The book is thick, it has 928 pages but the length is reasonable since it covers events from 1933 to 1945. I liked how he highlighted the different views and actions that people will have towards these topics and he showed this disparity by making the good characters of the book more tolerant and accepting towards these topics through their words and actions whereas the villains were the complete opposite.

Ken Follett also incorporates culturally relevant attitudes in the late 20 th century by touching into attitudes towards homosexuality, inter-racial relationships and equal rights for women. Though some sections of the book are set in the battlefield, it focuses more on the devastating effects of the war by portraying how civilians survived across Berlin, London and other cities as they live in a period that is gripped by fear and uncertainty. As Franco ascends into power in Spain, the readers encounter a brave young woman who smuggles soldiers across the border in order to escape.ĭespite being set in World War 2, the book does not dwell into the grisly details of battle. For instance, key characters like Carla Von Ulrich, Lloyd Williams and Daisy Peshkov undergo intriguing yet plausible journeys as they navigate through politics, messy relationships and life or death situations as they try to make sense of a world that had tumbled into chaos.Įven minor characters have an interesting back story of their own. Winter of the World has a rich cast that you will either grow to love or despise, sometimes even pity, as you progress with the plot. I particularly liked the relatable and interesting characters that you will encounter in the story. Such a powerful start to the novel left me with a sense of dread as I flipped the pages. He begins this by allowing the readers to witness the Nazis ransack a local newspaper office who criticized the chancellor and letting one of the main characters, Lloyd Williams, witness the death of a homosexual prisoner who was imprisoned and killed in public because he was gay. The narrative is absorbing, taking the reader across different scenarios from the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the Battle of Berlin.Īs I flipped through the first few pages of the book, I was curious on how the author would portray the darkness of the reign of Adolf Hitler. It is set in World War 2, starting in Germany in 1933 where the Nazis are gaining popularity and ending after the explosion of the American and Soviet atomic bombs. Winter of the World is the second book of the Century Trilogy written by Ken Follett and published in 2012. I spent Christmas in the Philippines with my family and reading an amazing novel which transported me back to the Third Reich.

Winter of the world by ken follett