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)

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

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

One of my all time favs

I have listened to this book multiple times and it seems to get better every time.

Spectacular Storyline and Descriptions!

What did you love best about Winter of the World?

I loved the characters and the way they were woven into the history of WWII. It is an amazing feat when an author can do lengthy stories such as this one and the other series as well as write amazing spy novels. Ken Follett is a terrific author.The best part of Winter of the World is how Daisy grows into such a remarkable woman; and how Carla is able to step up and protect her family, yet still love her totally obnoxious brother. The characters truly come alive under John Lee's narrative.

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

I think of Herman Wouk's Winds of War and War and Remembrance. Lots of similarities. I've read them both but will listen to them one of these days.

What about John Lee’s performance did you like?

yes. I liked Mr. Lee's performance. He brought the characters to life and was able to do all the voices in all the dialects beautifully.

Who was the most memorable character of Winter of the World and why?

It is hard to pick out just one character because they all had such remarkable 'stories' but it's hard to not focus on Lloyd Williams since he was quite an amazing young man. He was loyal to his roots but able to adapt to the changes around him. He also waited for Daisy to grow up and recognize him as the man for her. There were so many strong characters in this book....even when selecting the wrong direction to follow, the characters were strong, if misguided.

Great Read

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

One can always tell that Ken Follett studies his history. Both the stories and history intertwined in this novel are very descriptive and believable. His books are always superb.
John Lee acts out the characters' voices very well!

Learning history has never been this much fun

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

Among the best I have heard.

What did you like best about this story?

Great story intertwined with historical events. Careful, time will pass in a hurry.

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

As the World War Turns.

Good listen

Good listen, a little hard to follow at times. I really enjoyed the story and the reader was really talented.

Loved it!

Great historical read with a great story line! A well needed history lesson as well as a lesson on humanity.

Another spectacular Ken Follett Book!

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

Epic historical novel

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

This is very similar to Fall of Giants because of it's historical passage through time. I love how the author weaves the fictional characters with the historical people.

Which scene was your favorite?

The bombing of Pearl Harbour was one of my favorite scenes.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I like to listen to this book in parts to stop and dig out more historical facts about the time period.

Love Ken Follett!!!!

I had to go back and listen to The Fall of Giants before I listened to this one, my memory is awful. This was another home run by Ken Follett. In comparison to the first book, personally I think it wasn't quite as good, but still exceptional and I will read the third in this series. The characters are charismatic, cruel, and charming. Some of them bad with a little good, some good with a little bad. None of the simpering goody goody or horribly totally evil characters, they were exceptionally well rounded. I'm thinking this is a Ken Follett specialty, and as usual John Lee was a great narrator. A perfect combination.

Ken Follett & John Lee... what a pair!

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

This is definitely in the top 10 for audio books.

What did you like best about this story?

I love that I am learning so much about historical culture. Ken Follett has an amazing ability to really bring a story to life. He describes the details you didn't think you needed to know, but somehow make a very vivid picture.

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

I recently began searching out books narrated by John Lee (that's how good he is). He flows between characters effortlessly & I can tell who's talking by his accents for each character. John Lee is the best narrator I have listened to yet!