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Other titles in the Century Trilogy series:

Fall of Giants

by Ken Follett

Fall of Giants Cover

ISBN13: 9780525951650
ISBN10: 0525951652
Condition: Standard
Dustjacket: Standard
All Product Details

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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

Ken Follett's World Without End was a global phenomenon, a work of grand historical sweep, beloved by millions of readers and acclaimed by critics. Fall of Giants is his 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 twentieth 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.

Review:

"This first in a century-spanning trilogy from bestseller Follett (Eye of the Needle) makes effective and economical use of its lead characters, despite its scope and bulk. From a huge cast, eight figures emerge to play multiple roles that illustrate and often illuminate the major events, trends, and issues of the years leading up to and immediately beyond WWI: American diplomat Gus Dewar; Earl Fitzherbert, a wealthy Englishman; Fitz's sister, Lady Maud; German military attaché Walter von Ulrich; Russian brothers Grigori and Lev Peshkov; Welsh collier Billy Williams and his sister, Ethel, whom Fitz hires as a housemaid. Ingenious plotting allows Follett to explore such salient developments of the era as coal mine safety in Wales, women's suffrage, the diplomatic blundering that led to war, the horrors of trench warfare, and the triumph of the Bolsheviks. While this tome doesn't achieve the emotional depth of the best historicals, it is a remarkable and wonderfully readable synthesis of fact and fiction. 1,000,000 first printing; author tour. (Sept.)" Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright PWyxz LLC)

Review:

"Follett is ­masterly in conveying so much drama and historical information so vividly.... [H]e is a tireless storyteller, and although his tale has flaws, it's grippingly told, and readable to the end." New York Times

Review:

"It...will suck you in, consume you for days or weeks, depending upon how quick a reader you are, then let you out the other side both entertained and educated." USA Today

Synopsis:

The first novel in The Century Trilogy 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.

About the Author

Ken Follett is the author Eye of the Needle, an award-winning thriller that became an international bestseller. After several more successful thrillers, he surprised everyone with The Pillars of the Earth, about the building of a cathedral in the Middle Ages, which continues to captivate readers all over the world. His last book was the long-awaited sequel, World Without End, a number one bestseller in the United States, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Spain, and France. He lives in England with his wife, Barbara Follett.

What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 17 comments:

MissB, January 23, 2012 (view all comments by MissB)
In the first of a trilogy, The Fall of Giants is a compelling tale of defiance, determination, betrayal, revenge, love, family and friendship. Follett weaves the stories of five families with World War I as a backdrop. While the characters may at time seem like unlikely pairings it is precisely that that enables the plot's evolution. The story captivates readers with character development and conflict. Readers cannot help but be drawn to inevitable compassion for some and uter disdain for others. At the end Follett leaves us counting the days for the next book.
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JPizzle33, January 19, 2012 (view all comments by JPizzle33)
Follett does an outstanding job laying the foundation for each of his characters, then intertwining detailed historical events within the plot of the characters' lives. Such an amazingly researched book... there will be times that you wished you had paid better attention during history class, but reading Follett gives you enough background that it makes it worthwhile. Overall, this is not as good as Pillars of the Earth or World Without End, but it is in the same historical vein. A great read!
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Egg_salad, April 2, 2011 (view all comments by Egg_salad)
I truly enjoyed reading this book, even though it is almost a thousand pages long, and is about of period of history (early 20th century) that I was previously not interested in. Ken Follet's historical details and simple prose helped to make it an enjoyable read. Some of the characters are a little like cardboard cut outs of real people, but there are others that seem to have a bit more depth. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.
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View all 17 comments

Product Details

ISBN:
9780525951650
Author:
Follett, Ken
Publisher:
Dutton Books
Subject:
Historical - General
Subject:
Historical
Subject:
Literature-A to Z
Copyright:
Edition Description:
B-Mass Market
Series:
Century Trilogy
Publication Date:
20100931
Binding:
Paperback
Grade Level:
from 12
Language:
English
Pages:
960
Dimensions:
9.6 x 6.52 x 1.91 in 3.04 lb
Age Level:
17-17

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Related Subjects

Fiction and Poetry » Literature » A to Z
Fiction and Poetry » Mystery » A to Z
Fiction and Poetry » Popular Fiction » Contemporary Thrillers
Languages » Foreign Languages » Spanish » Fiction and Poetry » Literature » A to Z

Fall of Giants Used Hardcover
0 stars - 0 reviews
$19.95 In Stock
Product details 960 pages Dutton Books - English 9780525951650 Reviews:
"Publishers Weekly Review" by , "This first in a century-spanning trilogy from bestseller Follett (Eye of the Needle) makes effective and economical use of its lead characters, despite its scope and bulk. From a huge cast, eight figures emerge to play multiple roles that illustrate and often illuminate the major events, trends, and issues of the years leading up to and immediately beyond WWI: American diplomat Gus Dewar; Earl Fitzherbert, a wealthy Englishman; Fitz's sister, Lady Maud; German military attaché Walter von Ulrich; Russian brothers Grigori and Lev Peshkov; Welsh collier Billy Williams and his sister, Ethel, whom Fitz hires as a housemaid. Ingenious plotting allows Follett to explore such salient developments of the era as coal mine safety in Wales, women's suffrage, the diplomatic blundering that led to war, the horrors of trench warfare, and the triumph of the Bolsheviks. While this tome doesn't achieve the emotional depth of the best historicals, it is a remarkable and wonderfully readable synthesis of fact and fiction. 1,000,000 first printing; author tour. (Sept.)" Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright PWyxz LLC)
"Review" by , "Follett is ­masterly in conveying so much drama and historical information so vividly.... [H]e is a tireless storyteller, and although his tale has flaws, it's grippingly told, and readable to the end."
"Review" by , "It...will suck you in, consume you for days or weeks, depending upon how quick a reader you are, then let you out the other side both entertained and educated."
"Synopsis" by , The first novel in The Century Trilogy 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.
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