Code to Zero

By: Ken Follett

Narrated by: George Guidall

Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

A man wakes to find himself lying on the ground in a railway station. He does not remember how he got there. He has forgotten where he lives. He cannot even remember his own name.

So begins Code to Zero, Ken Follett's explosive tale of intrigue, espionage, and conspiracy. It's January 1958, a dark hour in the cold war and the early dawn of the space race. At Cape Canaveral, a countdown has begun. On launch pad 26B sits Explorer I, America's best hope to match the Soviet Sputnik and regain the lead in the contest for the skies above.

As Luke Lucas starts to unravel the mystery of his amnesia, his desperate search leads him back to his Harvard friends: to his wife, to his best friend, to the woman he once loved more than life itself...and to the rocket that stands ready at the Cape. For Luke knew something that someone deliberately wanted him to forget, and unless he is able to discover his own deadly secret, he may be left powerless to save the launch of Explorer, and with it, America's future.

Don't miss Ken Follet discussing the history of the thriller and its role in literature at the 92nd Street Y.

©2000 Ken Follett (P)2000 Penguin Audiobooks and Recorded Books, Inc., LLC

Critic reviews

"Great spy thriller material." (AudioFile)

"Suspense junkies won't be disappointed by Follett's man-on-the-run framework; tension courses through the book from start to finish." (Publishers Weekly)

"With dependable skill, Follett weaves the threads of his narrative together, tying them into an unexpected and story-resolving knot." (New York Times Book Review)

Kept my attention

Loved it. The characters were interesting and compelling. It kept me guessing about who was who and twisting plot element.

I LOVE KEN FOLLETT!!!

I had this book in my library for a year and finally got to it and loved it. The thing Ken Follett does is he puts real history in his books. This book is set in Huntsville AL, at Red Stone Arsnal base,I live in Huntsville and i was blew back by how much he knew about this place.Now a little about the book you have Luke that has lost his memory and he is peacing everything back together.His college friends help him out with his memory or did they cause memory loss? The NASA race hits home and Luke is the missing link he has a lot of info he just cant remember what he knows..Check it out

aerospace history with a story

The excellent narration told the story of space/rocketry in the late 50's. I liked learning about the events that happened though the story of the lead character was rather weak.

Another excellent Follett book!

Found this book difficult to stop listening to.
I listen to audio books all the time while driving, before I go to bed, while doing tasks, relaxing. And this one was exciting that I wanted to just lay down and listen to!!!

Ken Follet has done it again!

As always with Ken Follet's books I got mesmerized and involved in the plot. Sure, there are some illogical moments but overall the story is involving and credoble.

Not his best but still good

If you’re into Ken Follett, you’ll like it. But it’s not his best. A little too much science terminology to follow on an audiobook.

Fair

Follett allows the plot to sink into predictability. Since it becomes pretty obvious how the plot will unfold, the ending lacks suspense. Although a work of fiction, the impact of the story was weakened by Luke's quick recovery from amnesia, and the subsequent march of characters into the story without much background development. Not one of Follet's best, I read it through out of curiosity, to determine whether my ending was different from his.

Dated but Captivating

Would you consider the audio edition of Code to Zero to be better than the print version?

Audio books are always better.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The plot was predictable at times, but overall it kept us listening to the end.

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

No

Any additional comments?

It kept us listening. Understand from IMDB there is a movie or a mini-series with present day time frame in the works. Looking forward to it. Just a bit corny but that is to be expected given the era it took place. Some of the moves of the characters were a bit too simple, again giving mercy for the time of the events.

Ken Follett books are great! This another of his fine books.

A great multifaceted story. The beginning is very unusual and keeps the reader intrigued and a bit off-balanced. The story develops with many twists and turns. Loved it!

Another Ken Follett Masterpiece

A brilliant story with an unusual twist in the tail. I found it impossible to put down. Follett cleverly knits together three different times - College life, World War II and the American race into space to beat the Russians through the eyes of a group of friends.