Winter of the World

The Century Trilogy, Book 2

By: Ken Follett

Narrated by: John Lee

Ken Follett follows up his number one New York Times best seller Fall of Giants with a brilliant, pause-resisting epic about the heroism and honor of World War II, and the dawn of the atomic age.

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.

©2012 Ken Follett (P)2012 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Gripping...powerful." (The New York Times)

"Some of the biggest-picture fiction being written today." (The Seattle Times)

"A consistently compelling portrait of a world in crisis." (The Washington Post)

Engrossing and brilliant. A must read.

This book enraptured me. I was sad that it ended. The characters entered my heart. I worried with them and watched them conquer a difficult time. They made me understand that WWII is not just a history lesson. It was real people struggling together to conquer a real evil in their midst. The sex was not as overdone as in The Fall of Giants and I liked that better. Less is more. I am looking forward to The Edge of Eternity next.

great story

loved the book. looking forward to the third book Edge of Eternity. Amazing book that will make you think about things

THIS IS THE ABRIDGED VERSION

You have to look closely at the cover but this is the shortened abridged version not the full story. It is good but I wondered why the characters weren’t as fully developed etc in this one and come to find out there is a full version that is 31 hours and this one that is 8. They both have the same title. So disappointed

Good story but John Lee’s cadence is too choppy

John Lee’s speaks as if he were angry all the time. His voice does not reflect the mood of the characters and his female impersonations do not work. Too bad. I wanted to go on to the third book, but he narrates that too. Please have someone like Rosamund Pike or Juliet Stevens narrate Follett’s books.

Remarkably portraits this era through the experiences of others.

I found the story very well developed around historic events of the 1940s. My only problem was the number of characters were difficult to keep straight.

History told by a master storyteller

If you could sum up Winter of the World in three words, what would they be?

EpicWell-researched clear

What did you like best about this story?

Ken Follett tells his 5 family stories with confidence and clarity. The reader always knows and cares who and where the characters are and can identify them and follow them. At the same time there is enough detail to be interesting and informative. We learn many things we're not taught much about -- how US radio intelligence decoded Japanese military strategies in the Pacific, how the Russians betrayed the Loyalists in the Spanish Civil War, the brutality of the Soviet occupiers after the defeat of Germany.

What does John Lee bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

John Lee reads beautifully. I love his Welsh lilt. the only thing that bothers me is that he pronounced "fraulein" "frowline."

Who was the most memorable character of Winter of the World and why?

This is the problem -- the characters are all pretty wooden. I think probably Chuck Dewar, the gay in navy intelligence was the most interesting.

Any additional comments?

A painless and worthwhile way to learn a lot about the history of WWII.

Hard to put down. Very well written and read

Very well written and read Couldn’t put it down Can’t wait to hear the last episodes

Another hit

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Definitely captures the reality of history.

What did you like best about this story?

I love the character development Follett gives. He is a master at dialogue.

Which scene was your favorite?

I was especially moved when the air crash near the train explosion brought two brothers together for the last time.

If you could take any character from Winter of the World out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Daisy was one of my favorites because of her transformation from socialite to ambulance driver.

CAUTION - This is the Abridged Version.

I love Ken Follett's books and was excited to embark on the Century Trilogy. I normally think I am aware of such things, but this version is the abridged version, not the full version, and I missed that nuance when ordering it. It tells you something about the length of Follett's books when the abridged version is 13 hours long! I listened to most of this version before realizing it was abridged so I bought the full version and listened to it right afterward. While it is fresh in my mind, I can provide the pros/cons of the two versions so you, my fellow listener, can make your own informed choice.

Abridged Version
Both versions have excellent John Lee narration, so you really can't go wrong. 99% of the time it is the same text and they just deleted entire chapters, sections, or sentences. There are a couple of times where they had to summarize something that was taken out, but in all cases, it sounded appropriate for the story. The basic "plot" (the leadup, event, and aftermath of WWII) and the characters are still there. If you can't stand the idea of spending 30+ hours on the unabridged version, then this version is just fine. There are a few instances where you don't quite understand a character's motivation in a particular scene, but it doesn't distract from the overall narrative. Most of the sex scenes seem to be retained in the abridged version.

Full Version
My opinion is that you don't read/listen to Ken Follett to get through it as rapidly as possible. You already know how the overall story goes; it is built on the skeleton of WWII history (from the European/US perspective). Follett's genius is to give us compelling characters and allow us to experience the history we thought we knew from a personal/social perspective. We want to spend time with the characters and in their world. Much of the 20 hours that was removed from the full version to make the abridged version is the color/backstory of those characters. True, none of the cut versions was "critical" to the plot, but the tapestry of a typical Follett novel isn't quite there. Also, this novel has a lot of different characters and in the abridged version we sometimes aren't able to spend enough time with each of them to be able to remember who they are as their story unfolds.

So my preference would be the full version, not (this) abridged version - but with either version you will be immersed in the story of WWII that they don't teach in history books. Enjoy!

Loved this book!

What did you love best about Winter of the World?

I loved the story line, and I have to say, it really came to life under the narration of John Lee.