Fall of GiantsFall of Giants
Score Modern
What it's about
It's 1911, the coronation day of King George V. The Williamses, a Welsh coal-mining family, are tied by romance and enmity to the Fitzherberts, the aristocrats who own the mines; Lady Maud Fitzherbert falls in love with Walter von Ulrich, a German diplomat and spy in London; and their lives become entangled with a young aide to President Woodrow Wilson and two orphaned Russian brothers. Five families move through the First World War, the Russian Revolution and the fight for women's votes.
Why it's worth reading
It reached #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. It opens Ken Follett's Century Trilogy, a sweeping, readable history of the 20th century.
You'll love it if you liked
The Pillars of the Earth
World Without End
All the Light We Cannot SeeGood to know
It's nearly 900 pages, but it moves fast. The trilogy continues with Winter of the World.
By the numbers
- Readers82 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller76 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #33 of the 116 historical novels we rank
- #163 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #325 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Epic, Moving
More by Ken Follett
The Pillars of the EarthWorld Without End
The Evening and the Morning
Eye of the NeedleIf you like this, read next
The Underground Railroad
The Water Dancer
Between Two Fires
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
The Luminaries
Gods of Jade and ShadowExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Fall of Giants worth reading?
Yes. It reached #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. It ranks #325 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 81.0 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Fall of Giants about?
It's 1911, the coronation day of King George V. The Williamses, a Welsh coal-mining family, are tied by romance and enmity to the Fitzherberts, the aristocrats who own the mines; Lady Maud Fitzherbert falls in love with Walter von Ulrich, a German diplomat and spy in London; and their lives become entangled with a young aide to President Woodrow Wilson and two orphaned Russian brothers. Five families move through the First World War, the Russian Revolution and the fight for women's votes.
How long does it take to read Fall of Giants?
About 22 hours (865 pages), or about 6 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Fall of Giants?
If you liked it, try The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, World Without End by Ken Follett or All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.