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    The Age of Gold: The California Gold Rush and the New American Dream
    Unavailable
    The Age of Gold: The California Gold Rush and the New American Dream
    Unavailable
    The Age of Gold: The California Gold Rush and the New American Dream
    Audiobook (abridged)6 hours

    The Age of Gold: The California Gold Rush and the New American Dream

    Written by H. W. Brands

    Narrated by Brian Mancinelli

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    By the Author of the Bestselling Pulitzer Prize Finalist THE FIRST AMERICAN

    THEY WENT WEST TO CHANGE THEIR LIVES AND IN THE BARGAIN THEY CHANGED THE WORLD. THIS IS THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE GOLD RUSH.

    When gold was first discovered on the American River above Sutter's Fort in January 1848, California was sparsely populated frontier territory not yet ceded to the United States from Mexixo. The discovery triggered a massive influx as hundreds of thousands of people scrambled to California in search of riches, braving dangerous journeys across the Pacific, around Cape Horn, and through the Isthmus of Panama, as well as across America's vast, unsettled wilderness. Cities sprang up overnight, in response to the demand for supplies and services of all kinds. By 1850, California had become a state -- the fastest journey to statehood in U.S. history. It had also become a symbol of what America stood for and of where it was going.

    In The Age of Gold, H. W. Brands explores the far-reaching implications of this pivotal point in U.S. history, weaving the politics of the times with the gripping stories of individuals that displays both the best and the worse of the American character. He discusses the national issues that exploded around the ratification of California's statehood, hastening the clouds that would lead to the Civil War. He tells the stories of the great fortunes made by such memorable figures as John and Jessie Fremont, Leland Stanford and George Hearst -- and of great fortunes lost by hundreds now forgotten by history. And he reveals the profound effect of the Gold Rush on the way Americans viewed their destinies, as the Puritan ethic of hard work and the gradual accumulation of worldly riches gave way to the notion of getting rich quickly.


    From the Hardcover edition.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateAug 20, 2002
    ISBN9780553756289
    Unavailable
    The Age of Gold: The California Gold Rush and the New American Dream

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    Reviews for The Age of Gold

    3.5/5

    63 ratings7 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Age of Gold takes a thorough look at a slice of American history. Beginning in 1848 Brands introduces the reader to people from all walks of life, uncovering every story from land and sea across several continents. Part One describes in detail the first adventurers to travel from every corner of the earth to seek gold. It is here John Fremont is introduced for the first time. Part Two is an introduction to the frenzied hunt for gold: panning, picking, cradling, digging, mining, sifting, sluicing. Part Three sees the birth of California's borders and governing body. San Francisco becomes the first city in the state.
    • 4/5
      A thrilling and eminently readable history of California...the land of opportunists.
    • 5/5
      Well written, well documented story of the California Gold rush. Skillfullly told with many side stories. Perhaps a tad too long.
    • 4/5
      This is a well-written romp through the discovery of gold in California along with some of its consequences. Using the stories of real people - Sutter, Hurst, Stanford, and so on - the story is given relevance to the present day. Concentrating on people's stories also keeps the pace cracking along. A satisfying read all round.
    • 4/5
      I read the author's The Restless Decade on 7 Sept 2003 with real appreciation and so when given this book quickly decided to read it. It was published in 2002 and tells the story of the Gold Rushand how it affected the state, the nation, and the world. It spends a considerable amount of time telling of various arduous efforts to reach California, as well as the effect of the news of gold's discovery on many people. While there are source notes and an extensive bibliography the book can be read as a story rather than as academic history. I particularly enoyed the chapter on the political events surrounding the Compromise of 1850, which includes well-chosen quotes from Clay, Calhourn, and especially Webster. (Reading the Webster excerpt made me feel I was caught up by the oratory!) Some of the technical mining and processing description, while obviously necessary, did not fill me with interest. But the accounts of Fremont and his wife, and of the building of the transcontinental railroad and its promoters are of much interest. And the summing up chapters and the account of what happened to the people involved in the Gold Rush and its history is well-done. One need not be obsessed by history to enjoy the book and it is easy to see why the author is probably a much-appreciated teacher by his students.
    • 3/5
      Amazing the far reaching effects the gold rush had on America and the world. He covered lots of ground with many of these fascinating repercussions being exposed using the stories of known and unknown individuals. Unfortunately it was a labor to read at times. This was due to the jumping around following individual people’s stories and then going way to deep on some topics. For example when he went into detail on the mining techniques I found my eyes glazing over waiting for the chapter to end.
    • 3/5
      I like to read books about the places I visit. That’s why I picked The Age of Gold. It came highly recommended and it did not disappoint.Gold is found during the building of Sutter’s Mill in California. People began to flood into California, risking death, willing to sacrifice everything for a chance to get rich.Brands hones in on his characters---Sutter, young men headed to California from all parts, Stanford, Hearst---until the book feels more like a novel than a history book. I’m looking forward to seeing the places mentioned in the book. I feel like I just completed a short course in California history by reading this book.