Book Report: Fall of Giant by Ken Follet

Fall of Giants is Ken Follet's latest novel.  It is 1000 pages long, and it reads like it is 250 pages long.  It is just GREAT!!!  How have I not read any Ken Follet before.  Now, Fall of Giants is a historical novel set before, during and slightly after World War I.  It follows five families from four different countries, there is great character development, the families often intertwine and I felt like I learned a lot about the era of World War I:  women's suffrage, the state of Russia, American's reluctance, and Germany's overconfident older men that surrounded the Kaiser and gave him bad information that led to their downfall.

The two English families are a British noble family and a coal-mining family in the town of their family seat.  These two families paint of picture of how little English nobility fathomed the lower classes until fighting together in World War I made them equals to some degree.  The Russian family shows us the corruption and lack of government that overwhelmed Russia at the turn of the century, as well as following Lenin and introducing us to Stalin.  The German family paints a picture of the older men that surrounded the Kaiser and the younger more worldly generation that understood how unprepared Germany was for all out war. Finally, an American family that works closely with Woodrow Wilson to show how reluctant he was to involve America in the war, yet how he eventually had no choice.  Russian immigrants in America are also portrayed as a member of the Russian family moves to America.

The lives of each family intertwine and their choices and determinations are just so interesting.  The characters are all well-developed, with their clothing, furnishings, and vehicles telling you just as much about who they are as their dialogue and thoughts.

I also like it that historical figures walked in and out of these families.  For instance, Winston Churchill is at a house party with Fitz, the patriarch of the house of British nobility in the book and Fitz notes with frustration that, "Sometimes Winston imagined he had devised a policy when all he had done was coin a phrase."  I felt that this was an astute and probably quite true observation about Churchill, and I loved that Follet was able to show the British nobility's initial frustration with Winston Churchill's blustery aggressive style.

Now, Fall of Giants is the first of a trilogy and the second book is not yet published, which is a bummer as the book ends and leaves you yearning to hear the end of everyone's story.  BUT, it is so worth the read and though it is a huge book, you will finish it very quickly.  My only complaint about the book, was that I did not feel Follet spoke enough about the state of the American army before World War I.  I think that the American army had low numbers, there was a nasty draft and ensuing protest, but it kicked our country into gear for being prepared in the future.  I feel that there was a great explanation of the preparedness of the German army (very prepared, but low numbers and surrounded by enemies), the British army (prepared and well-staffed, but nobility were immediately commanding officers and it sometimes seemed as if this was not enough qualification, but then THEY WERE the only soldiers that had been to military school), and the Russian army (grossly underprepared and undersupplied; it was just ridiculous, but lots of manpower).

Oooh, and my other complaint was that the book was so heavy that I got a crick in my neck in bed while I was trying to hold it up and recline on a pillow.  BUT, that is my own fault for buying shoes instead of a Kindle or some such.