CODE TO ZERO [Paperback]

Ken Follett (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Unknown (2001)
• ISBN-10: 0330406825
• ISBN-13: 978-0330406826
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (190 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Ken Follett was only twenty-seven when he wrote the award-winning EYE OF THE NEEDLE, which became an international bestseller. His celebrated PILLARS OF THE EARTH was voted into the top 100 of Britain's best-loved books in the BBC's the Big Read and the sequel, WORLD WITHOUT END, will be published in Autumn 2007. He has since written several equally successful novels including, most recently, WHITEOUT. He is also the author of non-fiction bestseller ON WINGS OF EAGLES. He lives with his family in London and Hertfordshire.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining but..., November 27, 2000

By 

C. Kuschel-Toerber "Christian Kuschel" (Frankfurt, Hessen) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Code to Zero (Hardcover)

I've always been a huge fan of Mr. Follett's work but was a little disappointed with the last two releases. After the first good reviews of his latest effort I eagerly awaited the delivery of the novel and immediately started reading.

The story is good and exciting, but the book could have been so much better if Ken Follett had just developed the characters a little deeper. The british edition clocks in at just 324 pages, at twice that amount "Code to Zero" could have been brilliant.

Just imagine the lead character waking up without any memory of who he is - solving not only his own mystery but working out his past love life, saving the American space program and bringing the bad guys to justice - all in 300 pages (net).

I would have loved a little more of this basically good story for my money. Ken Follett knows how to keep readers hooked beyond a few pages, as he's proven with blockbusters like "Pillars of the Earth" or "Night Over Water" - why not try again?

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SUSPENSE IS HEIGHTENED BY ACCOMPLISHED READERS, December 8, 2000

By 

Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Code to Zero (abridged) (Audio Cassette)

Espionage is at the core of this Cold War era thriller and the suspense sizzles. The time is 1958 when the space race was young and the Soviets seemed to be outdistancing the America. The protagonist is an inventive, complex study - he's Dr. Claude Lucas, an important cog in a new space launch. However, he's also a victim of amnesia, an apparent vagrant in Washington D.C.'s Union Station.

Toss in the CIA, a covey of spies, and an old college buddy of Lucas's who is more foe than friend. Some might deem this a classic take on chased and chasers - not so. Thanks to the deft Mr. Follett, it's a no-holds-barred, riveting epic. And, so are the readings.

Frank Muller, who has been featured on over 150 audiobooks, offers a splendid rendering of crisp, character driven dialogue in the two abridged versions on cassette and CD.

While Obie award-winner George Guidall, an actor for 40 plus years, reads the unabridged version. He takes sinister and dramatic to their zenith.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As Fast-Paced as the Space Race, February 23, 2001

By 

Steven K. Szmutko (EWING, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Code to Zero (Hardcover)

I had the opportunity to read Ken Follet's CODE TO ZERO last week. The tale of a man who wakes up in a Union Station restroom suffering from autobiographical amnesia is compelling The protagonist must find out, in short order, who he is, why he has lost his memory, who has done this to him and what are the consequences if he does not recover. The story is set in the late 50's as America attempts to put a satellite in space, countering the Russian-launched Sputnik. As he slowly discovers that he is Claude "Luke" Lucas, a rocket scientist of some fame and renown, he discovers that he is the victim of a plot to silence him. Why, however, he and the reader must discover as the novel races from place to place at race-car pace.

Ken Follett has long been a favorite author of mine, particularly for his book, PILLARS OF THE EARTH, which involved the construction of a magnificent Gothic cathedral in 12th century England. That book, epic in scale, intertwines various characters, kings, noblemen and noblewomen, clergy and peasants in a story of faith intrigue and power in the middle ages. This book, while considerably shorter in length, move quickly. I never lost interest! Indeed, I read the book in one sitting in about 4 hours which is most unusual for me. I would recommend the book highly to anyone who enjoys a good yarn.