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)

I am impatiently awaiting the third book

Would you consider the audio edition of Winter of the World to be better than the print version?

yes, because I have little time to read yet gobs of time in the car to listen

Exceptional

Along with book one of the series this became a listen I could not wait to get to each day. I am very excited to begin book 3!

Sad when it ended

I flipped between reading and listening to this second installment of the Century Trilogy. John Lee's character voices stuck with me in the portions I read on Kindle which I enjoyed very much.

Reading about the rise of the Nazis from the perspective of non-Nazi Germans was especially interesting given the current events of today.

I thoroughly enjoyed the whole book.

Road Trip Story!

Would you consider the audio edition of Winter of the World to be better than the print version?

Not particularly.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked learning so much more about the war in Europe than one usually gets from a Western perspective. It was news to me that there was a resistance to Hitler in Germany by non-Jewish Germans. No one ever speaks of them. And getting a view of the Spanish Civil War was pretty interesting. It was a rehearsal for World War II, and yet you learn very little about it in school.

What about John Lee’s performance did you like?

He's a pleasure to listen to for the most part, but every now and then he'll have a little rhythmic hiccup that makes it sound like he's not a native English speaker. It's a little odd. Also, his accent for the American females is a little off. He makes Daisy sound a little more shrewish and fish-wifey than she deserves. It's not so off-putting that I'd quit listening, just a bit jarring.

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

Absolutely.

Any additional comments?

When do I get to listen to the next one?

Better Than Fall of Giants

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

This is one of the best books by Follett and I should mention that I have read every book he has written and enjoyed them all. However this book is better than book one of this trilogy as the characters appear to be more developed. I enjoyed Fall of Giants and Winter World is even better. Mr. Lee's narration is excellent as it was in book one of this trilogy. Hope they have Mr. Lee narrate #3!

What did you like best about this story?

The period of time in the story and as mentioned above, the characters.

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

Yes, Fall of Giants. Mr. Lee's performance is one of the reasons that this book is so good. I will be looking for other books to listen to with his narration.

If you could take any character from Winter of the World out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Probably Daisy, She has lived among the upper class in both countries and experience the London blitz. She would be interesting.

Any additional comments?

Ken Follet is one of the best authors writing today. As I mentioned before, he writes so well that I have read or listened to every book he has written no matter what genre' or subject. I recommend his books to everyone! Can you tell that I am a fan, lol!

knowledge and understanding

What did you love best about Winter of the World?

the war of introducing the eleements of the war to the read

Who was your favorite character and why?

lloyd because he stood for something and seemed to be the ordinary man

Which character – as performed by John Lee – was your favorite?

All the characters were enjoyable

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

no; due to the length otherwise I would

I had forgotten......

I had forgotten just how much I enjoy epic novels by Ken Follett. This was my first one on audible, but can't wait to start listening to the others I have read in the past.

Something is wrong with this audiobook :(

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

I really like the story- but am disappointed that the file must be dreadfully out of order and incomplete!

Any additional comments?

This story was downloaded before the unavailable status. I wish I would have been sent a message to know not to start this book. How do I get a corrected version??????

Great Book

John Lee was his normal great narrator. Ken Follett does a masterful job of bringing to life the horror of living in Germany during WWII. I hope the third book is as good as the first two.

Brilliantly written and Brilliantly read!

Ken Follet has done a wonderful job in creating the characters in this tumultuous story of World War II.

It is a very well researched book and well narrated by John Lee.

Its a long book, but once it grips you, you cannot wait to listen to it for long stretches.