According to the frontispiece of Ken Folltet's 2010 "Fall of Giants" Book One of "The Century Trilogy," this is 20th book he has written, most of which are in the adventure genre.
"Fall of Giants" is a huge volume (985 pages) of a historical overview of a well-worked historical era, 1911-1924. Complete with a huge cast of characters (don't get discouraged) who range from the traditional upper-upper English to the very basic as well as middle class WelchGerman/Austrian, Russians, French, and Americans.
He interweaves this cast of well-thought-out character studies in an interesting chaos version of how their lives will impinge and change the others. His plot arrangements are clear, so even though there are many, they can be kept recognizable, and it is interesting to see how Follett manages the complexity and chaotic interchange of lives, emotions, and personal out-comes.
Interestingly enough, I found his interpretation of the one of the major "lead" characters, Earl Fitzherbert to be wobbly and basically uncertain as the novel progressed. But the others were so well-defined, it hardly mattered.
One other note was the necessity of battle descriptions of WWI warfare, much of which has been done in countless other books. But given Follett's time span, it was a necessary coverage. Another reminder of human folly for which millions gave their lives.
Review by a Gulfport Library fan.
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