Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
An amazing book...a great way to combine engaging fiction with accurate history. I love learning more about the timeline leading up to WWI through the eyes of those living it. The characters became personal and I'm looking forward to the second book. It's not often I finish an almost 1000 page book and feel ready for more, but this was the case with Fall of Giants.
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What I found confusing at first, turned to be the brilliance in this book. The names, the families, the dates and just everything was fundamental for me to actually visualize what was WWI like. Despite being fiction, it felt amazingly real, capturing not only the lives of those who marked the path of the War with their decisions, but also how millions of lives were affected by them.
This book didn't look for a villain, a responsible for the War or even a country to blame, but instead made a point on how greediness and excessive pride are the bad guys during those 4 long years of suffering. I managed to understand much more the curse of history and some complex events of it, like the Russian Revolution and the violence of it.
I think it was not only a fun novel, but an informative and reflexive book about human nature and how every story has two (or five) sides.
I look forward to start the next one!!
This book didn't look for a villain, a responsible for the War or even a country to blame, but instead made a point on how greediness and excessive pride are the bad guys during those 4 long years of suffering. I managed to understand much more the curse of history and some complex events of it, like the Russian Revolution and the violence of it.
I think it was not only a fun novel, but an informative and reflexive book about human nature and how every story has two (or five) sides.
I look forward to start the next one!!
An interesting and compelling look at life before and during WWI. Everything I learned in school finally became more clear and connected as I followed the lives of several very different people in different walks of life as they deal with the causes and consequences of the tragic event.
adventurous
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
adventurous
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I always enjoy Ken Follett's books. They are big and meaty and allow me to lose myself in another world for a while. This book is a far cry from Pillars of the Earth, but it was a satisfying story. Some of the coincidences were a little too convenient, but forgivable if you want to show what was happening on three continents during a tumultuous and confusing period in history. He did a good job of shedding light on the rise of Bolshevism in Russia, the fight for wonen's suffrage in England, the birth of unions in Wales, and the political intricacies leading to WW 1. It will be fascinating to continue the saga and learn what is in store for the next generation.
Just finished this very long book. I knew what I was in for as I had read Follett's other series about cathedrals in medieval Europe.
I LOVED this book. It was so hard to put down and I would stay up until the wee hours of the morning reading. I read it in 5 days despite what Goodreads says.
It's the story of five families, each from different countries; England, Germany, Wales, Russia and the US, during World War I. There were some characters, that I loved; Mildred, the brash seamstress with the cockney accent; Walter Von Ulrich, the intelligent and brave German intelligence officer, Ethel Williams, the bright, organized Welsh housekeeper turned single mother, turned political activist; Grigori Peshkov, the honorable and brave Russian factory worker turned revolutionary. There were so many others to hate: Lord Fitzherbert, his wife Princess Bea, Otto Von Ulrich, Walter's father, Lev Peshkov, Grigori's brother.
And I loved all of their stories and their stories are what kept me up all night reading. I couldn't wait to know what would happen to them. Would Ethel survive her humiliation and redeem herself? would Walter and Maud be together? What would become of Billy Williams? I was so scared he wouldn't survive the war. And what about poor Gus, would he find his love at last?
But the really fascinating stories here were about the politics and social upheavals of the early 20th century. In Britain Follett captured so many of the struggles: the dangers of the coal miners, the growth of the Labor Party, and the women's suffrage movement. A great deal of attention is on Russia's social democratic struggles, the fall of the tsar, the ascendancy of Lenin and Trotsky, Britain's the illegal war against Russian revolutionaries. (By the way Russia comes off very badly in this book, not surprising, but it's the hardest part of the read). Follett spent a good deal of effort discussing Germans struggles with its authoritarian regime and its desire to be considered modern. I loved that he was able to discuss so many of the pros and cons of each struggle through the dialogue of the characters. Sometimes the dialogue felt a bit forced and fake, bit it was not terribly distracting for me and as I said, it helped me to understand the context more.
