Name: Edge of Eternity
Rating: 5 (0 reviews)
Author: Ken Follett

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Summary

Book Summary

East German teacher Rebecca Hoffman discovers she's been spied on by the Stasi for years and commits an impulsive act that will affect her family for generations... George Jakes, himself bi-racial, bypasses corporate law to join Robert F. Kennedy's Justice Department and finds himself in the middle of not only the seminal events of the civil rights battle, but also a much more personal battle... Cameron Dewar, the grandson of a senator, jumps at the chance to do some espionage for a cause he believes in, only to discover that the world is much more dangerous than he'd imagined... Dimka Dvorkin, a young aide to Khrushchev, becomes an agent for good and for ill as the Soviet Union and the United States race to the brink of nuclear war, while his twin sister, Tania, carves out a role that will take her from Moscow to Cuba to Prague to Warsaw - and into history.

These characters and many others find their lives inextricably entangled as they add their personal stories and insight to the most defining events of the 20th century. From the opulent offices of the most powerful world leaders to the shabby apartments of those trying to begin a new empire, from the elite clubs of the wealthy and highborn to the passionate protests of a country's most marginalized citizens, this is truly a drama for the ages.

With the Century Trilogy, Follett has guided readers through an entire era of history with a master's touch. His unique ability to tell fascinating, brilliantly researched stories that captivate readers and keep them turning the pages is unparalleled. In this climactic and concluding saga, Follett brings us into a world we thought we knew, but now will never seem the same again.

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Media Reviews

"Starred Review. Once again, Follett has written pitch-perfect popular fiction that readers will devour." - Library Journal

"Starred Review. This mesmerizing final installment is an exhaustive but rewarding reading experience dense in thematic heft, yet flowing with spicy, expertly paced melodrama, character-rich exploits, familial histrionics, and international intrigue." - Publishers Weekly

"Those eagerly awaiting volume three of Follett's ambitious Century Trilogy will not be disappointed... Follett does an outstanding job of interweaving and personalizing complicated narratives set on a multicultural stage. " - Booklist

This information about Edge of Eternity was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

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Book Marm

Edge of Eternity is Disappointment
Having read and enjoyed nearly all of Ken Follett’s novels, I was shocked and saddened to read Edge of Eternity, which focused on events in the United States, Germany, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union. I realize that this novel is classified as “historical fiction,” but it should be labeled as a “re-imagining.”

Mr. Follett concentrated on the bleakest aspects of the 1960’s and later, which were depressing reminders of those turbulent times that we endured…assassinations, segregation, civil unrest, communism, drugs, and “free love.” However, the Welsh author used his characters to promote his obvious political preference for socialism and liberalism. Examples included calling US presidential candidate Barry Goldwater a “racist,” denying President Reagan’s role in the collapse of the Soviet Union through economic and political pressure, plus no mention at all of Reagan’s and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s strengthening of their countries’ economies. The positives of space exploration were ignored, even though it involved both the USA and the USSR. The spin made me question the accuracy of the historical elements in previous two books of the Century Trilogy.

His biases were further exemplified in his characterizations. The liberal characters were written in a positive way, while the conservatives were invariable depicted as inept or unsavory. Although he rightly promoted racial equality, he implied that Condoleezza Rice was a war-monger. At least Mr. Follett was equal in his treatment of both types as far as sexuality, writing soap opera scenes of infidelity for all, including President John Kennedy and the communists.

I hope that Mr. Follett will return to writing suspenseful espionage.

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Author Information

Biography
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Ken Follett Author Biography

Photo by Barbara Follett

Ken Follett is one of the world's best-loved authors, selling more than 188 million copies of his thirty-six books. Follett's first bestseller was Eye of the Needle, a spy story set in the Second World War. In 1989, The Pillars of the Earth was published and has since become Follett's most popular novel. It reached number one on bestseller lists around the world and was an Oprah's Book Club pick. Its sequels, World Without End and A Column of Fire, and prequel The Evening and the Morning, proved equally popular, and the Kingsbridge series has sold more than fifty million copies worldwide. Follett lives in Hertfordshire, England, with his wife, Barbara. Between them they have five children, six grandchildren, and three Labradors.

Link to Ken Follett's Website