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)

Epic

Characters the reader truly cares about woven into history. The brutality and recovery from war that I had never considered comes to life. Couldn't recommend the series any higher.

Another Follett Hit

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

Great Epic Novel

Who was your favorite character and why?

Surprisingly Daisy,,,, her spirit and how she changed

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

Starting with Pillars,, he is one of my favorites

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Winter of the World, the era of my parents

Any additional comments?

Look forward to the next book

History repeats itself

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed this book. I listened to Follet's other books narrated by John Lee and as always, he's excellent.
The parallels between the history and politics of World War II and today show that we are doomed to repeat the same mistakes if we don't pay close attention to what's going on in the world. The craziness spouted by the Nazi party leading up to the war is the same craziness we hear now, just wearing a different shirt.

fabulous!

enjoyed it so so much! love Ken follet and love John Lee narrating! i wish the book never ended. I cannot wait to hear the third book in the trilogy

Engaging and informative

As usual, Ken Follett has written in subject matter that I never would have chosen for myself. No problem, he manages to make it engaging, interesting and well worth the time. Even though I am not a history buff I have enjoyed this as much as the first installment. The narrative makes the large group of characters focused and much less confusing than they could have ended up.

If you like Ken Follett, you'll like this book

What did you like best about this story?

It meshes well with the characters from the previous book while also introducing a lot of new characters. World War II is also one of the most dramatic time periods of modern history and one of my favorite to read about so listening to hit from a historical fiction perspective was very interesting. And of course there is plenty of action. I was a bit disappointed that some aspects of the war were skimmed over or only mentioned rather than really experienced by any of the characters. Dunkirk, Stalingrad and the D-Day landings were among these moments that I had really been looking forward to hearing more about, but were only mentioned by the characters. I think this was partially deliberate on Follett's part though. These events have been written about thousands of times from every possible perspective so instead he gives us a glimpse into some of the less well known aspects of these events.

Sequel Every Bit as Good

I was so sorry to have this series come to a premature end. It will be hard to wait until 2014 for the Third in the series!

Everything I never really knew

What did you love best about Winter of the World?

I'm obsessed with this trilogy ... At least thru book two Winter of the World.. John lee the reader is fantastic especially with his change of voices and accents. There are so many characters which Mr Lee helps us get to know thru his easy delivery.

Answers for a cold war generation.

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

John Lee's impeccable linguistic transitions.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Lloyd won my heart early on, with his youthful enthusiasm for political idealism and his undying pursuit of what he believed in, in spite of the collapse of everything he knew of the world he lived in, across borders and over time.

Which scene was your favorite?

Carla's ability to know intuitively what a rape would have done to Rachael, and yet willingly take that personal nightmare on herself, physically and emotionally, made her the hero she proved to be in so many ways, throughout the impoverishment of family and neighbors, and degradation of homeland.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Forget your childhood recollections and your history lessons. Here's the fluid, seamless unfolding of events that molded the world as we know it today.

Any additional comments?

We all have favorites books, for whatever reason, but here is a book that is justified in being chosen as an all time favorite. Ken Follett had been a lifelong favorite author for one of his earlier works, but this is in a league of its own. It was an amazing research undertaking, and a piece worthy of being called a masterpiece in areas of history, sociology, culture, economy, warfare and knowledge of the human spirit.

a lot of story a little history

so much well know history took place during the time period covered in this book. you really get a sense of what it might have been like to live through these events and I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I would have like a little more history or additional perspectives on a few of the big events. so many potential things to cover and only so many pages.