Winter of the World

The Century Trilogy, Book 2

By: Ken Follett

Narrated by: John Lee

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)

Great way to review history

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

Can't stop listening

What did you like best about this story?

Following the characters from the first book through the second book gave a very personal account of the political and economic events. Some periods, like Hitler's rise to power, have been covered in so many books, but other periods are rarely covered. Follett's books followed simultaneous stories. If you liked "Pillars of the Earth", you will love this.

What about John Lee’s performance did you like?

John Lee's voice is very easy to listen to for long periods of time. Great for long car trips.

Good, But Not His Best

Pillars of the Earth and World Without End were, to me, "10s," whereas Fall of Giants & Winter of the World are more like "6's".

Winter is mostly compelling, but drags in places. It also has a number of coincidences which scream "novelist at work," which come deep into the book, when the reader should hopefully be fully absorbed into the story. I found myself wishing that the spell were not so easily broken.

Make no mistake: Follett is awesome; I've read everything he's ever published and jump on each new book immediately, however his new stuff is, for me, "good" rather than "transcendently amazing."

Reading this book made me a better person.

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

World War II

Any additional comments?

Before you ever make a comment on a blog or facebook again, about politics, about the USA, about its history of military actions around the world, please, read this book. It will change your mind for the better, and help you understand the USA so much better. Promise.

Better than Fall of Giants....

Would you listen to Winter of the World again? Why?

I enjoyed this part of the trilogy much more than Book 1. I found the characters more interesting and likeable, and the depth of the story lines more satisfying.

great book

Loved the continuing Story from the previous book and the development of the Characters. Enjoyed learning more about world history and some of the feelings around the events that took place.

Good history, decent stories

I loved how deep this book dove into the rise of facism, particularly how it did have adherants in England and the U.S. It's something many people don't think about.
The only criticism I have is there might be a bit too much detail on intimate lives.

A great follow-up

Ken Follett brings history to life. His research into the causes and human motivations that bring war to our world are first-rate. Follett has become my favorite historical fiction author.
John Lee is nothing short of amazing as he brings the characters to life.

Great Historical novel

What accuracy. Such an interesting look into the dynamics of the countries involved in WWII. Its kinda spooky hearing some of the parallels to things happening now. A great long credit worthy listen and I cant wait for the next one!

Another excellent book!

Ken Follett tells personable tales of what really happened in history, amidst the storyline of characters he has imagined. I so enjoy your stories, Mr. Follett! Thank you.

John Lee is a master of voices and accents....Sir, you are so talented and delightful to listen to. Thank you!

Wonderful Second Book

What did you love best about Winter of the World?

I loved the characters, the storyline. I literally couldn't stop listening to this and am very sad that I will have to wait for the next book.

What about John Lee’s performance did you like?

John Lee does a wonderful job with all of the different characters and accents. If I had one criticism, it would be his rendition of Daisy. He reads her like a low brow woman from New Jersey, when she is meant to be a Buffalo socialite. The accent he gives her is not relatable or believable to me, but otherwise he does an amazing job with all of the voices.