Fall of Giants: The Century Trilogy, Book 1

I must admit that I was put off by the negative reviews I read. I listened to it anyway and loved it. With good characters that I cared about it is a very easy read. What I was amazed at was how little I learned in school about WW1. I think you could easily teach a course based on this book. I went to the internet constantly to learn more about incidents that were mentioned in the book. I could not put it down.

Ken Follet is a master. His books are modern day classics. Well researched and written a joy to experience. John Lee has to be the best Narrator in the business. He could make a dryer instruction manual sound interesting. In Fall of Giants, as in his other works, Lee’s consistency and character distinction are impressive indeed. Where this complex and intertwined story line with numerous characters would have been a disaster in another’s hands in Lee’s capable grasp the story unfolds clearly and beautifully. A book to savor.

This was a good listen. I got very involved with the characters and look forward to the next book. Yes sometimes it was predictable and trite but for someone who really loves historical fiction, this was a treat.

I had been looking for a good story that also explains how WWI came about, and found it in "Fall of Giants, Book 1". This was my first Ken Follett book, and I really enjoyed the way he tells a story and explains history at the same time. It moved right along and didn't get weighed down in elaborate descriptions that take forever to get through. Yet, he describes things well . . . I really had a good picture in my mind of the characters, scenes, etc. It is true that the main characters reconnect with one another throughout the book in ways that are somewhat unbelievable. I was forgiving of Follett for this because he is such a good storyteller. However, I do hope this feedback reaches the author so he can work on improving this one weak point. Despite this, I still give it five stars. In fact, I liked it so much that I read it twice before moving on to a new book!

This is a wonderfully plotted and scripted story that tells the tale of the events of the early 20th Century that set the stage for all that followed over that 100-year period. Ken Follett gives us the history as told and illustrated through his great and varied group of characters. Follett's fine writing and the great narration by John Lee entertainingly bring to life a period that is often misinterpreted when looking back through that period. I can hardly wait to see where Follett's characters take us as part 2 leads us into the post-Great War decades.

Yes, I will listen again because the book is filled with engaging characters, sweeping history and seamless integration of different characters.

Billy Williams because he is such a good person.

I liked John Lee's ability to give life to the characters in this story.

The Rise of the Poor.

I primarily listen to books on tape as I jog or take a long car trip. With a work like this, I am sorry when my exercise or trip is done. Mr. Follett is a master story teller, and if some complain about his politics, they are missing the point of this entertaining and gripping book. I can hardly wait to read the next in the trilogy. The reading by John Lee is a perfect complement to the book.

Pillars of the Earth was the first novel I downloaded from Audible. I have re-listened to it and World Without End dozens of times and never seem to tire of them. I can see myself doing the same with Fall of Giants. There are many characters in this book because they are necessary in order to give the perspective of all the countries involved in the First World War. I feel the characters are given plenty of depth and like the other two massive tomes, this is certainly another page turner.

I imagines it would take me at least a week to listen to this book, yet I find I'm halfway through the third part after only two days. The purpose of this book is to tell a very complicated story, well enough to keep the reader wanting more. It would be so easy to get bogged down in rhetoric or politics when writing a book like this, yet Follett's writing is clear and concise, without unnecessary embellishments, descriptive enough to captivate readers with its plot and characters. Certainly worth every minute!

I am now a fan of Ken Follet. Jon Lee makes the listen great. He is able to make the book come alive. Can not wait for the next book

I am amazed at the number of critics who gave this book a poor review and then COMPLETELY missed the boat as to WHY it might be labeled a poor effort!

Most of the critics I saw referenced poor character development, which by the way utter HOGWASH. The vast majority of the book is devoted to character development - and masterful character development at that.

While the book does plod along at times, I believe it was clearly Follett's intent to do so as he sets the stage for parts 2 and 3, with exhaustive character development in this initial offering.

Secondly, a good number of critics attack the fact there are no significant villains in this story. Again, the reviewers not only missed the boat, but they let the oars bounce off their collective noggins with those comments ;)

There are several MINOR characters who are evil and or malicious, and most of them due to their incompetence and/or inexperience as wartime officers. These characters, from an overall perspective, along with the WAR itself, are the evil antagonists of the book - and again, positioned and developed quite well by Follet.

Lastly, whomever would label Ken Follett's work in its entirety as anything other than fine literary work is simply opening mouth and inserting foot with a feeble attempt to boost their ego with braggadocio that simply proves they have no idea what they are saying.

In summary, it's a good start, but whether or not it develops into a good trilogy is yet to be seen. As a standalone product, it will rate poorly. Clearly we really have no idea if it will rival POE and WWE at this point. So far, I am guessing "probably not"; but if I had to guess, I'd say it's still probably going to be worth the time and money.