This is a heart-wrenching saga of families torn apart by love, politics and war. From the Aberowen coal pits to London high society, the White House, the trenches of the Somme, Berlin and the streets of St Petersburg, this is a detailed account of the 19teens and how those years affected a large portion of the world.

Covering World War I from every angle, the Russian Revolution and the abdication of the German Kaiser, it also covers the suffragette movement, detailing the fights British women had for the right to vote, the right to be elected to Parliament, and the right for a war-widowed British mother to work and support her family.

This is historical fiction at its best – it brings real-life events to life in a way that school history lessons cannot hope to do by telling tales of heroes, world leaders and lovers whilst sticking to the facts. The cast of characters spans most of the Western world; each is plausible, well drawn and utterly believable – as are all Ken Follett's characters. As a fledgling novelist myself, I learn much from each of his books whilst enjoying his work immensely.