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)

Wow

Loved it, from beginning to end. Took me through many emotions. Can't wait to start on the next one.

Ken Follett does an incredible job as usual.

Ken Follett and John Lee are an incredible duo. Follett plants dozens of well-developed characters into a perfectly built complex historic world. I cannot wait to read Edge of Eternity!

WWII in Ken Follett’s Eyes

This was an amazing look into WWII by various characters from all sides of the conflict. John Lee does a wonderful job with the various accents so you really feel like you are hearing people from Russia, Germany, England, and the US.
I’m excited to read the next installment!

Una absoluta maravilla!!

Es maravilloso la manera que el autor narra la historia real entretejida con los personajes ficticios, con los cuales te identificas sentimentalmente al mismo tiempo que escuchas una cátedra de los momentos más oscuros de la historia de la humanidad.

Wonderfully performed, outstandingly written!

A superb performance of this centerpiece authored by one of the greatest historical writers of our time. Read it, then tell all your friends about it. Can't wait to hear the last book in this series.

Can't Wait For #3

Even though it was a little difficult to follow all of the characters from the first installment, it was a great read (listen) and fascinating!! The hours flew by. Narration was wonderful. Can't wait to get to the last installment!!

Great continuation of the story

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

Great story, blended well with first in the series. Kept to historical basis well.

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

Well performed.

Good history review

The author weaves the characters thru the important events that occurred during the period. A little too much graphic sex for my preference.

Compelling epic

This book is long but never lags. This volume straddles WW2 from the depression to the cold war. The torch is largely past from one generation within the families to the next. This probably doesn't stand alone. You'd want to read this after the first volume.

Historically educational AND entertaining.........

.....my favorite combination for a good read (listen). And read by someone who, quite obviously, cared about the characters.