So addictive!I am posting a review on YouTube. My review is entirely character-based, because the plot is just World War I. If you enjoy multi generational family sagas this trilogy is a must read. It has a healthy batch of heroes and assholes that make your skin crawl. I don’t want to give away any spoilers so I’ll just end this with Eff you Earl Fitzherbert you’re a selfish prick 😂

“Men were the only animals that slaughtered their own kind by the million, and turned the landscape into a waste of shell craters and barbed wire. Perhaps the human race would wipe itself out completely, and leave the world to the birds and trees… Perhaps that would be for the best…”- Ken Follett, Fall of GiantsThis book is utter trash. Is that too harsh? Let me rephrase. This book is a steaming pile of garbage. Still a bit mean? It doesn’t matter. Ken Follett does not give a whit. His editor an...

One of the early reviews I read stated that this book lacked one of Follett's infamous villains. I disagree. The ultimate villain in this enormous book is clearly war and perhaps the arrogance of world leaders. I've always had a difficult time understanding the why surrounding World War 1 and this book helps put it in perspective (even if it is fiction). I remember learning in history class that the US got involved because the Germans torpedoed the Lusitania. And it did play a part, but that hap...

Do not say that I don't like historical fiction - because I do. Do not even say I don't like Follett - because I rather do. In fact, this highly praised - and very thick - volume I'd been anticipating eagerly, both because I had pleasant memories from The Pillars of the Earth and because currently I am rather WWI mad; I read Tuchman's classic works, Maddox Ford, not to mention Hemingway and Remarque, because I am fascinated by the subject.So what in the world went wrong with this book?This story...

Fall of Giants (The Century Trilogy #1), Ken FollettKenneth Martin Follett is a British author of thrillers and historical novels. The first book covers notable events such as World War I, the Russian Revolution, and the struggle for women's suffrage. The sequel Winter of the World covers World War II and was published on September 18, 2012. The third book, Edge of Eternity, covers the Cold War and was published in 2014. Fall of Giants follows five interrelated families throughout the course of

The story was enjoyable enough and certainly kept me entertained for a couple of days. The recreation of the early 20th Century was very vivid, and I was impressed by how well Follett applied his considerable skills in this respect to a variety of nations and social classes. To cover so many years in any decent amount of depth was a great challenge, to which Follett rises well. The story was fast-paced and the build-up to the War was particularly well managed. The particularly notable aspect of

It's a little disappointing that people are rating this book on Amazon out of protest of its price. It's low rating does not give the book the recognition it deserves. This is my first Ken Follett novel, and I am hooked. I've read where some people have not been that interested in the subject matter of Fall of Giants and prefer the Middle Ages. I'm fascinated with 20th Century history, so this is right down my alley.This novel covers the years of WWI and the Russian Revolution and follows 5 fami...

A sweeping epic with the pace of a thriller, I could scarcely put it down.This ambitious novel, the first of a projected trilogy covering most of the 20th century, tells the story of five interrelated families—American, German, Russian, English and Welsh—as they negotiate the tremendous events of the First World War and the Russian Revolution. Through the various characters—and there are quite a few—we witness the First World War in the trenches and in the halls of government, from each side of

Enjoyed the way historic events are intertwined with the fate of five families of different walks of life and nationalities. Ken Follett manages to tell a story and include details describing the end of the Edwardian era, the dawn of the Russian empire and the Prussian military ambitions. This is an epic tale that equally focuses on Welsh miners or Russian workers and on the aristocrats. The fourth star is for keeping me interested.

*** 3.33 *** "...“Men were the only animals that slaughtered their own kind by the million, and turned the landscape into a waste of shell craters and barbed wire. Perhaps the human race would wipe itself out completely, and leave the world to the birds and trees, Walter thought apocalyptically. Perhaps that would be for the best.”..." Here we are again, reading another tome by Ken Follett and trying to pinpoint my feelings about it. Not an easy task, I tell you that. As always, he is being ha...

Ken Follet’s style quickly engrossed me into the characters and their lives. The book follows the lives of several families in the events that led up to the First World War and the crisis afterwards. We see it from the perspective of an English Noblemen, an English working class family, a pair of Russian brothers, a German with strong prospects in government and an undersecretary working for the Wilson administration. Through this we get a multi-dimensional view of the war.A complete picture of

I have loved just about everything Ken Follett has written, but I think this one fell short of his usual standard. Most of his novels grab you from the beginning, with fully-drawn characters and gripping plot lines. I wasn't even done with the second chapter before I began to wonder if I was even going to like this. I think he may have tried to accomplish too much with this story. There were so many characters with so much going on in their lives. There was not enough time to give more than a gl...

Follett is the master of the historical thriller, and with what unbelievable range! I thought 'Pillars of the Earth' (13th century England) was a master work. Here, 'Fall of Giants' begins a trilogy of 20th-century stories with characters living the upheaval of The Great War and the Bolshevik revolution.As with his earlier historical works, this book is dauntingly long. The length, however, is necessary for the structure of following seven protagonists. One might wish for this book to be divided...

At 985 pages, Fall of the Giants is a massive tome and the first book 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. These characters find their lives inextricably entangled in a saga of unfolding drama and intriguing complexity, Fall of Giants moves seamlessly from Washington to St. Petersburg,...

Definitely my favourite WWI history novel I have read thus far. Beautifully captures the troubles of WWI on all spectrums, not just politically or on the battlefield.

5.0 out of 5 stars Captivating epic tale!, August 5, 2010 This review is from: Fall of Giants (The Century Trilogy) (Hardcover) Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) This is a fantastic epic, the first in a planned trilogy by the author of The Pillars of the Earth (now a miniseries) and World Without End. I simply raced through the pages, unable to put this book down even though it was a hefty nearly 1000 pages. The story moves seamlessly and logically, starting in 1911

Fall of Giants is a door stopper, one of those books that makes me glad I have an e-reader for the sake of my wrists. At close to 1000 pages, it's long, and at times it feels like it. The first time I tried to read it, I didn't have the patience, but this time, I settled in for the long haul, determined to give it some time. That patience made all the difference. This is an astounding historical epic. It takes the events leading up to World War I and the Russian Revolution and fills them with ch...

Book 1 in the Century Trilogy published 2010A 4 star sweeping world saga.This is a history of the first quarter of the twentieth century as seen through the eyes of the opposing classes of various nationalities and the divide between the genders of that time.Heady stuff to say the least.World War 1.The Russian Revolution.Female suffrage.The rebellion of the working classes against their so called betters.At a little under 900 pages nothing is glossed over.Become a suffragette. Witness the horror...

Normally I can rate a book pretty quickly, without giving much thought to it, but this one, was difficult. I'm fairly neutral with how I feel about this book. I've definitely read worse, but then I've read better as well. This has been hailed as a masterpiece. This is no masterpiece and in my experience, it quickly became a headache. There are some aspects of the book that I did like, though. I liked the fact that the characters Maud and Ethel were from very different backgrounds but were both c...