more Russia did in the war when most English language book focus on the roll of England and America on the western front. John Lee did a great job narrating the book. Follett has left me wanting volume #3. Both of Follett's books are worth reading every few years or so, there is much to learn in the re-reading of a series like this one.

Wonderful Historical Novel

I re-listened to "Fall of Giants" before I listened to "Winter of the World". While both are excellent, I liked "Winter of the World" better. I have always enjoyed historical novels, and Follett did not disappoint. Recommend it highly.

Loved it!

A great book and worth the wait. I can’t fathom how someone can weave history and characters together so effectively. He’s an amazing talent. I thought the earlier events and characters were referenced about the right amount….enough to remind you, but the current stories and people were sufficient to enjoy the book.

One thing that rang true for me was his portrayal of women, especially with respect to sex. The way women thought and felt seemed believable to me, and I can connect with it myself as well as through my parents, who would have been young adults in the war years. Some writers, such as Alan Furst, seem to have their characters hop from one sensual adventure to the next, with an endless string of available women. That is one outlook and it reveals the male character’s view of women as sensual delights, which is fine. But it’s not really portraying a woman’s point of view in its fullness. For example, pregnancy or birth control never seems to factor into Alan Furst’s books, but does in this book by Ken Follett. That seems more accurate and reflective of real women, especially in the 1930’s and 40’s.

John Lee, of course, is superb.

Excellent

What did you love best about Winter of the World?

Everything

What did you like best about this story?

Everything

Have you listened to any of John Lee???s other performances before? How does this one compare?

He is one of my favorites & did his usual wonderful job

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

I would not presume to mess with Ken Follet's title decisions

Any additional comments?

Nope, except that audible, ken follet and John Lee are the best!!!
As a visiting nurse & dog trainer, I spend a lot of time in the car & my Audible
Membership is the best ongoing investment ever!!!!