Winter of the World Summary: A Gripping Saga of War and Survival
Introduction: Inside This Guide
Winter of the World is the second novel in Ken Follett’s Century Trilogy.
The book moves across Berlin, Buffalo, London, Moscow, and Spain, following five interconnected families as political extremism and conflict reshape their lives.
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TL;DR: The World on the Brink
Winter of the World follows the second generation of five families during the 1930s
. It begins with Hitler’s rise and ends with the start of World War II.
- Setting: Germany, Britain, the United States, the Soviet Union, and Spain from 1933 to 1939.
- Central conflict: The rise of fascism, the Spanish Civil War, and the collapse of peace.
- Key storylines: A German family divided by Nazism; a British student who volunteers in Spain; an American socialite who marries into British aristocracy; a Soviet spy recruiting sources in Berlin.
- Themes: Totalitarianism, class division, resistance, and ideological war.
Follett’s books often combine family drama with major political and military events. You can find more of his work at Ken Follett book summaries.
Characters in Winter of the World
| Character | Role |
|---|---|
| Walter von Ulrich | Social Democratic Reichstag deputy in Berlin and father of Carla and Erik. |
| Maud von Ulrich | English-born journalist and wife of Walter. |
| Carla von Ulrich | Daughter of Walter and Maud; denied a university scholarship because she is a girl. |
| Erik von Ulrich | Son of Walter and Maud who joins the Hitler Youth. |
| Lloyd Williams | Cambridge student and volunteer in the Spanish Civil War. |
| Ethel Leckwith | Labour MP and mother of Lloyd. |
| Daisy Peshkov | Wealthy American socialite who marries Boy Fitzherbert. |
| Boy Fitzherbert | Viscount Aberowen and British fascist supporter. |
| Lev Peshkov | Wealthy industrialist and father of Daisy. |
| Woody Dewar | Harvard student and Senate intern. |
| Gus Dewar | U.S. senator and father of Woody and Chuck. |
| Volodya Peshkov | Soviet military intelligence officer. |
| Grigori Peshkov | Russian army commander and father of Volodya. |
| Werner Franck | Communist spy in Berlin. |
| Heinrich von Kessel | German recruit who spies for Soviet intelligence. |
| Dave Williams | Welsh volunteer killed at the Battle of Belchite. |
| Billy Williams | MP for Aberowen and father of Dave. |
| Thomas Macke | Gestapo officer who enforces Nazi control. |
Winter of the World Summary: The Road to War
Spoiler warning: This section recounts the main events, including outcomes.
In Berlin in February 1933, Walter von Ulrich and Maud attempt to oppose the rising Nazi regime. Their son Erik becomes increasingly drawn to Hitler Youth propaganda. The Reichstag fire allows the Nazis to strip civil rights and crush democratic opposition.
Robert von Ulrich’s restaurant is closed by Gestapo officer Thomas Macke. Robert’s partner Jörg is murdered, and Robert is forced to sign over his business.
In 1935 in Buffalo, Daisy Peshkov seeks acceptance from the city’s elite but is jilted at a Yacht Club Ball. Woody Dewar pursues Joanne Rouzrokh, whose family has been socially ostracized. Daisy decides to leave for London.
By 1936, Lloyd Williams is studying at Cambridge and confronting British fascists. Daisy marries Boy Fitzherbert, a viscount and Mosley supporter. Lloyd joins Lenny Griffiths and Dave Williams in volunteering for the Spanish Civil War.
In 1937 in Moscow, Volodya Peshkov runs a spy network that includes Werner Franck in Berlin. Volodya is sent to Spain as a military advisor. At the Battle of Belchite, Dave Williams is killed by Soviet officer Bobrov, not by fascist forces.
Lloyd survives and returns to London. He hides the true nature of Dave’s death from the family.
By 1939, Volodya returns to Berlin and recruits Heinrich von Kessel to spy for the Soviets just before the Nazi-Soviet pact is announced. In Washington, Woody Dewar and Gus Dewar work with President Roosevelt on a plan to prevent war.
On September 1, 1939, Germany invades Poland. Daisy discovers Boy’s infidelity but chooses to stay with him. Lloyd and his family gather around the radio as war is declared.
The available excerpted material ends at this point. In the full novel, the story continues through the Second World War and concludes in 1949 with early Cold War tensions.
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Summary by Chapter: Five Movements Toward War
Spoiler warning: This section groups chapters into chronological parts.
The Rising Tide of Nazism in Germany (Chapters 1–5)
Adolf Hitler is appointed Chancellor, and the Reichstag fire is used to suspend civil rights. The von Ulrich family struggles with Erik’s descent into Nazi fanaticism.
The period ends with Gestapo violence, the murder of Jörg Schleicher, and the forced signing over of private businesses.
Social Splendor and Economic Struggle in America (Chapters 6–10)
The story shifts to Buffalo during the Great Depression. Wealthy socialites attend debutante rituals while steel mills erupt in violent labor strikes. Daisy Peshkov faces social rejection and leaves for London.
Fascism in Britain and the Call to Arms (Chapters 11–15)
British fascists led by Oswald Mosley clash with left-wing defenders at the Battle of Cable Street. Daisy’s marriage to Boy Fitzherbert adds personal heartbreak. British and Welsh characters volunteer for the International Brigades in Spain.
Paranoia in Moscow and the Battle of Belchite (Chapters 16–20)
Stalinist purges create an atmosphere of fear in Moscow. Volodya Peshkov is deployed to Spain as a military advisor. The idealistic volunteers encounter brutal internal factional violence, leading to Dave Williams’s death at Belchite.
Covert Intelligence and the Outbreak of Global War (Chapters 21–25)
Volodya orchestrates military leaks in Berlin while Woody and Gus Dewar work with President Roosevelt. The Nazi-Soviet pact and the invasion of Poland shatter hopes for peace.
War is declared on September 3, 1939.
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The Ideas That Drive the Century
| Theme | How the book presents it |
|---|---|
| Rise of Totalitarianism and Fascism | Hitler becomes chancellor, the Reichstag fire is used to suspend civil rights, and SA Brownshirts attack dissenters. |
| Ideological War | The Spanish Civil War draws international volunteers, including British and Welsh characters, into combat. |
| Suppression of Democracy and Civil Liberties | The Reichstag Fire Decree and anti-Semitic measures remove legal protections and force opposition parties to capitulate. |
| Covert Espionage and Resistance | Volodya Peshkov recruits Werner Franck and Heinrich von Kessel to pass information from Nazi Germany. |
| Class Divide and Economic Hardship | Buffalo debutante rituals contrast with labor strikes at Lev Peshkov’s foundry during the Great Depression. |
| Brutality Within Extremist Factions | Soviet officer Bobrov executes Dave Williams at Belchite, showing internal violence among anti-fascist forces. |
Books Like Winter of the World
Fall of Giants by Ken Follett — The first novel in the Century Trilogy, introducing the parents of the characters in Winter of the World through World War I and the Russian Revolution.
Edge of Eternity by Ken Follett — The final book of the Century Trilogy, continuing the same families through the Cold War, civil rights movement, and the fall of the Berlin Wall.
The Winds of War by Herman Wouk — A sweeping historical epic that follows an American family through the events leading up to and during World War II.
War and Remembrance by Herman Wouk — The sequel to The Winds of War, covering the full global scale of World War II.
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah — A World War II family saga about two sisters in occupied France.
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr — A World War II novel that interweaves the lives of a blind French girl and a German soldier.
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