Dynasty of Death, Taylor Caldwell
Dynasty of Death, Taylor Caldwell
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Dynasty of Death

Author: Taylor Caldwell

Narrator: Peter Noble

Unabridged: 43 hr 17 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download (DRM Protected)

Published: 07/16/2019


Synopsis

Two families grow a small munitions factory into a global empire in this saga by a New York Times–bestselling author spanning from 1837 to the eve of World War I. In 1837, Joseph Barbour, an upper servant in an English village, immigrates with his family to America so he can make his fortune in the nascent artillery business. A man of vision, Joseph foresees a time when wars will not be won with courage and brave hearts but rather by the nations with superior firearms.Joseph and his family settle in a rural Pennsylvania village, but his wife, Hilda, is unhappy and longs to return to England. Their shy and sensitive younger son, Martin, is also homesick, but what troubles him most is the cruelty and violence he sees in his older brother, Ernest. Martin's fears come to fruition when Joseph forms a gunpowder firm with Armand Bouchard, who lives with his wife and three sons down the road from the Barbours.As the years pass, Ernest proves himself invaluable to Barbour & Bouchard. Ruthless and ambitious, he takes what he wants. But beautiful Amy Drumhill continues to elude him and becomes the catalyst in a war that will estrange the two brothers and leave Ernest haunted by the blood that will be forever on his hands.Dynasty of Death is a moving saga of two families, the epic struggle between two brothers, and the legacy their guns will leave the world as mighty enemy nations gear up for battle.

About Taylor Caldwell

Taylor Caldwell (1900–1985) was one of the most prolific and widely read authors of the twentieth century. Born Janet Miriam Holland Taylor Caldwell in Manchester, England, she moved with her family to Buffalo, New York, in 1907. She started writing stories when she was eight years old and completed her first novel when she was twelve. Married at age eighteen, Caldwell worked as a stenographer and court reporter to help support her family and took college courses at night, earning a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Buffalo in 1931. She adopted the pen name Taylor Caldwell because legendary editor Maxwell Perkins thought her debut novel, Dynasty of Death (1938), would be better received if readers assumed it were written by a man. In a career that spanned five decades, Caldwell published forty novels, many of which were New York Times bestsellers. Her best-known works include the historical sagas The Sound of Thunder (1957), Testimony of Two Men (1968), Captains and the Kings (1972), and Ceremony of the Innocent (1976), and the spiritually themed novels The Listener (1960) and No One Hears But Him (1966). Dear and Glorious Physician (1958), a portrayal of the life of St. Luke, and Great Lion of God (1970), about the life of St. Paul, are among the bestselling religious novels of all time. Caldwell’s last novel, Answer as a Man (1981), hit the New York Times bestseller list before its official publication date. She died at her home in Greenwich, Connecticut, in 1985.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Jill on October 27, 2018

The late author Taylor Caldwell's writing style can best be described as overwrought. Her politics seemed to be to the right of Ivan the Terrible and her views of people and society were both negative and dogmatic. People were either good...or bad. Very few of her characters were drawn with any nuan......more

Goodreads review by BARBARA HESKETT on July 04, 2017

Great Read As expected, Taylor Caldwell didn't disappoint me once more. She always makes the characters come to life, and describes their thoughts and desires, good or bad. Sometimes Jules got long winded, but I still can't skip over anything said. I love generation novels, and she is one of the best......more

Goodreads review by Terry on April 01, 2018

Made myself finish this one. Over 700 pages long. I don't think I found any of the characters "likeable". Yet they were interesting. I found myself thinking about them. NOT on the read-again list.......more

Goodreads review by Connie on January 11, 2021

This is an oldie but goodie, written in 1937 with ambitious, but not obnoxious vocabulary requiring many references to my dictionary. I liken much of the author's descriptions to a James Michener style. This multi generational story takes place from 1837 to WWI. Ruthless and aggressive business tactic......more

Goodreads review by Simon on March 01, 2024

The pacing in this book absolutely astounded me, it felt like every scene drastically influenced the plot, almost no time was wasted, and for the first half, that relentless pacing kept me constantly entertained. I really was loving this book, but unfortunately the pacing sort of runs this book dry.......more