Fall of Giants (Century Trilogy, 1)

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In future volumes of The Century Trilogy, subsequent generations of the same families will travel through the great events of the rest of the twentieth century, changing themselves-and the century itself. With passion and the hand of a master, Follett brings us into a world we thought we knew, but now will never seem the same again. There are many novels based on the impact of the First World War on peoples’ lives but none better than this book. The factual content is an excellent analysis of how countries slipped into what turned out to be a disaster and a salutary reminder of how hubris and stupidity can change the course of history. Where this book scores over a straight historical account of the period is that the author creates such engaging characters who are deftly inserted into this tumultuous period of world history whose fates become personally important and whose imaginary lives illustrate forcefully the impact of the war on all strata of society, on women and countries across the world. The book isn’t jingoistic in that there are sympathetic characters as well rogues and autocrats from both sides of the conflict though there is more sympathy for the ordinary people than for those with influence over events. Is it significant that Fall of Giants begins with the stories of Billy and Ethel Williams? Would the novel have been different if other characters' stories opened the book, such as those of Grigori and Lev Peshkov, or Gus Dewar? During November and December 1916, Mildred asks Ethel if she can use the room to start a seamstress business. Ethel agrees then talks to Bernie as she reads through letters sent to them by wives of soldiers. She thinks the newspapers are too busy glorifying war to advocate for peace and Bernie says the government both makes a lot and owes a lot of money due to the war. Bernie asks her to marry him, but she asks for time to think about it. Meanwhile, Gus waits for the reelection of Wilson and learns from Rosa that Olga married Lev.

Gus is sent to Berlin once the election is over. There, he meets Walter and says that Wilson wants the Germans and Allies to hold peace talks. However, Otto says they need a total victory and that America’s army is too small to matter. Walter then writes a love letter to Maud and sends it through Gus, promising that they will deliver Wilson’s proposal to the Kaiser. Gus tells Maud about the peace talks as Fitz tells them there will be no compromise in the British government. Gus gives Maud the letter, much to her excitement. Walter sneaks into Petrograd disguised as a Russian peasant. He runs into Grigori at the train station and they discuss the position of the Bolsheviks in the government. Followed by a policeman, Walter manages to kill his pursuer. The Conservatives start a counterrevolution against the Bolsheviks, as Grigori had predicted. Three years later, the main story begins. Edward "Fitz" Fitzherbert, Earl Fitzherbert, who maintains a country estate in Aberowen and licenses the land on which the coal mine is built, hosts a party for many powerful people around the world. His guests include: Follett is masterly in conveying so much drama and historical information so vividly . . . grippingly told.”— The New York Times Book ReviewWhen Da Williams comes home he says he has no grandson, and Ethel leaves in tears. She is still in Aberowen when telegrams are delivered to the families of the soldiers killed at the Somme. Da, Mam, and Gramper watch as the post office boy passes them, meaning Billy is alive. Da looks at Ethel, and they run into each other’s arms.

The leader of the Russian provisional government, Prime Minister Kerensky, is on his way out. Trotsky is seen as the new leader, and Grigori is at his side as he very subtly takes over. What did you think of the book's ending? Did the author succeed in wrapping up the many threads and strands in Fall of Giants? Which of the characters in Fall of Giants do you expect to be reading about in books two and three of The Century Trilogy? Grigori’s joy is tempered when he sees that Pinsky, his nemesis, has joined the Revolution. Katerina gives birth to a girl while Grigori is busy fighting; she sent a message to him that she was giving birth, but he ignored it. She is bitter that she had to have the baby with the help of the midwife they both hated. Setting the key families in the UK, Germany, Russia and the USA gives the listener a very full picture of the world at the time. A fabulous window to history. Sometimes a real person goes to a fictional location, as when Winston Churchill visits Tŷ Gwyn. In that case, I have made sure that it was not unusual for him to visit country houses, and that he could well have done so at around that date.In June 1916, Billy and his father make amends after two years of silence as Billy prepares to leave for war. The Germans and British prepare for battle near the river, Somme as Walter thinks about Maud. It is then revealed that Maud is the editor for a newspaper called The Soldier’s Wife and works alongside Ethel, both of whom support equal voting rights for women. Billy comes to visit Ethel before he leaves and sleeps with Mildred. Fitz then learns he was assigned a battalion of new recruits from Aberowen as he discusses the fight with other leaders. Billy and the others arrive at Somme just before the British begin their bombardment of the trenches. Walter manages to sneak through enemy lines in his mission to gather intelligence concerning the number of British soldiers along the Somme. He is overwhelmed when he sees thousands of men gathered in one spot. The characters and their extended families find their fortunes changing for the better and for the worse due to both their interactions with each other and the effects of the First World War. Fitz attends a political dinner where the talk turns to women’s suffrage. Perceval Jones, once mayor of Aberowen and now its representative in Parliament, says Conservatives support the current bill because it shuts out the young women laborers who are usually socialists. Fitz is against the whole thing and, like his sister Maud, is not in favor of compromise. Follett writes from the vantage points of people whose home countries come to the brink of—and finally enter into—a world war. What was it like to read the perspectives of enemies as they embark on battle with one another? Did you find yourself taking sides in any way? Did reading about World War I through fiction cause you to think differently about the conflict?

