Code To Zero: Summary and book reviews of Code To Zero by Ken Follett, plus links to an excerpt from Code To Zero and a biography of Ken Follett.

January, 1958. A man wakes to find himself lying on the ground in a railway station. He cannot remember how he got there. He has forgotten where he lives. He does not even know his own name. At Cape Canaveral, a countdown has begun. On launch pad 26B sits Explorer I, America's best hope to match the Soviet Sputnik and regain the lead in the race for the skies above. Bound together by the past, separated by the war, and caught up in the mighty struggle between the superpowers, four old friends from Harvard sit at the very center in the this dangerous heart of the cold war. And as Luke Lucas relearns the story of his life, he uncovers long-kept secrets about his wife, his best friend, the woman he once loved more than life itself... and realizes that his fate is tied to the rocket that stands ready on launch pad 26B at the Cape. Luke knew something that someone was desperate for him to forget, and unless he is able to discover that terrible, deadly secret, Luke may be left powerless to save the launch of Explorer - and with it, America's future.

Media Reviews

San Francisco Chronicle Follet has introduced enough new wrinkles to make Code To Zero fresh and fast-paced, even if it isn't exactly exploring new territory. Follett is no slouch at keeping the pages flying by. He maintains a brisk clip throughout and creates compelling and likable characters.   Los Angeles Times Ken Follett delivers the surefire suspense readers have come to expect.   Philadelphia Inquirer Follett is an artist of compelling talents.   Publishers Weekly Follett does a wonderful job of keeping readers guessing about Lucas....suspense junkies won't be disappointed by Follett's man-on-the-run framework; tension courses through the book from start to finish.   Library Journal With Eye of the Needle and the numerous novels that followed, Follett established himself as a master of the thriller. This latest tale of Cold War espionage is one more bit of evidence....a taut and exciting story.

Recent Reader Reviews

Rated of 5 by D. McDonald
Anachronisms spoiled it for me
Good suspense, well developed characters and an excellent grip on the manners and mores of the time (WW2 to late 1950s). Unfortunately he refers to a particular car that wasn't marketed until 20 years later and there were a couple of instances of...   Read More

Rated of 5 by Jule Rabino
Pow pow pow
Pounding, pulsating. The story is tight, and the readers are left breathless from its grip.

Rated of 5 by Matrin Kolb, 17
Excellent Book!!
I can't stop reading it. I'm reading it for the third time now.

Rated of 5 by ted alzate
Wow! Follett is the best next to none! Great plot, superb thrill to the finish.

Rated of 5 by Kiley Bedwell
Awesome book!
Could never put it down...

Rated of 5 by Cole Woods
BEST BOOK EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!

...7 More Reader Reviews

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Books with similar themes

• Thrillers
  
• USA 
  
• 1940s & '50s