Follett didn't go into depth on all the challenges of early 20th century; he only mentioned the Irish war for independence and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in passing, and America's challenges with Mexico and the beginnings of prohibition. Interestingly, Follett did not include any French families in his story, even though much of the story takes place in France.
What should not be surprising is that leadership in everyone of these countries, except perhaps Woodrow Wilson, comes off as selfish, arrogant bafoons, and in some cases, extremely cruel, who do not deserve to rule/govern their people. And the true heroes are the people, the soldiers, the workers, and the reformers.
What I think I loved most about the book is the understanding it gave me of the events and politics leading up to and through World War I, including the Russian revolution and the beginnings of the Soviet Union. It was all so tragic.
I LOVED this book. It was so hard to put down and I would stay up until the wee hours of the morning reading. I read it in 5 days despite what Goodreads says.
It's the story of five families, each from different countries; England, Germany, Wales, Russia and the US, during World War I. There were some characters, that I loved; Mildred, the brash seamstress with the cockney accent; Walter Von Ulrich, the intelligent and brave German intelligence officer, Ethel Williams, the bright, organized Welsh housekeeper turned single mother, turned political activist; Grigori Peshkov, the honorable and brave Russian factory worker turned revolutionary. There were so many others to hate: Lord Fitzherbert, his wife Princess Bea, Otto Von Ulrich, Walter's father, Lev Peshkov, Grigori's brother.
And I loved all of their stories and their stories are what kept me up all night reading. I couldn't wait to know what would happen to them. Would Ethel survive her humiliation and redeem herself? would Walter and Maud be together? What would become of Billy Williams? I was so scared he wouldn't survive the war. And what about poor Gus, would he find his love at last?
But the really fascinating stories here were about the politics and social upheavals of the early 20th century. In Britain Follett captured so many of the struggles: the dangers of the coal miners, the growth of the Labor Party, and the women's suffrage movement. A great deal of attention is on Russia's social democratic struggles, the fall of the tsar, the ascendancy of Lenin and Trotsky, Britain's the illegal war against Russian revolutionaries. (By the way Russia comes off very badly in this book, not surprising, but it's the hardest part of the read). Follett spent a good deal of effort discussing Germans struggles with its authoritarian regime and its desire to be considered modern. I loved that he was able to discuss so many of the pros and cons of each struggle through the dialogue of the characters. Sometimes the dialogue felt a bit forced and fake, bit it was not terribly distracting for me and as I said, it helped me to understand the context more.
Follett didn't go into depth on all the challenges of early 20th century; he only mentioned the Irish war for independence and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in passing, and America's challenges with Mexico and the beginnings of prohibition. Interestingly, Follett did not include any French families in his story, even though much of the story takes place in France.
What should not be surprising is that leadership in everyone of these countries, except perhaps Woodrow Wilson, comes off as selfish, arrogant bafoons, and in some cases, extremely cruel, who do not deserve to rule/govern their people. And the true heroes are the people, the soldiers, the workers, and the reformers.
What I think I loved most about the book is the understanding it gave me of the events and politics leading up to and through World War I, including the Russian revolution and the beginnings of the Soviet Union. It was all so tragic.
You should read this book if:
1). You are a Mr. (or Miss) Grumpy pants and want to complain about poor character development.
2). You enjoy a great story with characters you can loathe or love (but either way root for or against them).
This book was a great read and encouraged me to read more about World War I; it's causes and repercussions. Sad, thrilling and frustrating. (The history, not the book). The book was awesome!
1). You are a Mr. (or Miss) Grumpy pants and want to complain about poor character development.
2). You enjoy a great story with characters you can loathe or love (but either way root for or against them).
This book was a great read and encouraged me to read more about World War I; it's causes and repercussions. Sad, thrilling and frustrating. (The history, not the book). The book was awesome!