The storytelling style of Ken Follett is razor sharp as ever and so is his ability to tell epic tales which make the readers completely lose themselves in the story. The author Ken Follet has a knack for delivering epics and he has done it again (after World without End) in the Fall of Giants. Fall of Giants is only the first novel in The Century Trilogy which covers the journey of five families of different nationalities, Russian, English, American, German and Welsh – all of them interrelated to each other. The events covered by the epic include First World War, Russian Revolution and the struggle for women's vote.

The Characters

Fall of Giants is the story of several interesting characters, including Billy Williams who has to enter the adult world in the Welsh mining pits even though he is just 13 years old. Then there is an American Law student Gus Dewar who has been spurned by her lover, and is surprised to start a new career in the White House. Grigori and Lev Peshkov are two (orphaned) Russian brothers who had the dream of immigrating to America which was shattered due to war and the revolution. Lady Maud Fitzherbert makes the mistake of falling in love with a German spy, Walter von Ulrich, who is deputed in London.

Entangled Lives

The lives of all these characters are completely entangled with each other, and the drama gets more complex with time. The story takes place seamlessly across the world, in Washington to St. Petersburg and from dangerous coal mines to glittering bedrooms of the elite. The research conducted by the author is detailed (a Ken Follett specialty) and the action taking place in the book is fast paced. The characters are incredibly richly developed and the book is sure to be a classic.

Future Books on Future Generations

The future books in the Century Trilogy will follow the future generations of the same families, as they travel through the other grand events of 20th century. Fall of Giants is passionately written, and brings to life a world which we thought was familiar to us but will never be the same again.

About the Author

The author Ken Follett burst on to the literary scene with his 1978 book Eye of the Needle. The book went on to win the Edgar award and was also converted into a successful film starring Donald Sutherland and Kate Nelligan. The other bestselling thrillers written by Ken Follett include Triple; The Man from St Petersburg and The Key to Rebecca among others.