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Fall of Giants
- Book One of the Century Trilogy
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Series: Century Trilogy, Book 1
- Length: 30 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Historical Fiction
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Sad he wrote this.
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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.
What the critics say
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Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Ashley
- 2018-09-20
Breathtaking adventure back in time
This book I struggled to put down...pun intended. I got completely engrossed in the story the Ken Follett wrote surrounding the lives of 5 separate families. It completely surrounds you in their lives daily struggles and events of the time period. I was blown away by the accuracy of events described in relation to recorded events. Taking place in world war one "The great War" for a history buff this was a wonderful experience. Constantly staying awake to listen to just one more chapter engaging until the very end. It will take you on an emotional rollercoaster as you develop feelings for each of the characters described.
For an audio book this was amazingly well read. The narriator had captured each character very well with different voices for each character so you could tell the difference. I enjoyed listening to him and was very easy to understand and visualize what he read. All around I loved this novel/listen and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a historical drama while keeping the integrity of such historical events. The whole series was well written! Ken Follett is amazingly talented and captured war in such an eloquent way. #Audible1
5 people found this helpful
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- Angela Douthwright
- 2018-06-07
Great book!
Read this book a long time ago, but I loved liatening to it! Eagerly waiting for my next credit to come on so I can get started on #2!
3 people found this helpful
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- Nomis
- 2018-06-06
More brilliance from Follett and Lee
if it weren't for Audible, if never have come across Ken Follett. I'm so pleased that I did. this is the second trilogy that I'm starting and it's as good as the first so far. I expect a lot less time between each story, for obvious reasons, so it's quite important on this occasion to actively listen to reach character being developed.
I can't wait for Fitz to fall!
3 people found this helpful
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- John Le Blanc
- 2019-12-15
Always a Fun Read
Appreciably different from the Kingsbridge trilogy. The villains are more nuanced. The epic is more sweeping. For me it got a little slow at times during the war and the Russian revolution. But I like historical fiction because of Ken Follett. I like him best when he dwells on the personal plight and development of each of his characters. And John Lee, the audiobook narrator, is superb as always. Looking forward to the rest of the trilogy.
1 person found this helpful
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- Nano
- 2022-05-06
Amazing…
Although the story is interwoven with both truth and fiction, if nothing else, it sparks one’s interest to find out more about what actually happened in history during this time period. Absolutely spellbinding!! I am guessing the author, is either a passionate historian, or one who is an amazing researcher adding to the credibility of the stories contained within this wonderful book!! Thank you for the pleasure.
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- Anonymous User
- 2022-01-17
Very interesting perspective of historical events.
it was really cool go see these events from all sorts of character's point of view. What I will say though is that the sex scenes are a bit much and just sound kind of ridiculous in most situations. I would still recommend it to any history buffs out there!
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- Christina P.
- 2021-11-29
Educational & Enjoyable
Excellent book. Well developed characters in a vivid setting. There is a lot happening in this novel, the first in a trilogy, which is a good thing and it is so well written story lines and characters are easy to follow. The narrator does a great read. This was my first audiobook and my first trilogy. I would recommend this book.
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- Bonnie StJ
- 2021-07-22
A Classic Worth Listening To
Excellent historical novel and narration! I was hesitant to listen to the Fall of Giants due to the investment of time given it’s length. However, it was a real page-turner that I did not tire of and instead I was disappointed when it came to an end. Book 2 is now on my wish list and I’m looking forward to listening to it as well.
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- Anonymous User
- 2021-07-15
Great story of intertwining of families
Loved the ending. Yeah to working class
Look at all the women who knew things needed to be changed.
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- CGold
- 2021-06-02
Great freaking book!
John Lee made listening to this book even better.
I read this series a couple years ago and really enjoyed it. I listened to it while I cooked, cleaned, laundry, walked...the stories and characters really draw you in.
On to book 2, again! 😊
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- Louis
- 2010-10-19
Loved it and learned alot.
I must admit that I was put off by the negative reviews I read. I listened to it anyway and loved it. With good characters that I cared about it is a very easy read. What I was amazed at was how little I learned in school about WW1. I think you could easily teach a course based on this book. I went to the internet constantly to learn more about incidents that were mentioned in the book. I could not put it down.
206 people found this helpful
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- John M
- 2010-11-20
Great History Lesson, but...
I enjoyed Fall of Giants. I thought it was a very good novel that closely followed the build-up to and prosecution of World War I from multiple perspectives. Overall it seemed, from my reading of various non-fiction historical accounts of WWI, very accurate. In fact I found this approach to be one of the most accessible ways to understand WWI that I have encountered.
I thought the multiple interweaving storylines were each interesting and unlike some other reviewers, I didn't have an issue keeping track of different characters or their motivations. In fact, if I consider the novel stand-alone, my only significant criticisms would be the lack of a clear antagonist (other than circumstances) as all the characters seemed noble in their own way and personally I would have liked to see more of the "bad" Russian brother, who seemed the most interesting of the main characters.
But that is the problem, isn't it? It is very difficult to consider this novel independently given Follet's other massive historical novels - Pillars and World's End - were just so remarkable. Fall of Giants doesn't really compare to either book, but I felt it deserved 4 stars because it is enjoyable in its own right. I understand that this is the beginning of a trilogy and perhaps the subsequent books will allow for even more interesting developments and be on par with Pillars and World's End. But even if they don't achieve those heights, they still could be very good books - and there is nothing wrong with that.
