First of all, I feel the need to gloat…..I DID IT!!! I survived the 920 pages of this massive novel!
Okay….now that THAT’S out of the way, let’s get down to talking about Fall of Giants. The novel is the first book in The Century Trilogy and was a thrilling read. The story centers around the events surrounding World War I — from the earliest political rumblings and the Archduke’s assassination to the final cease-fire and the earliest appearance of Adolf Hitler in Germany — the novel is amazing in scope. In addition to the presence of historical figures (including Woodrow Wilson and Winston Churchill), the events come to life as we see the crisis through the eyes of six families. The plot is too complicated to attempt to summarize, but let me assure you that it is definitely worth the investment of a few weeks of your reading life. While it was overwhelming in the early stages of the novel to keep up with so many characters, their lives quickly intersected and the saga clarified itself.
I am excited to read the next novel in the trilogy (Winter of the World) and expect I’ll start it in the next week or so. For the moment, I need to come back down to a safer reader altitude and enjoy something not quite as expansive.
Fall of Giants is certainly one of the five best books I’ve read so far this year…..and is the longest of them all, without a doubt!
Reading for Me 
[…] of the World is the continuing saga of the families introduced in Fall of Giants. The second volume covers the horrific events facing the world between the years 1933 and 1949. I […]