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.
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"OK, now I can take my life back from Ken Follett - I've read negative reviews and fawning reviews, and mine falls somewhere in the middle. As much of an achievement as it is to finish one if these monstrosities, let alone two in a row, it's an incredible achievement to match history with a page turning plot, creating a cast of characters I hate to leave and can't wait to see again in 2014. So what if some sentences are a bit clunky - the ratio to 940 pages is smaller than most. Panoramic history and complex plot - yum."
— Annie (5 out of 5 stars)
Clips along at a brisk pace. . . [Follett] knows how to keep the pages turning and how to make the reader feel a kinship with the characters' struggles. . . . No matter the ultimate destination, readers can expect to savor the journey.
— The Christian Science MonitorThe man tells a story so well. . . . Follett can make things glow with some beautifully written episodes.
— St. Louis Post-DispatchAn entertaining historical soap opera.
— Kirkus Reviews[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 PressMasterfully sweeping. . . . Political intrigue, amorous episodes, suspense, and drama. History comes to life.
— The Louisville Courier-JournalA consistently compelling portrait of a world in crisis.
— The Washington PostSome of the biggest-picture fiction being written today.
— The Seattle TimesGripping . . . powerful.
— The New York Times“Follett’s real gifts are those of a natural storyteller: swift, cinematic pacing, the ability to juggle multiple narratives coherently, and an eye for the telling detail. The result…is an honorable piece of popular entertainment and a consistently compelling portrait of a world in crisis.”
— Washington Post“Should come with a warning label: ‘Abandon your normal activities for a couple of days when you crack this one open, because you’re likely to get hooked like a Copper River salmon.’”
— Seattle Times“Riveting…Follett is a master craftsman. He fills his pages with fascinating characters and then uses the great events of this time to make an exciting plot. He succeeds in every way possible.”
— Huffington Post“Just as potent, engrossing, and prolix as the opening opus, Fall of Giants…Rife with plotlines, interpersonal intrigue, sweeping historical flourishes, and an authentic and compelling cast, this is a dynamic tale of characters struggling to survive during one of the world’s darkest periods…Will leave fans eagerly awaiting the trilogy’s crowning capstone.”
— Publishers Weekly“John Lee’s narration enhances the complex plot with an impressive assortment of European accents…[This] grandly scaled epic is enriched by a superb narration.”
— AudioFile“A tale of heroes and heroic acts. In the hands of a less adroit storyteller, it would be hackneyed, but Follett moves his…figures through interesting situations and draws the reader in to care what happens to them.”
— Library Journal (starred review)“Follett never lets the action lag as he adeptly ties together all the sweeping economic, cultural, political, and social transformations of the entire era.”
— Booklist“Follett’s storytelling is unobtrusive and workmanlike, and he spins a reasonable and readable yarn that embraces dozens of characters and plenty of Big Picture history.”
— Kirkus Reviews" Follet does such an amazing job with character development. I feel like I miss the characters now that I've finished the book. He clearly does not have a favorable opinion of the Russians but other than that I felt like all sides of WWII were well represented. Thoroughly enjoyed this book! "
— Katie, 2/16/2014" 2nd in trilogy. Picks up after ww1 and ends after ww2, many of the same characters as book 1 and offspring of many of the previous characters. "
— Sandylamberton, 2/13/2014" Very interesting story lines and characters. Follett gives us a 2,000 foot over view of his characters and reminds us that life was being lived while history was going on. "
— Jeffrey, 2/6/2014" Hate that I have to wait another year for the sequel. "
— Michelle, 1/22/2014" Loved this one even more than the first one. WW 2 buildup and denouement were handled superbly..could not put I down. "
— Margot, 1/18/2014" I loved that it started exactly where the first book ended but the first was much better. The history is the best part of both of these books and I felt that the first book informed me better than this, I will finish the trilogy when the next book comes out. "
— Patricia, 1/12/2014" liked the first one better... "
— melody, 1/10/2014" I genrally have liked Ken Folliet all of my life, but this book left me flat. I was looking for more reference to the historical events. I flet the story fo the characters living through World War 2 was entirely too " glossed over". "
— Catherine, 1/9/2014" Nice follow up on the first book in the series. Looking forward to the release of the final book. "
— Bryan, 1/6/2014" Not as good as the first one, but still pretty captivating. Makes me wish I knew anything about politics. Could do with less sex, though. And does everything have to be about breasts? "
— Rae, 12/30/2013" This and the first in the trilogy she be required reading. "
— Amy, 12/10/2013" Thoroughly enjoyed but perhaps not just as much as the first. However, it still deserves 4 stars! Can't wait until 2014 for the 3rd in the trilogy "the Edge of Eternity"! "
— Vicky, 11/30/2013" Cant for the next book ... "
— Osden, 11/29/2013" another masterpiece by Follet "
— Lori, 11/28/2013" For those who enjoy historical fiction, this is simply among the best. Follett reminds me a great deal of Herman Wouk, but his scope seems much broader. 940 pages of reading ecstasy and I'm very sad to know I'm finished. "
— Tom, 11/14/2013" can not wait for no. three!!! "
— Michael, 10/2/2013" Great job of intertwining history in story, although characters not as interesting or as developed as characters in Fall of Giants. Mr. Follett's political references/preferences shallow and detracted from story. "
— Sharon, 10/1/2013" The book was OK. Written the same way as the first book. I will probably read the third one just to see how the series ends. Once again, too much descriptive sex for me. "
— Stephanie, 2/17/2013" Can't wait for the 3rd book! "
— Cathyr, 1/27/2013" I greatly enjoyed this follow up to Fall of Giants. Can't wait for the third installment. "
— Gregg, 10/8/2012" Each time I read a Follett book I feel a little bit smarter. He is able to recreate the history from the common man's perspective. Can't wait for the final book to come out! "
— Kate, 10/7/2012" Superb representation of the pre war and post war Europe. Never a dull moment reading the book. "
— Anand, 9/14/2012Ken Follett is one of the world’s best-loved authors, selling more than 160 million copies of his thirty books. His first bestseller was Eye of the Needle, an Edgar Award–winning spy story set in the Second World War. In 1989 The Pillars of the Earth was published and has since become the author’s most successful novel. It reached number one on bestseller lists around the world and was an Oprah’s Book Club pick. The series has sold more than fifty million copies worldwide and hitting the New York Times bestsellers list.
John Lee is the winner of numerous Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration. He has twice won acclaim as AudioFile’s Best Voice in Fiction & Classics. He also narrates video games, does voice-over work, and writes plays. He is an accomplished stage actor and has written and coproduced the feature films Breathing Hard and Forfeit. He played Alydon in the 1963–64 Doctor Who serial The Daleks.