Winter of the World: Book Two of the Century Trilogy ebook

by Ken Follett

Ken Follett follows up his #1 New York Times bestseller Fall of Giants with a brilliant, page-turning epic about the heroism and honor of World War II, and the dawn of the atomic age. Ken Follett’s Fall of Giants, the first novel in his extraordinary new historical epic, The Century Trilogy, was an international sensation, acclaimed as “sweeping and fascinating, a book that will consume you for days or weeks” (USA Today) and “grippingly told and readable to the end” (The New York Times Book Review). “If the next two volumes are as lively and entertaining as Fall of Giants,” said The Washington Post, “they should be well worth waiting for.”Winter of the World picks up right where the first book left off, as its five interrelated families—American, German, Russian, English, Welsh—enter a time of enormous social, political, and economic turmoil, beginning with the rise of the Third Reich, through the Spanish Civil War and the great dramas of World War II, up to the explosions of the American and Soviet atomic bombs. Carla von Ulrich, born of German and English parents, finds her life engulfed by the Nazi tide until she commits 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 American social climber, cares only for popularity and the fast set, until the war transforms her life, not just once but twice, while her cousin Volodya carves out a position in Soviet intelligence that will affect not only this war—but the war to come.These characters and many others find their lives inextricably entangled as their experiences illuminate the cataclysms that marked the century. From the drawing rooms of the rich to the blood and smoke of battle, their lives intertwine, propelling the reader into dramas of ever-increasing complexity. As always with Ken Follett, the historical background is brilliantly researched and rendered, the action fast-moving, the characters rich in nuance and emotion. With passion and the hand of a master, he brings us into a world we thought we knew, but now will never seem the same again.12 CDs, 13 HoursRead by John Lee

Tar

This is a good book for its own sake, but the main thing is that it's an enjoyable way to learn about history in excellent detail through fiction. If you are writing a doctoral thesis on world war 2 politics and history, it's probably not detailed and accurate enough, but if you're just a normal person who hasn't read anything like this since high school or a first year college survey of American history class. Almost no other writer takes you through a story with as much historical detail as Follett, so that you feel like you have been taught a proper lesson along with it. Personally I really enjoy this type of thing and it's my idea of a good time, so this is exactly the type of book I take to the beach. I am a very weird person though, and not a lot of fun at parties. If you are a normal person who has normal person interests, this isn't necessarily the lightest and easiest read. It's long, it's full of facts and details, but those are also its main selling points. If you want something to read in a day with the TV on in the background, or is a quick fix, this is a bad choice. It does have deep interesting characters who develop not only through the first book that preceded this one, but through this book and the third book in the series, action and tragedy, and a wealth of historical information that has a great deal of value beyond the enjoyment of the fictional aspects of the story. I highly recommend this whole series to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

Truthcliff

I couldn't put the book down. Several fictional plots are drawn amidst a well defined historical background - fictional characters sometimes meeting, or even working with well-known historical figures, thus highlighting some lesser-known characteristics of and facts about them. As this is the second book of Ken Follett's trilogy, many of the characters were either introduced in his first book, Fall of the Giants, or are the offspring of those characters.The story takes place before, during and after World War II and the main characters play out in Germany, Britain, the USA and the Soviet Union. Circumstances, historic, or otherwise, force these characters to gravitate towards each other and the reader senses that they are connected somehow and will inevitably meet.
The novel covers a wide range of world events; the rise of Nazism, the ascent of Franco in Spain, the Battle of Moscow, the Blitz, the Normandy landings, the attack on Pearl Harbor, the development of the atom bomb, the fall of Berlin and many more. This was a fun way of brushing up on my history.

SlingFire

This novel could have been written about today's world. The similarities were starling and scary!
Follett engages the reader into the families and characters in a powerful way, even though the complexity of the book is challenging.
I could have underlined many passages that spoke to what I am sensing is happening in today's world.

Wel

There's nothing pretty about this plot. World War II breaks out and deprivation, hardship and heartbreak affect each family. What makes this novel so compelling is the incredible attention to detail. The bombing of Pearl Harbor reads like a news account and the horror of the German/Russian battles are difficult to read. Nonetheless I couldn't put this book down; I read it in less time than many books half its length. Surprisingly, even though it's book two of a trilogy, it is very much a stand alone story. I read the first book "Fall of Giants" several years ago and remember little about that book other than I liked it. This book is special and I'm considering tackling the last in the series shortly.

Bulace

I read the first of this trilogy which is probably why I gave it a 4 instead of 5 star rating. Still an immensely interesting book with historical characters and mostly ones developed true for the time. The scenes can be lustful, anguishing and loving. This covers Hitler and the war in Germany and a little of the affects in France and Spain. Characters carry on from first book but you can read and thoroughly enjoy this one, even if you haven't read no. 1 Ken Follett has already, many times over, proved that he is a great, entertaining writer and this is another one. I even read it in the evening, a sign, for me, that it was a great book!

6snake6

This book continues the story from Fall of Giants. That book looked at the world events leading up to and including WW I and includes the Russian Revolution. This book starts up with events leading to and including WW II. The characters and their children continue from book one. The action occurs in the U.S., Great Britain, Germany, and Russia. The stories move between each character and the world events affecting them. It is not great literature, but it is great story telling. I found it to be a real page turner. Don't be turned off by its length. It is over 1000 pages long, but once you get caught up in the story the pages carry you on until the end.
I've read the complete trilogy. It is entertaining and a great history lesson.