The Age of Gold (Abridged): The California Gold Rush and the New American Dream Audiobook

" as fun as a muggy afternoon at an animatronic frontier museum that's mostly gift shop. "

" Gripping from start to finish - we honestly couldn't wait to get back in the car and keep listening... "

" Very good history of gold and its role in the early days of California. Follows how gold impacts dozens of individuals lives. "

" 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!! "

" 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. "

" Reads like a novel, and with a lot of analysis of the causes and effects of the gold rush. Highly recommended. "

" 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. "

" 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. "

" Brands does a great job of telling the gold rush story. "

" This was an interesting read, but it was a bit too long winded for me. "

" Just when you thought you'd read it all... "

" I bought this book a couple of years ago but was inspired to go back to it after a recent drive up the coast. "

" Good review of California History during 19th Century "

" Brands includes exquisitely detailed physical descriptions of key characters. I especially appreciate his ability to tell a story as well as document history. "

" 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! "

" 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. "

" 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. "

" Very readable history of the California Gold Rush. "

" 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. "

" 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. "

" This book is an interesting Narrative on the Early development of the American Economy. "

" Very enjoyable read. It not only shows where we've come from, but where we might be going again. "