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  • Fall of Giants

  • Book One of the Century Trilogy
  • Written by: Ken Follett
  • Narrated by: John Lee
  • Length: 30 hrs and 38 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (493 ratings)

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Fall of Giants

Written by: Ken Follett
Narrated by: John Lee
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Publisher's Summary

Fall of Giants is Ken Follett's magnificent new historical epic. The first novel in The Century Trilogy, it follows the fates of five interrelated families—American, German, Russian, English, and Welsh—as they move through the world-shaking dramas of the First World War, the Russian Revolution, and the struggle for women's suffrage.

Thirteen-year-old Billy Williams enters a man's world in the Welsh mining pits…. Gus Dewar, an American law student rejected in love, finds a surprising new career in Woodrow Wilson's White House…. Two orphaned Russian brothers, Grigori and Lev Peshkov, embark on radically different paths half a world apart when their plan to emigrate to America falls afoul of war, conscription, and revolution…. Billy's sister, Ethel, a housekeeper for the aristocratic Fitzherberts, takes a fateful step above her station, while Lady Maud Fitzherbert herself crosses deep into forbidden territory when she falls in love with Walter von Ulrich, a spy at the German embassy in London….

These characters and many others find their lives inextricably entangled as, in a saga of unfolding drama and intriguing complexity, Fall of Giants moves seamlessly from Washington to St. Petersburg, from the dirt and danger of a coal mine to the glittering chandeliers of a palace, from the corridors of power to the bedrooms of the mighty. As always with Ken Follett, the historical background is brilliantly researched and rendered, the action fast-moving, the characters rich in nuance and emotion. It is destined to be a new classic.

In future volumes of The Century Trilogy, subsequent generations of the same families will travel through the great events of the rest of the 20th century, changing themselves—and the century itself. With passion and the hand of a master, Follett brings us into a world we thought we knew, but now will never seem the same again.

©2010 Kevin Follett (P)2010 Penguin Audio

What the critics say

"A big Book, Follett''s hugely ambitious saga is a sweeping success. Ken Follett has hit another one out of the park with the initial installment of the hugely ambitious Century Trilogy. His fans will rejoice at the richness, complexity, historical sweep and simmering lust in a saga spanning the years 1911 to 1923." ( Newark Star Ledger)
"A dark novel, motivated by an unsparing view of human nature and a clear-eyed scrutiny of an ideal peace. It is not the least of Follett''s feats that the reader finishes this near 1000-page book intrigued and wanting more." ( Chicago Sun-Times)
"[Follett] meticulously reconstructs an era and leads us through the follies and occasional heroics of its protagonists real and imaginary. He is masterly in conveyers so much drama and historical information so vividly...Grippingly told, and readable to the end." ( New York Times Book Review)

What listeners say about Fall of Giants

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Real history

I loved how Ken Follett wove together the lives of his fictional characters to tell an engaging and factual history of the first world war. The facts will stay with me better for having been linked to believable although imagined people. And somehow, i think those characters may have had real life counterparts.

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Absolutely loved this book, awesome narration.

This was such a wonderful book, I bought the entire series, being a history buff. It was a great intro into WW1, and as someone else mentioned, you really understand WW1 after listening to it. My grandfather was a WW1 Veteran, wounded and with medals for bravery when he came home, having survived the battle of The Somme.
Ken Follett’s characters make the book, and history come alive, and John Lee’s narration is phenomenal. He does a pretty decent Welsh, Russian, and I assume American accent, does a great job with the women’s voices, and makes this book such a pleasure to listen to. I hope the next in the series still focuses on the families, I assume they will deal with the children of this war, into WW2. I bought myself extra credits for my birthday so I have the series. I absolutely loved this book. I had forgotten how good a writer Ken Follett is. #Audible1

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Enjoyable history lesson !!

Ken Follet has a masterful way of telling complicated history in a manner more easily understood. In this book the explanation of how a single shot started a world war. Of course we know it wasn't that single shot that started World War I, it was much more complicated.

The book delves into how previous wars, class war and discrimination brought together a soup that had to boil over. The author gives us a variety of rich and real characters we come to care about and all sides of the war argument are represented.

I never really understood the how's and whys of World War 1. My great grandparents and my grandparents were very representative of the characters in the book.

Displaced aristocracy, working class peasants, farmers and middle class professionals. They all had varying political and religious views and life experiences, which made for some heated discussions from time to time. They included a disaffected Bolshevik, an Austrian who fought in the Boar War and also served in World War 1 and lost family and friends. Each one had a decidedly different take on that history and also the outcomes after the armistice. I was confused to say the least.

I now "get it" and in such an entertaining manner. This book gives context to a really complicated world situation and there are lessons we could use today. It's just racy and romantic enough to keep an older teen interested, if they are learning about World War 1 in school. I can guarantee that studying that subject would be much easier.

John Lee's narration of the book is clear and easy to listen to. He brings life to the characters and is never flat or boring.

I listen to Audio books mostly while I gardening. I can tell you that my garden has never looked better, since I am reluctant to stop listening.

I'm looking forward to listening and reading the 2nd book in the trilogy.

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Historical Fiction at its Best

A book, in dramatic fashion, unravelling history superbly better than any academic setting can ever hope to do!

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Epic

This is a must listen. It is easy a top 5 book that I have listened to.

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Brilliant intrigue

Rarely can a book make me laugh, or cry, or hold my breath but this long but fast paced page turber made the emotional grade. By the end, I was also reminded of how sophisticated Follet's character developments typically are when given the length. And my goodness, John Lee's narration was so well suited that I did find myself battering back to him in one of his lilting accents especially when Follet introduces a female character and uses her as a sex-object for the motivations of his male characters, my one, persisting criticism of Follet at all. Even so, here, in a manner unpredictable, he describes the rise of the female voice and for this I am very pleased and interested. Well worth the listen.

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Great read

Slow getting started but winds up after first couple of chapters until you can hardly put it down.

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Amazing

Book was incredible. Some people complain in the reviews about it being too burdened with historical facts, but I beg to differ. Facts and events are intertwined perfectly with the fictional aspect of the novel.
Fantastic way to learn about the events that shaped our current world while being immersed in drama and passion of human relations of very unique and vivd characters.

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Incredible!

I absolutely loved this book and the perspectives it offers from all of the major players leading up to and during the First World War. I am about to hit start on book 2 of the trilogy, Winter of the World, and can’t wait to keep listening.

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GREAT NOVEL!!!

Ken Follett's characters are evil and totally good. I like or not like the way the characters keep rising in good fortune and then fall to the depths of despair. I find I am holding on throughout the novel praying like - please turn this around. The story is long but entertaining. Great narration by John Lee!!!!

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