At Cape Canaveral, a countdown has begun in January 1958. On launch pad 26B sits Explorer 1, America's best hope to match the Soviet Sputnik and regain the lead in the race for the skies above. In the meanwhile, a man wakes to find himself lying on the ground in a railway station. And until he remembers who he is, he may be left powerless to save the launch of Explorer--and with it, America's future.
When nice girls were virgins, gentlemen wore hats and Hudsons were not relics 
This review is for the New American Library (Division of Penguin) softcover edition, December 2005, 372 pages. CODE TO ZERO was on the USA Today's Top 150 Best-Selling books list for twenty-two weeks achieving the peak position to fifteen. Ken Follett has ten novels on this best-seller list, which has tracked book sales since October 1993. Follett had other best sellers before then.
Around five in the morning, on January 29, 1958, a man wakes up in the men's room at Union Station, Washington D.C. He cries out in shock at his reflection in the mirror. He sees an unshaven hobo in filthy rags, and he has no recollection, none whatsoever. He shouts, "Who am I." Another bundle of rags on the floor replies, "You're a bum, Luke."
The reader learns that a woman in a motel near Cape Canaveral is worried about Luke, and that she met him during a panty raid at Radcliff in 1941. On page 31, Luke, penniless, wandering around D.C. with global amnesia, realizes two men are shadowing him. He does not know that someone in the CIA thinks he's the most dangerous man in America.
And so this espionage thriller continues, with Luke sleuthing out who he is, and the reader knowing not much more than he does. The story is suspenseful, fast paced, and true to the time when nice girls were virgins, gentlemen wore hats and Hudson automobiles were not relics.
Engaging!
Great story and characters. And it is so well written that I forget I am reading. Ken Follett's writing in general has that quality...meaning, his words don't get in the way. I can get lost in these things. I loved it.
Another Great Follett Story
I love Ken Follett, he is probably my favorite author. This one doesn't disappoint in any way. It kept me wanting to keep reading! Keep writing Ken...we love your books!
Not bad -- five stars for writing style, three for plot and storyline 
This one is a page turner, no doubt of that. However, the way the storyline turns out is completely unconvincing. I do not want to write a "spoiler" review, so I cannot be too specific. Suffice to say, the actions of Elspeth and Anthony make no sense whatsoever--none, nada. The story feels like Follett decided to begin with the mystery of Luke losing his memory, and then, after about 100+ pages, decides how to tie all of the facts together. But the way he accomplishes this conclusion is, quite literally, nuts, at least in my opinion.
I purchased the Kindle edition (yay, Kindle!) and the book was well-formatted for the Kindle and a joy to read using this medium. (Now let's get the rest of Follett's works on the Kindle!)
I liked the book, but the conclusion just did not ring true. Not at all. Still, Follett fans, among whom I number myself, will like this one. Three stars to an author who is capable of a five-star novel.
reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
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