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The Age of Gold (Abridged): The California Gold Rush and the New American Dream Audiobook
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(3.08) - 296 listener ratings
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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.
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"Excellent, wide-ranging history of the CA gold rush with details about the trips people took to get to CA, John Fremont, William Sherman, the first railroad to cross the country, and how the gold rush shaped American attitudes and expectations. Fun and fascinating. Good read"
— Linda (4 out of 5 stars)
The Age of Gold Listener Reviews
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" as fun as a muggy afternoon at an animatronic frontier museum that's mostly gift shop. "
— Tim, 1/31/2014 -
" Gripping from start to finish - we honestly couldn't wait to get back in the car and keep listening... "
— Kim, 1/10/2014 -
" Very good history of gold and its role in the early days of California. Follows how gold impacts dozens of individuals lives. "
— Dan, 12/12/2013 -
" A very informative book that everyone should read. Deals not just with gold, but also with the stock market craze and how we are all looking to get rich quick - even the family of the President of the US!! "
— Blaine, 10/17/2013 -
" One of the top books for me for 2008. My California history is a bit sketchy; this was a great, fun read about the gold rush era, and filled in some blanks. "
— Mark, 10/14/2013 -
" Reads like a novel, and with a lot of analysis of the causes and effects of the gold rush. Highly recommended. "
— Chris, 10/13/2013 -
" Stories from newspapers, journals, and letters about people who risked everything to journey to California after hearing the rumor of the discovery of gold. The author suggests that the rush to find gold may have significanly altered the resolution of the issue of slavery. "
— Bill, 10/11/2013 -
" This was the first H. W. Brands book I read and I've since become a big fan of his writing. This book is a great read. "
— Jim, 9/28/2013 -
" Brands does a great job of telling the gold rush story. "
— Doug, 6/9/2013 -
" This was an interesting read, but it was a bit too long winded for me. "
— Kylia, 2/26/2013 -
" Just when you thought you'd read it all... "
— Amanda, 2/26/2013 -
" I bought this book a couple of years ago but was inspired to go back to it after a recent drive up the coast. "
— Natalie, 2/1/2013 -
" Good review of California History during 19th Century "
— Virginia, 11/13/2012 -
" Brands includes exquisitely detailed physical descriptions of key characters. I especially appreciate his ability to tell a story as well as document history. "
— George, 10/11/2012 -
" This book really ties in the effect events in California had in the creation of our nation as we know it. Very unlikely the North wins the war without this Gold Rush. Great read for non-fiction fans! "
— Jeffrey, 8/11/2012 -
" Great book to read on a trip to Sacramento and Nevada City and surrounding area. Well-written and extensively researched history of the California Gold Rush. "
— Christopher, 5/6/2012 -
" As usual, H.W. Brands provides a very readable account of the Gold Rush era. Any history book by this author is a recommended read. "
— Caitlin, 11/26/2011 -
" Very readable history of the California Gold Rush. "
— Tom, 11/24/2011 -
" Very interesting account of the forces of unbridled capitalism in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Important subject, given how many people would love to take the country back there. "
— Damon, 3/24/2011 -
" This suffered from what the Korean War history I read a month ago suffered from, namely disjointed albeit interesting chapters. I will be reading more from this historian and am quite hopeful that a more focused subject area will yield a great book. "
— Laura, 12/13/2010 -
" This book is an interesting Narrative on the Early development of the American Economy. "
— Graham, 11/30/2010 -
" Very enjoyable read. It not only shows where we've come from, but where we might be going again. "
— David, 11/7/2010
About H. W. Brands
H. W. Brands has written more than a dozen biographies and histories, including the The General vs. the President, a New York Times bestseller. Two of his biographies, The First American and Traitor to His Class, were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize. He holds the Jack S. Blanton Sr. Chair in History at the University of Texas at Austin.