And all this is very human as he interlaces stories of the personal lives of interesting characters.Walter decides that he and Maud cannot go on meeting in secrecy. He knows his father will object to his marrying Maud, as he indeed does, pointing out that England and Germany will soon be enemies. In June 1915, the passenger ship Lusitania is torpedoed and sunk, killing many innocent people, including Americans. Although the public and the President are committed to neutrality, the United States moves closer to war. Gus Dewar, in his hometown of Buffalo for the summer, runs into Olga, a member of the Vyalov family. He becomes interested in her and wants to become better acquainted with her. Follett takes you to a time long past with brio and razor-sharp storytelling. An epic tale in which you will lose yourself." Lev’s marriage to Olga has taken a turn for the worse. She thinks he is “low-class,” but he reminds her that he used to be the chauffeur. He hires Marga as an entertainer and soon begins an affair with her. Vyalov, Lev’s father-in-law, catches them “in the act” and fires Marga and punches her. He transfers Lev to the management of a foundry. Lev objects, but he is terrified of Vyalov. Lena, Lev’s mother-in-law, is in love with him and constantly flirts with him. Lev loves only his daughter, Daisy. This audiobook is worth every cent and every second. I would very happily recommend this book to family and friends.A masterful piece.

Lev arrives in America, where the Vyalov family in Buffalo hires him. He is now fluent in English, but with a British accent. He makes money on the side by selling stolen goods on Vyalov property. Beaten by some of Vyalov’s henchmen, he is brought before Mr. Vyalov, who is impressed with Lev’s boldness. Grigori is on hand to welcome Lenin home. Lenin’s speech to the crowd urges them to start a world revolution, not one confined to Russia. He preaches the overthrow of the provisional government and a withdrawal from the war, just as Walter had bribed him to do. Walter blames his father and his father’s generation for the prolonged war. The American Expeditionary Force landed in France in June 1917, despite the arrogant assurances of the German leadership that it would not. All now depends on Russia withdrawing from the war. Fitz holds a house party for those who are opposed to the new Russian regime. Among the guests is Winston Churchill, a Liberal despite being a descendant of the nobility. Churchill and Maud trade barbs over the “freedoms” of the socialist government, much to Fitz’s chagrin. He and Churchill both fear the spread of socialism. In continuation of the above question, if you had to identify one of the main characters' stories as one that would make a good "stand-alone" novel, which would it be? Why do you think his/her story would make an enjoyable book on its own?Discuss examples of the disparity between how women and men were treated during this era. Were women regarded better, or worse, than you imagined they'd be? How far have women come since the early 1900s? What inequalities between the sexes still persist today? I keep recommending this book to friends. It's one of those books that both educates and entertains - a real winner as I feel I'm improving myself rather than simply indulging in escapism. If the sheer size of the traditional paper version puts you off, then this is definitely one to do audio-style. The narration is spot on. Billy and the Aberowen boys are shipped to Vladivostok. Fitz is in command and explains that their mission is to protect Allied arms now that the Russians have declared peace with Germany. They are secretly going to Omsk to support the anti-Bolshevik movement. Billy is upset that their mission has not been approved or even announced to Parliament. Think about the ways the main characters’ lives intersected throughout the book. Were there any characters that didn’t meet over the entirety of the novel that you wished did? Who, and why?