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  • Winter of the World

  • The Century Trilogy, Book 2
  • Written by: Ken Follett
  • Narrated by: John Lee
  • Length: 31 hrs and 43 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (353 ratings)

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Winter of the World cover art

Winter of the World

Written by: Ken Follett
Narrated by: John Lee
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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

What the critics say

"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)

What listeners say about Winter of the World

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Loved this series!

This series, and this book in particular is a fun exploration of fictional lives during an incredible period of history. I enjoyed all the characters, thought the story ward very compelling and the performance was excellent and matched the story well. #Audible1

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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  • JDC
  • 2022-10-15

History Can Repeat...

A great telling of a historic horror through fiction. A parable to the present. The narration was brilliant.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

An Educatiin in Novel form

Thos book is another excellent example of Follet's continuing historical novels of the lives of peoples on all sides of WWII.
Each time I read, or listen to, a Ken Fillet novel I am informed and learn so much. His focus on WWII is enlightening and thoroughly researched. So much so it lays out the various positions; putting the whole debacle into perspective. What I knew from family recollections and diaries is further detailed and substantiated in Follet's writing. My knowlege has been expanded, and I better understand who were involved and why.
I have further learned the Comunist and Socialist differences, and the beliefs of their respective followers. The attraction to Socialism I can easily understand, but communism has been so deeply corrupted through Facism and Dictatorships that it is far and beyond its original intent; feloneously surpassing the Monarchy it replaced, and thus its original design.
I truly hope the worlds youth, and nay-sayers of history, read these accounts and realize, although some of the book's characters are fictitious, the majority, their situations, and the attrocities were very real. These things did happen and we sorely need to learn from them. We need to learn that ordinary peace loving people can be manipulated into following evil, and in turn inflict heinous acts upon their fellow humans.
Thank you Mr. Follet and your team for doing an excellent job laying out the political influences , their ramifications of these events so we can learn, understand, and hopefully never, ever repeat them. This is such important information.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Loved every minute

Very well written and narrated. Heading right to the next download now to see how this trilogy ends!

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

The hits just keep on coming…

Mr Follet delivers again. Sweeping, epic, inspired storytelling! Beautifully read by Mr Lee. On to book three…

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    5 out of 5 stars
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I didn't want it to end!

Believable characters and intricate plot. I love learning history through story. I highly recommend this book

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Fabulous

Spellbinding from beginning to end, now giving a very accurate depiction of the events leading up to, during and after the Second World War, following the fictional family lineage depicted in the first book of the series. In my opinion one of the best ways possible to re-discover and learn the history of the Second World War.

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Awesome

Enjoyed everything about this book. Excellently written and skilfully narrated. Sadly, listened to at this time it emphasizes just how true is the phrase “history repeats”.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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History and Storytelling at its Finest!

Loved the book! As an amateur history buff and lover of great stories this book hits all the notes!

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Excellent

No better way to learn about the history and be engaged at once. Definitely recommend it.

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