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Nov 21, 2011

Beth rated it:

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 and the Russian Revolution and More...

3 comments like (14 people liked it)

Jul 25, 2011

TrowellingBadger rated it:

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 More...

4 comments like (14 people liked it)

Jul 07, 2011

Lavonne rated it:

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 More...

0 comments like (7 people liked it)

Sep 08, 2010

Denise rated it:

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 More...

11 comments like (25 people liked it)

Oct 17, 2011

Leila rated it:

I didn't realize I'd end up finishing the book in less than a week but yeah, it's that readable and engrossing and entertaining that I couldn't put it down. So much of the events of WWI have become clearer to me now. (For the longest time, as far as I was concerned, World War I was just a collective term for that war in Europe, and even as I was aware of its impact, it never occurred to me that this was a major turning point in the history of most European countries and the United States, maybe More...

0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Jan 28, 2012

Michael rated it:

This first novel in the Century trilogy is truly excellent, and it lays a magnificent foundation for what I hope are equally impressive parts two and three. There is striking development in all the major characters as they move through two decades in the early twentieth century. Follett meshes his skills as a thriller writer with his even greater talents in historical fiction, so that this massive book, with its interrelating families from America, Britain, Germany, and Russia, is much like a More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jun 05, 2011

Torben rated it:

1 Punkt, da Follett die Historie allen näher bringt und sie noch einmal gut erklärt darstellt, 1 Punkt für die Idee, dass ereignisreiche 20. Jahrhundert in einer Trilogie aus vier verschiedenen Nationenrichtungen wider zu geben und der dritte Punkt für die leichte Leseweise. Gut wegzulesen, ohne aber den ganzen Tag Lust zu haben weiterzulesen, dafür bleiben die Charaktere erstaunlich blass und dem Leser fremd. Vieles wird zu schnell (und dass bei über 1000 Seiten!!!) heruntererzählt, Atmosphäre More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

May 28, 2011

abbylee rated it:

Follett has a way of creating characters that are original and so real. I fall in love with them from the minute he introduces them to the plot and I can't book the book down, because when I'm without it I'm lonely for my new friends :)

I enjoyed "Fall of Giants," but wasn't all the interested in all the war strategy that was plentiful throughout. I hate to say it, but it just wan't "Pillars of the Earth."

When the book ended I couldn't decide why I had su More...

2 comments like (4 people liked it)

Apr 13, 2011

Donald rated it:

The Fall of Giants takes place between the years 1914 and 1924 and is the first in a trilogy that supposedly will cover most of last century. As with most Ken Follett books, the characters are engaging and well drawn out, though his pacing is a bit off. The story follows 5 families in England, Germany, Russia, and America as the old world begins its death throws in the violence of WWI. One of the dangers with epic stories like this is that inevitably the reader gets drawn to one story line mo More...

0 comments like (6 people liked it)

Nov 08, 2010

Melissa Rochelle rated it:

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 understand 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 More...

5 comments like (18 people liked it)

Jan 16, 2012

Judi/Judith rated it:

WOW! I loved this book! It never ceases to amaze me how Ken Follett can take simple words and make them so interesting and at the same time give you wonderful information to educate you in things you didn't know. Who knew that I would become interested in coal mining?. The only negative thing I can say is that the next one in the trilogy isn't ready for me to read yet. ha ha

The epic novel spans from pre to post WWI. It tells about the war that should never have h More...

2 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 22, 2011

Sarah84 rated it:

It was really amazing, and so informative. So, if you are asked to work on a history project on the World War I, just try this book.
He handles the story of so many people with totally different backgrounds skilfully, without messing them up. He lets you see the war and its consequences from different points of view. You can feel how the arrogant and snobbish Lord Fitz in Britain sees the war and on the other hand, how the poor workers in Russia think of war. It is AMAZING, 5 stars for M More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Aug 14, 2011

Kathy added it

I enjoyed parts of this more than others. The war scenes and political stuff was kind of boring and draggy, but when he concentrated on the characters, it was very engaging. This is a historical novel, so one question I have is why there is no mention of the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918-19. Once, he mentioned that Bernie had the flu, but as far as I can remember, that was the only reference. Seems like such a huge event should have been included and talked about for a couple of paragraphs or More...

