California Gold, John Jakes
California Gold, John Jakes
List: $34.99 | Sale: $24.50
Club: $17.49

California Gold
A Novel

Author: John Jakes

Narrator: Shawn Compton

Unabridged: 31 hr 26 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 03/24/2020

Synopsis

A "riveting . . . sweeping epic" of one man driven by gold fever, by the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of North and South—Richmond Times-Dispatch.

At the height of California's Gold Rush, men left everything behind for the chance at striking it rich. Now, some thirty years after its peak, gold fever still entices adventurous Easterners like James Macklin Chance, a poor Pennsylvanian who is drawn to California by the dream of lasting wealth—a dream so powerful he'll stop at nothing to see it through. Along the way he'll encounter grand passion, ruthless enemies, and larger-than-life titans like Leland Stanford, Theodore Roosevelt, and William Randolph Hearst, who helped shape a country's destiny.

About John Jakes

John Jakes the bestselling author of more than a dozen novels, is regarded as one of today's most distinguished writers of historical fiction. His work includes the highly acclaimed Kent Family Chronicles series and the North and South Trilogy. Jakes's commitment to historical accuracy and evocative storytelling earned him the title of "the godfather of historical novelists" from the Los Angeles Times and led to a streak of sixteen consecutive New York Times bestsellers. Jakes has received several awards for his work and is a member of the Authors Guild and the PEN American Center. He lives in South Carolina and Connecticut.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Dylan on January 02, 2012

I found this book at a used bookstore and bought it only because my mom had mentioned John Jakes as being one of her favorite authors. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I recently moved away from California, so to read historical fiction that focused on the populating of California really appealed to......more

Goodreads review by Sophie on August 09, 2022

California Gold by John Jakes is a long, tedious novel following the Gold Rush in California. The book is full of historical detail and content, but it is bogged down by endless descriptions of every character's clothing, feelings, and bowel movements. The author seems to think that the word "breast......more

Goodreads review by Paula on September 12, 2017

Like all the Jakes books I've read--and I've read a lot of them now--this one is chock full of history. Like some but not all of the others, the history here is more fully developed and interesting than the story. The first time I read a Jakes book I thought he wasn't good at writing female characte......more

Goodreads review by Anthony on March 02, 2021

So this was a good Jakes book, I have to sat that I enjoyed the North and South series a bit better, mainly because I enjoy Civil War time periods, but also because those books cover a wide range of POVs. California Gold primarily follows Mack, who starts out dirt-poor and travels to CA from PA in s......more

Goodreads review by Kelly on September 22, 2009

Great story that takes place a few decades after the California gold rush. It's about a young man with the desire to make it big in California and the adventures he runs into along his way. The book does a great job of incorporating the history of California politics, railroads, farmers and oil. I c......more

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