Ken Follett, página 7 de 30

The Pillars of the Earth tells the story of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk driven to build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has known; of Tom, the mason who becomes his architect - a man divided in his soul; of the beautiful, elusive Lady Aliena, haunted by a secret shame; and of a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state, and brother against brother. A spellbinding epic tale of ambition, anarchy, and absolute power set against the sprawling medieval canvas of twelfth-century England, this is Ken Follett''s historical masterpiece. ''Enormous and brilliant ...this mammoth tale seems to touch all human emotion - love and hate, loyalty and treachery, hope and despair. This is truly a novel to get lost in'' - Cosmopolitan. ''A historical saga of such breadth and density ...Follett succeeds brilliantly in combining hugeness and detail to create a novel imbued with the rawness, violence and blind faith of the era'' - Sunday Express.

I destini di cinque famiglie si intrecciano inesorabilmente attraverso due continenti sullo sfondo dei drammatici eventi scatenati dallo scoppio della Prima guerra mondiale e dalla Rivoluzione russa. Tutto ha inizio nel 1911, il giorno dell'incoronazione di Giorgio V nell'abbazia di Westminster a Londra. Quello stesso 22 giugno ad Aberowen, in Galles, Billy Williams compie tredici anni e inizia a lavorare in miniera. La sua vita sembrerebbe segnata. Amore e inimicizia legano la sua famiglia agli aristocratici Fitzherbert, proprietari della miniera e tra le famiglie più ricche dInghilterra. Lady Maud Fitzherbert, appassionata e battagliera sostenitrice del diritto di voto alle donne, si innamora dell'affascinante Walter von Ulrich, spia tedesca all'ambasciata di Londra. Le loro strade incrociano quella di Gus Dewar, giovane assistente del presidente americano Wilson. Ed è proprio in America che due orfani russi, i fratelli Grigorij e Lev Pevkov, progettano di emigrare, ostacolati però dallo scoppio della guerra e della rivoluzione. Dalle miniere di carbone ai candelabri scintillanti di palazzi sontuosi, dai corridoi della politica alle alcove dei potenti, da Washington a San Pietroburgo, da Londra a Parigi il racconto si muove incessantemente fra drammi nascosti e intrighi internazionali. Ne sono protagonisti ricchi aristocratici, poveri ambiziosi, donne coraggiose e volitive e sopra tutto e tutti le conseguenze della guerra per chi la fa e per chi resta a casa. ATTENZIONE: il contenuto del libro è identico nelle due versioni, con copertina chiara o scura. Non è possibile scegliere il tipo di copertina in fase di acquisto.

Drei Länder. Drei Familien. Ein Jahrhundert.Europa 1914. Eine deutsch-österreichische Aristokratenfamilie, die unter den politischen Spannungen zerrissen wird. Eine Familie aus England zwischen dem Aufstieg der Arbeiter und dem Niedergang des Adels. Und zwei Brüder aus Russland, von denen der eine zum Revolutionär wird, während der andere in der Fremde sein Glück sucht. Ihre Schicksale verflechten sich vor dem Hintergrund eines heraufziehenden Sturmes, der die alten Mächte hinwegfegen und die Welt in ihren Grundfesten erschüttern wird.

Tom Builder's dream is to build a cathedral, but in the meantime, he must scrounge about to find a lord that will hire him. His search pulls him and his family into the politics of 12th-century England, as different lords vie to gain control of the throne in the wake of the recently deceased king. Prior Phillip, a man raised in the monastery since childhood, also finds himself drafted into the brewing storm as he must protect the interests of a declining church. Richard E. Grant seduces readers early on with a soft and deliberate voice that is like a loud whisper. However, his full range quickly reveals itself as he delves into characters with animated voices that exert their true essence. Even throughout the narrative, Grant musters a lively voice that imbues energy into the story. The only shortcoming is that the abridgment of Follett's 1989 novel proves to be too choppy. Though the story appears complete, there still remain abrupt moments throughout the tale. Penguin Audio's unabridged version is read by John Lee and runs 41 hours

Berlin in 1933 is in upheaval. Eleven-year-old Carla von Ulrich struggles to understand the tensions disrupting her family as Hitler strengthens his grip on Germany. Into this turmoil steps her mothers formidable friend and former British MP, Ethel Leckwith, and her student son, Lloyd, who soon learns for himself the brutal reality of Nazism. He also encounters a group of Germans resolved to oppose Hitler - but are they willing to go so far as to betray their country? Such people are closely watched by Volodya, a Russian with a bright future in Red Army Intelligence. The international clash of military power and personal beliefs that ensues will sweep over them all as it rages from Cable Street in Londons East End to Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, from Spain to Stalingrad, from Dresden to Hiroshima. At Cambridge Lloyd is irresistibly drawn to dazzling American socialite Daisy Peshkov, who represents everything his left-wing family despise. But Daisy is more interested in aristocratic Boy Fitzherbert - amateur pilot, party lover and leading light of the British Union of Fascists. Back in Berlin, Carla worships golden boy Werner from afar. But nothing will work out the way they expect as their lives and the hopes of the world are smashed by the greatest and cruellest war in the history of the human race.

Berlin in 1933 is in upheaval. Eleven-year-old Carla von Ulrich struggles to understand the tensions disrupting her family as Hitler strengthens his grip on Germany. Into this turmoil steps her mother's formidable friend and former British MP, Ethel Leckwith, and her student son, Lloyd, who soon learns for himself the brutal reality of Nazism. He also encounters a group of Germans resolved to oppose Hitler - but are they willing to go so far as to betray their country? Such people are closely watched by Volodya, a Russian with a bright future in Red Army Intelligence. The international clash of military power and personal beliefs that ensues will sweep over them all as it rages from Cable Street in London's East End to Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, from Spain to Stalingrad, from Dresden to Hiroshima. At Cambridge Lloyd is irresistibly drawn to dazzling American socialite Daisy Peshkov, who represents everything his left-wing family despise. But Daisy is more interested in aristocratic Boy Fitzherbert - amateur pilot, party lover and leading light of the British Union of Fascists. Back in Berlin, Carla worships golden boy Werner from afar. But nothing will work out the way they expect as their lives and the hopes of the world are smashed by the greatest and cruellest war in the history of the human race. Winter of the World is the second novel in Ken Follett's uniquely ambitious and deeply satisfying trilogy 'The Century'. On its own or read in sequence with Fall of Giants, this is a magnificent, spellbinding epic of global conflict and personal drama.

Londres, années 1970. Un homme politique s''éveille au côté d''une rousse sulfureuse, tandis qu''une Rolls-Royce guette au pied de l''immeuble. Au même moment, un mafieux rassemble ses hommes de main

Un giovane investigatore in erba, Mick Williams, è molto interessato alle vicende di una banda di inafferrabili rapinatori di banche. Ma non sa che presto la sua strada incrocerà la loro. Il suo amico Izzy, infatti, gli insegna come entrare di nascosto negli studi cinematografici Kellerman, un luogo che custodisce tanti segreti, tra cui uno che riguarda proprio la banda dei rapinatori.