Kingsbridge
historical fiction
Series · historical fiction
The Century Trilogy
The Century Trilogy series by Ken Follett has 3 books and is best read in publication order, starting with Fall of Giants (2010).
- Books
- 3 books
- First published
- 2010
- Status
- completed
- Last checked
Start here: Fall of Giants (2010) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Fall of Giants
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Fall of Giants - Book 2:
Winter of the World
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Winter of the World - Book 3:
Edge of Eternity
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Edge of Eternity
About The Century Trilogy
Ken Follett's Century Trilogy follows five interconnected families — American, German, Russian, English, and Welsh — across the entire twentieth century, from the eve of the First World War to the fall of the Berlin Wall. Fall of Giants opens in 1911 and runs through WWI and the Russian Revolution; Winter of the World picks up the next generation through the rise of Nazism, the Spanish Civil War, and WWII; Edge of Eternity carries their children through the Cold War, the civil rights movement, and the collapse of Communism in 1989.
The appeal is scale and access: Follett threads real historical events — the sinking of the Lusitania, the storming of the Winter Palace, D-Day, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Berlin Wall — through the eyes of ordinary (if often well-connected) fictional characters, so major 20th-century history unfolds as soap-operatic family drama rather than a lecture. Political figures like Churchill, Stalin, and Kennedy appear as characters, but the emotional weight stays with the five families' romances, rivalries, and generational choices.
It's commercial historical fiction on a huge canvas, built for readers who want the sweep of the whole century covered in three very long, very plot-driven novels rather than a single period. If Kingsbridge is Follett doing multi-century town history, the Century Trilogy is Follett doing modern geopolitics as generational saga.
How to read this series
Read the three novels in publication order — Fall of Giants, Winter of the World, Edge of Eternity — which is also strict chronological order: each book covers the next generation of the same five families across roughly twenty-five to thirty years, so reading out of order would mean meeting characters' grandchildren before their grandparents. There are no companion novellas or side reads; it's a complete, self-contained three-book arc.
Frequently asked questions
How many books are in the Century Trilogy?
Three: Fall of Giants (2010), Winter of the World (2012), and Edge of Eternity (2014).
What order should I read the Century Trilogy in?
Publication order, which is also chronological order: Fall of Giants, then Winter of the World, then Edge of Eternity. Each book follows the next generation of the same five families, so reading out of sequence means spoiling earlier books.
Is the Century Trilogy finished?
Yes. It was always planned and published as a complete trilogy, and Edge of Eternity's 1989 ending closes out the century-spanning arc.
Do I need to read Kingsbridge before the Century Trilogy?
No. The two series are unrelated — different families, different eras, no shared characters or setting. Both are standalone Ken Follett sagas.
Is the Century Trilogy based on real events?
Yes, extensively. Fictional characters are woven through real historical events and, at times, real historical figures (Churchill, Stalin, the Kennedys among them), but the five central families and their personal stories are invented.
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Reading order last verified .