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)

Follett & Lee: The Gold Standard of audiobooks

Ken Follett's historical fiction novels are just great, and captivating all on their own. But paired with John Lee's masterful performance full of individual character voices and appropriate and authentic-sounding accents, they come alive in a way that is mesmerizing and impossible to stop listening. The second installment in the second such trilogy did not disappoint!

easy read

in my opinion this was not as good as the first book however it was good enough to have me order the third book

Brilliant!!

This book is an excellent follow up to Fall of Giants. The historic moments wrapped in the story itself are well written.
It’s a brilliant story of the lives of people in the 20th Century.

Excellent - Lee finally mastered American Accent

This was a superb book with a superb narration. If you liked the first book or any of the Kingbridge books by Follett then you will love this. I could not press pause and listened to the entire thing within three days. And, unlike with the previous novel, Lee fixed his American accents! He has always done well with other accents but he has struggled with the multitude of American accents in his other narrations. That said, to my unsophisticated ear all Russian and German accents sound the same to me, so what do I know? Props to him and props to Follett. I am already 10 hours into to the next novel, which is shaping up to be just as good.

So good

I have listened to this book multiple times. It gets better every time! I highly recommend it!

2nd in the Trilogy

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

I have not read the print version, so I cannot compare. I enjoyed the Fall of Giants, the first book of the trilogy, better than this one.

What did you like best about this story?

Seeing the impact of the society and war on regular people provides some insight into the period of time.

What about John Lee’s performance did you like?

He is wonderful. His change of accents is flawless which assists greatly in following dialog. He should definitely be kept for the next volume.

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

Carla von Ulrich, Lloyd Williams, or Daisy Peshkov. Carla's brave act to protect the unknown girl and her love for the child standout as extraordinary actions.

Any additional comments?

The transitions from the first book could have been better in spots to remind the reader where a character originated. I tend to forget over a few months. A family history chart might be a nice printout addition.

Absorbing - I feel the passions

Excellent writing and superb audio. Put me into the middle of everything that occurs. Felt as if I was living that moment.

Excellent Story brought to life by terrific reader

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

John Lee's performance brings the story to life and makes it easy to lose oneself in the lives of the characters. A much richer experience by audio.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Impossible to pick just one favorite character. Ethel Williams, Maude & Walter are definitely at the top of the list, along with Gus and his son.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Many terrific moments - I was especially moved by the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Any additional comments?

Can't wait for the third installment of the trilogy!!!

Amazing story, well written and great auditor

Ken Follett's story telling is amazing. Well written and John Lee reads the book with accents to add to the story telling.
I'm buying the third instalment now!

Even better than the first

If you enjoy thought provoking historical fiction, I think you will enjoy Winter of the World. I was completely drawn in from the very beginning. Of course, already feeling connected to the characters from the first book in the series made it much easier to connect right into the story. World War II stories always intrigue me and Follett's was fantastic. I found myself wondering about certain facts that I had never wondered about before, and spending time running Google searches. This is a book that I can see myself returning to in several years. I can't wait for the third book in the series! I highly recommend it!