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Aug 06, 2011

Lance added it

Ken Follett's new novel, "Fall of Giants", is a big boy. It's so big that it could be used as a door stop for a steel door. But I have a feeling that most people reading this review already know it's a big book and don't expect anything less from Ken Follett.

"Giants" is the first in a trilogy about the 20th century. At least I assume it is, because this book is about the run-up to the "Great War" (WW1) and the four years of war. Follett, as usual, has many characte More...

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Feb 10, 2011

Lizzy added it

This review was written by Ginger Wilson and posted by Lizzy Mottern

Unlike the provincial medieval world of his earlier historical fiction, Follett placed his characters in several European nations as well as the United States; the rich and powerful figures are early 20th century cosmopolitan and even those from the lower classes stray away from their home places for work, “escape,” and/or service in the Great War – the focus of the novel. Follett captures both the nuances embedded i More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 13, 2012

Kirsten rated it:

I desperately wanted to like this book. I guess a more appropriate choice of words would be I desperately wanted to make it through this book. "the pillars of the earth" and "world without end" are at the top of my favorite books list (both of which are by follett) so I guess I was hoping this book would follow in those footsteps. I'm not saying this book was bad. But I unfortunately was not able to finish it. I tried to finish it. I made it about halfway through the book bef More...

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Feb 03, 2012

Jill rated it:

A Giant of a Novel, January 16, 2012
By
Jill Shure "[...]" (Carlsbad, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fall of Giants: Book One of the Century Trilogy (Paperback)
Like WAR HORSE, DOWNTON ABBEY, and BOARDWALK EMPIRE, we're dealing with a fascinating period during the early Twentieth Century. For those who love history, this is a riveting novel, bold in its solid attempt to cover this era so completely. Follett is a brilliant story teller More...

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Jan 14, 2012

Elaine rated it:

Between a two and a three.Far too much filler with trivial war politics. Got very boring in many places. Went on far too long. Just like WWI

Kaiser Wilhelm and Gearge V were cousins. George's father and Wilhelm's mother were brother and sister, children of Queen Victoria.
Wilhelm and Alexandria were cousins-both mothers were daughters of Victoria.

First World War Russian Revolution period.

tantalus- a silver container with decanters of brandy and whiskey.it More...

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Dec 30, 2011

Ruth rated it:

c2010. I had been looking forward to this novel as I have enjoyed most of Mr Follett's books. This one - not so much. I rather got the impression that the author sat down with a good history book - summarised some of the happenings - added a few characters that would have had reason to take certain sides and then submitted it to his publisher. I am sure that is not what happened and that a ton of reasearch and time went into this tome - but I could not rid myself of this impression after the fir More...

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Dec 23, 2011

Hope rated it:

Man, I wish I had bought this on the Kindle. At a whopping 900 pages, it will tweak your wrists! Anyway, the book is classic Follet- well defined characters, a bit of romance, lots of historical detail all wrapped up in a page-turner. He fully invested in his characters for the first 200 pages or so, which was good because the next 600 pages is World War 1 from the British, German, Russian and American points of view. It got long winded at times, and I felt Follet strayed a bit from his charac More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Nov 29, 2011

Tony61 rated it:

This genre, historical fiction, is outside my usual reading preferences, but Fall of Giants is an excellent synopsis of the class struggle that shaped our world a hundred years ago. Follett weaves an intricate plot of believable characters that accurately portray likely traits of the various classes. The fall of the aristocracy and the rise of the wroking class is played out by representative protagonists from nations of England, USA, Russia and Germany. Reminiscent of Gone with the Wind, thi More...

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Nov 23, 2011

Deborah rated it:

Years ago I read a few of Ken Follett's thrillers: Lie Down with Lions comes to mind. I think I also read Key to Rebecca and The Man from St. Petersburg. Honestly, they were fun reads but none of them got under my skin like Pillars of the Earth released in 1989. Or eighteen long years later, World Without End.

I suppose Follett is best known for his thrillers. Goodness knows he's written twenty-odd. But it's his historical fiction I love. As far as I'm concerned the guy is a genius of More...

