Fall of Giants [Audiobook, Abridged] [Audio CD]

Fall Of Giants is another mammoth-size work of historical fiction from Ken Follett that you won't want to put down once you start reading it. I got so caught up in this 985 page advance reader copy that I finished it in about a week, which is super fast for me. Fall Of Giants, the first book in The Century Trilogy, follows the lives of five interrelated families as they move through the events of WWI, the Russian Revolution and the women's suffrage movement. Follett's characters are so richly developed and his narrative abilities are so strong that I felt that I was right along side each of these families as they moved through the major events in their lives. I highly recommend Fall Of Giants to you so that you can enjoy traveling with Follett's characters as they move from Washington to St. Petersburg, from the dirt and danger of a coal mine to the glittering palaces of the super wealthy, to the corridors of power and to the bedrooms of the mighty. Do yourself a favor and be one of the first on line to get yourself a copy of this very entertaining, well-researched and memorable book. But be aware that your enjoyment won't come cheap -- the retail price of Fall Of Giants is $36. I think you'll find, however, that it is worth every penny.

This is an enormous book, although for its size, it was quick to read. The novel begins in Wales on 22nd June 1911, the day King George V was crowned in London, and in Wales, thirteen year old Billy Williams went down the mine for the first time. Very quickly the reader is drawn into the story which covers events in America, Europe, and Russia as well as the United Kingdom (mostly Wales and London) and a huge range of characters both rich and poor. My favourite character was Ethel, sister of Billy Williams, who, at the start of the story is a housemaid at Ty Gwyn, home of Earl Fitzherbert, who owns the land, under which her brother mines for coal. Follett weaves a good yarn and this story is definitely plot driven - a plot which unfolds against the background of the build-up, course, and aftermath of the First World War. There are love stories, industrial unrest, political dramas, battlefield horrors, class struggles and lots more in this tale. It is delivered in episodes, dealing first with one section of the story, and then another, and strands sometimes coming together in unexpected ways. The characters are witness to historic events including The Battle of the Somme, Lenin's return to Petrograd, Germany signing the Treaty of Versailles to name but three of many and the way that Follett is able to weave fact with fiction is impressive and informative. You do have to suspend your disbelief a bit as the paths of the characters cross time and again, both with each other, and with the historical figures of the time, but it is worth the effort and through this approach to history, you do get a sense of how these events affected the lives of so many different people around the world. There is sometimes a more laboured explanation of things - for example the British parliamentary system, than is strictly necessary, but then this is a work aimed at a global audience not just a UK one and at times the dialogue between the characters seems a bit stilted as they vocalise different positions on issues of the day which can read a bit like a history essay.
Overall though, this is definitely worth reading. It's well-researched, easy to read, and sustains the reader's interest level well throughout. I look forward to reading the next part of this trilogy, although I understand we'll have to wait for that until 2012. Incidentally, I read this book on my Kindle - and having seen the size of the physical version in a bookshop, I am pleased that I didn't have to lug it around with me.
If, like me, you enjoyed the Pillars of the Earth, you'll probably enjoy this as well for it's ability to make history come alive although the historical period in question is very different.

I bought this on a whim, I wanted something to read as I put my feet up and thought it would be an easy read. An easy read it is, and yes as some of the other reviews point out some of the dialouge is awful, but some of the dialouge is also quite good and the descriptive passages that outline the origins of the First World War are very good indeed. The characters are broad and likeable, slightly weaker when Follett is dealing with the Russian characters. Unlike many other writers of his age and gender at least 60% of the female characters in this book have a coherent narrative arc and are sympathetic to the reader. I enjoyed the book, it rattles along and is more diverting and more interesting that slumping in front of an episode or six of Downtown Abbey. This promises to be a long saga which should appeal to those who have read and enjoyed "Homeland" by John Jakes. As an entertainment it is five stars, as a piece of literature probably two stars, as history three stars. If you are seeking a seering First World War novel read Pat Barker, if you are seeking an insight into the misery of war read anything by Richard Holmes, this novel is for those of us who like history, like engaging characters and an author with a good yarn to spin. Despite myself I thoroughly enjoyed it...and that's why it gets four stars!