I can certainly recommend listening to this book, just keep your lofty expectations in check.
25 people found this helpful
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- Keith
- 2010-11-07
Ken Follett and John Lee / Audible's Dream Team
Ken Follet is a master. His books are modern day classics. Well researched and written a joy to experience. John Lee has to be the best Narrator in the business. He could make a dryer instruction manual sound interesting. In Fall of Giants, as in his other works, Lee’s consistency and character distinction are impressive indeed. Where this complex and intertwined story line with numerous characters would have been a disaster in another’s hands in Lee’s capable grasp the story unfolds clearly and beautifully. A book to savor.
118 people found this helpful
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- Pat
- 2010-10-10
magnificient!
This is a wonderfully plotted and scripted story that tells the tale of the events of the early 20th Century that set the stage for all that followed over that 100-year period. Ken Follett gives us the history as told and illustrated through his great and varied group of characters. Follett's fine writing and the great narration by John Lee entertainingly bring to life a period that is often misinterpreted when looking back through that period. I can hardly wait to see where Follett's characters take us as part 2 leads us into the post-Great War decades.
59 people found this helpful
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- Florence Nightingale
- 2010-10-22
Great story about World War I
I had been looking for a good story that also explains how WWI came about, and found it in "Fall of Giants, Book 1". This was my first Ken Follett book, and I really enjoyed the way he tells a story and explains history at the same time. It moved right along and didn't get weighed down in elaborate descriptions that take forever to get through. Yet, he describes things well . . . I really had a good picture in my mind of the characters, scenes, etc. It is true that the main characters reconnect with one another throughout the book in ways that are somewhat unbelievable. I was forgiving of Follett for this because he is such a good storyteller. However, I do hope this feedback reaches the author so he can work on improving this one weak point. Despite this, I still give it five stars. In fact, I liked it so much that I read it twice before moving on to a new book!
73 people found this helpful
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Overall
- JoAnn
- 2010-10-16
Really enjoyed this book
This was a good listen. I got very involved with the characters and look forward to the next book. Yes sometimes it was predictable and trite but for someone who really loves historical fiction, this was a treat.
35 people found this helpful
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- Wolfpacker
- 2011-12-13
Great Storytelling and Narration
Any additional comments?
Although Follett can tend toward being a bit formulaic, he writes great stories. I like this one particularly because it puts you right in the turmoil of the Russian revolution and in the middle of the discontent in Britain over the incompetency of their war leaders. This is a fascinating story. I learned a great deal about the period between the Archduke's assassination and the actual start of the war. Most histories skip this eventful sequence.
10 people found this helpful
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- Annie M.
- 2010-10-18
Pay off is at the satisfying end
I am not a huge Ken Follett fan, and tend to gravitate toward such authors as Russell Banks, Jonathan Safron Foer, Julia Glass, Nicole Krause, Geraldine Brooks, and Audrey Niffenegger. But I do like books in the "sweeping sage" genre, long books that give me a lot of character detail. For these reasons, I bought this book..
It started off verrrrry slow for me. I don't know why, because the narration was quite good and, on paper, the character should have been very compelling. I nearly ditched it (me, a lover of history, esp. WWI-era history!) when it bogged-down in the middle, during all the in-fighting among porminent Russian Revolutionaries.
But I am pleased that I stuck with it. For me, it came to a satisfying conclusion. And I am looking forward (not with jumping-out-of-my-shoes eagerness, but a pleasant, that-will-be-nice kind of looking forward) to the next installment, which will lead into WWII. It should bring up some very intriguing plot twists.
If you want a really great historical novel, filled with intrigue, fast-pacing, and terrific characters navigating real-life events, read Louis Bayard's "The Black Tower." I couldn't stop listening and I hated to see it end!
30 people found this helpful
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- Nxsuarez
- 2010-10-04
As Good As POTE and WWE
Pillars of the Earth was the first novel I downloaded from Audible. I have re-listened to it and World Without End dozens of times and never seem to tire of them. I can see myself doing the same with Fall of Giants. There are many characters in this book because they are necessary in order to give the perspective of all the countries involved in the First World War. I feel the characters are given plenty of depth and like the other two massive tomes, this is certainly another page turner.
I imagines it would take me at least a week to listen to this book, yet I find I'm halfway through the third part after only two days. The purpose of this book is to tell a very complicated story, well enough to keep the reader wanting more. It would be so easy to get bogged down in rhetoric or politics when writing a book like this, yet Follett's writing is clear and concise, without unnecessary embellishments, descriptive enough to captivate readers with its plot and characters. Certainly worth every minute!
116 people found this helpful
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
- 9S
- 2012-02-04
Memorably Epic
Would you listen to Fall of Giants again? Why?
Yes, I will listen again because the book is filled with engaging characters, sweeping history and seamless integration of different characters.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Billy Williams because he is such a good person.
What about John Lee???s performance did you like?
I liked John Lee's ability to give life to the characters in this story.
If you could rename Fall of Giants, what would you call it?
The Rise of the Poor.
36 people found this helpful