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Nov 17, 2011

Христо rated it:

“Крахът на титаните” – XX век през призмата на Кен Фолет
http://www.knigolandia.info/2011/07/xx.h...

След изумителния исторически шедьовър “Устоите на Земята” очакванията ми за първите части на “Крахът на титаните” бяха огромни. Разказваческият талант на Кен Фолет, пренесен в XX век - сред всичките му неразбории и кошмарни милитаристични вакханлии – това трябва да е Роман, бях убеден. След затварянето на втория том мнението ми е доста по-балансирано. “Крахът на титаните” е безкрай More...

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Oct 07, 2011

Casey rated it:

I read this book last December (2010), and am now taking a class (3 mondays) on it. Realizing I won't get the book re-read in two days, I've been looking through reviews for information. I remember the basic story line, but details are murky. Lucky for me I found a review that had basic character relationships (who's married to whom and who are the parents of which children) phew! I wish I knew if this class was going to focus on the story line of the book or the time frame in which it is writte More...

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Oct 03, 2011

Eileen rated it:

This was another excellent book by Ken Follett. The story started during the lead up to WWI, continued until after the war, through the eyes of multiple classes of people in London, Wales, Paris, Germany, the United States and Russia. Do not be afraid of the #1 in the Trilogy in the title. The book stands completely on it's own - similar to Pillars of the Earth.

As with all of his books, the history is prevalent, and the story is shaped around actual incidents. I'll admit that I was woe More...

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Sep 28, 2011

Abilio rated it:

Em A Queda dos Gigantes, o primeiro volume da trilogia "O Século", as vidas de 5 famílias - americana, alemã, russa, inglesa e escocesa - cruzam-se durante o período tumultuoso da Primeira Grande Guerra, da Revolução Russa e do Movimento Sufragista.
Neste primeiro volume, que começa em 1911 e termina em 1925, travamos conhecimento com as cinco famílias que nas suas sucessivas gerações virão a ser as grandes protagonistas desta trilogia. Os membros destas famílias não esgotam porém More...

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Sep 27, 2011

Giorgia-bi rated it:

Ok, we're not talking 'bout War and Peace, and Follett is clearly not comparable with Tolstoj. Anyway, this long novel may not deserve 4 stars out of 5, but since everybody had fun by pulling it down, I'd like to give it a high mark. Let's just realize that Follett is not searching for ontology, he's not trying to find men's meaning of life, he's just recounting a story about some people during the first World War.

By the way, this Fall of Giants has some things in common with The Pill More...

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Sep 27, 2011

Truly rated it:

Sekitar 8 keluarga besar dari beberapa negara
Lebih dari 8 tokoh nyata berada dalam buku ini
Semuanya berada dalam kisah indah ramuan peperangan, ambisi, intrik serta cinta tentunya

Bill Williams, 13 tahun baru saja mulai bekerja di pertambangan
Ethel Williams, sang kakak, jatuh ke lembah percintaan terlarang
Grigori Peshkov, menyelamatkan nyawa adiknya dengan batal pergi ke Amerika
Lev Peshkov, meninggalkan kekasihnya yang mengandung dibawah perlindungan More...

4 comments like (2 people liked it)

Sep 23, 2011

Julie rated it:

I love reading big historical novels. I've always enjoyed Ken Follett's writing except for his inclusion of stupid and unnecessary sex scenes. Fortunately, this book didn't have too many of these, so it was one of his more enjoyable books. I learned a lot about how WWI got started, the individual battles, and effects on England, Germany, and Russia. What a waste WWI was. This thick tome is the first of a trilogy about the 20th century. As we've gained a historical perspective, of WWI and W More...

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Sep 07, 2011

Sasha rated it:

I read and enjoyed Pillars of the Earth, and World Without End as well (for the most part, although it did seem to just be a repeat of storylines with new characters in place of the old). Regardless, I love a good sweepingly epic novel like this one, and especially if it is set in the early 1900s as this one was. I actually think this is my favorite of his books that I have read. It was fast paced and easy to read, and I actually prefer the fact that there was no one purely evil villain characte More...

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