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)

fantastic

Fantastic story and a wonderful narration. Gripping, moving and you don't want to miss this!

History at its best.

What did you love best about Winter of the World?

He transports us in time and we live the events he describes.

What other book might you compare Winter of the World to and why?

It is true Ken Follette in the style of Pillars of The Earth. You will relive theses events of the twentieth century

Any additional comments?

You must read all three books on the trilogy and see what you may have missed of the twentieth century

Gripping Epic Novel

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

History Made Fascinating

What other book might you compare Winter of the World to and why?

Like the War and Remembrance series by Herman Wouk, you get involved with characters who also teach you about history.

What about John Lee’s performance did you like?

Lee's range of accents - from English to Russian to German to American - is well executed, making it easy to follow who's saying what in the dialogue.

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

The sweep of history through the eyes of unforgettable characters.

very good book, could not stop, good narrato

I could not stop listening, very good narrator, I'm going for the next one in the series

Exhilarating. Don't plan on getting much done...

Couldn't stop listening to this one.

Sobbed my eyes out listening to the attack on Pearl Harbor .... Hard to do while running.

Great story, beautifully performed.

Worthwhile, engaging

After finishing the first in this series, Fall of Giants, this second book, principally about WWII, was as good and possibly a little better. I find these Ken Follett books a great way to get a feel for history with the advantages of reading a novel. It has engaging characters, a good story, and the narrator is excellent.

Another awesome Ken Follett novel

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This novel gives real insight into how the conflict affected ordinary people. It also brings to light the lengths to which people will go to ensure their safety. I was particularly struck by the parallels to today's political parties in the USA. The ideologies of the Nazi party and the Social Democrats mirror the American right and left wings, respectively.
I have recommended this book to a friend and a family member, because of its historical insight and its pertinence in today's world.

Great Until the End

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

Unsatisfying sweeping epic

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

This is a follow up to Follett's last book, Fall of Giants, and I was excited to keep following the characters through the end of WWI and through WWII. As always the story is engaging, the characters rich and narration excellent. Least interesting was that there was more sex in this book, which really didn't add anything, in my opinion. Not a prude or anything, I just felt like it sometimes kept the story dragging.

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

John Lee is excellent and does well in this novel.

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

Hard to pick just one, but I liked when the nurse of a Nazi hospital dares to put her life at risk to right a terrible wrong.

Any additional comments?

Loved this book until the end, which was so abrupt it was ridiculous. I know the story will continue in his next book, but Fall of Giants ended much better than this one - it just drops off and leaves you unsatisfied after such a time commitment.

The horrors of war.

Excellent narrator. Very good accents and easy to follow. Loved the story and will continue with the series.

Riveting story

Watching these families grow and change through the horrors of World War II has powerfully connected me to this history.