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ingread27's review
5.0
Fantastic book! Great follow up to Fall of Giants which I read years ago, and I can't wait to read the third in the trilogy. This one is especially pertinent as it's about WW2, the rise of Fascism, how so many didn't see it happening in front of their eyes, and how it led to so much death and destruction. But it is told as fiction about wonderful and accessible characters in Germany, Russia, USA, and Great Britain. I love Follett's writing (Pillars of the Earth remains one of my all-time faves) and this lived up to expectation.
revolta's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
bethannie18's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
brandia's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
tommulhern's review
4.0
Great historical fiction. I loved learning all about world war 2. I was asleep for most of history class in High School so it was a good refresher
chriskeil's review
5.0
Loved all three of these books. If you like historical fiction, these are for you.
ceasarl's review
4.0
i really enjoyed this book. It was a excellent second book in the series and I'm very much looking forward to the third book of this trilogy. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anybody who enjoys fictional history.
morgob's review
5.0
Oh my goodness. Ken Follett strikes again with an amazing novel. Fall of Giants was incredible, and this sequel was just as breathtaking. My favorite part of this series is that the first book introduced a whole array of main characters, and then this book followed the stories of their children, and the third book does the same with the main characters' grandchildren. It is a series that spans a century. Another thing that struck me was how different the atmospheres were. In the first book, it goes from the early 1900's to the late 1920's, and this book only spans from 1932-1949. With World War I, things were a lot more tense but nothing happened for a while. WWII was a lot more fast-paced, and it just flew by. This book was also a lot sadder than the first, but I expected that. It was such a desolate time in our world's history.
Anyway, the characters were spot on. The plot was incredible. The writing was superb. Ken Follett does not disappoint. The most amazing thing to me is how he manages to make historical events--ones that I've read and learned about for years--feel so monumental and genuine while I experience them from the eyes of personal characters. For instance, Pearl Harbor left me heartbroken and shocked to my core. When the Americans were testing the atom bomb, I felt awful. How the Soviets treated German women and girls in post-war Germany sickened me. But some of the most powerful scenes came when I least expected them, and from the least-expected point of view. The one that sticks out in mind is when, at a Russian wedding, they get the news that the Americans bombed Hiroshima. That was such a powerful scene for me because it was from the Russians' point of view. It would have been so different if it had been from a British or American perspective. The Russians, though, were terrified. They weren't even enemies of America at the time, but they realized how powerful and dangerous they were and were horrified at what could be the future. That scene stuck with me. I thought it was one of the most important scenes in the book. There were so many good parts of this book, but that was one I latched onto.
Reading this book is so great partly because it does take on multiple perspectives. The Americans are not always "the good guys". It makes me really upset about being an American, because I look at all the bad we have done in the world. I know that America is also good, and there is no way a country can have a completely clean and good history, but it still makes me sad. Finally, the last thing I will say about this book is that I raved about it with my boyfriend (who also read it) for hours. We cannot get enough of this series. Now I'm on to the next book! I am so excited to read it but am also dreading finishing it because I know it will leave me feeling empty when I no longer have this series.
Anyway, the characters were spot on. The plot was incredible. The writing was superb. Ken Follett does not disappoint. The most amazing thing to me is how he manages to make historical events--ones that I've read and learned about for years--feel so monumental and genuine while I experience them from the eyes of personal characters. For instance, Pearl Harbor left me heartbroken and shocked to my core. When the Americans were testing the atom bomb, I felt awful. How the Soviets treated German women and girls in post-war Germany sickened me. But some of the most powerful scenes came when I least expected them, and from the least-expected point of view. The one that sticks out in mind is when, at a Russian wedding, they get the news that the Americans bombed Hiroshima. That was such a powerful scene for me because it was from the Russians' point of view. It would have been so different if it had been from a British or American perspective. The Russians, though, were terrified. They weren't even enemies of America at the time, but they realized how powerful and dangerous they were and were horrified at what could be the future. That scene stuck with me. I thought it was one of the most important scenes in the book. There were so many good parts of this book, but that was one I latched onto.
Reading this book is so great partly because it does take on multiple perspectives. The Americans are not always "the good guys". It makes me really upset about being an American, because I look at all the bad we have done in the world. I know that America is also good, and there is no way a country can have a completely clean and good history, but it still makes me sad. Finally, the last thing I will say about this book is that I raved about it with my boyfriend (who also read it) for hours. We cannot get enough of this series. Now I'm on to the next book! I am so excited to read it but am also dreading finishing it because I know it will leave me feeling empty when I no longer have this series.
betseyboo's review
2.0
I really enjoyed the first book in the trilogy. This one just did not make the mark for me. It took me over a few months to really start reading the book. I should have just set it down and given up. Instead I followed the lead of the good soldiers in this book and continued to tread through page by page. Just another hundred pages...just another hundred.