Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #384991 in Books
• Published on: 2000-06-12
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 1.77" h x 4.20" w x 6.91" l, 1.11 pounds
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 1200 pages

From Publishers Weekly
The bestselling author of North and South returns with a new first-rate historical series that begins in 1890s Berlin, where young Pauli Kroner ekes out a living as a kitchen helper in a posh hotel. When his consumptive aunt dies, the orphaned Pauli books steerage to America, hoping to be reunited with his wealthy uncle, Joseph Crown, who fought for the Union Army and now heads a brewery empire in Chicago. Surviving a long, perilous journey, Pauli meets his American relatives, among them Aunt Ilsa, whose progressive views cause almost as much friction in the family as eldest son Joe Jr.'s alliance with the socialist labor movement. Pauli unexpectedly falls in love with Julie Vanderhoff, strong-willed daughter of a Chicago meat-packing millionaire who hates foreigners, further complicating the drama. Jakes portrays the Crowns, leading civic figures in Chicago, moving among a crowd of influential and important people, including Jane Addams, Teddy Roosevelt and Eugene Debs. Chock-full of fascinating period detail, his captivating story brings to life the sounds, smells and tastes of turn-of-the-century America in a manner comparable to Michener's Hawaii and Doctorow's Ragtime . An absolute must for the beach. Author tour; major ad/promo.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
YA-In 1892, an orphaned German teenager, Pauli, comes to America to live with his uncle's family in Chicago. He arrives with the typical immigrant's vision of a flawless new homeland. During the next 10 years he experiences firsthand labor strife; poverty, greed, and crime in the city's slums; and suffering in the Cuban battlefields of 1898. Increasingly, his idealistic picture of the country changes until the end of the book when he sees his new homeland as a place where "men are free." Likewise, the three-dimensional main characters have strengths and weaknesses, good points and faults. Theodore Roosevelt, Eugene Debs, Thomas Edison, Clara Barton, and Jane Addams make their appearances, and readers witness the growing labor-union movement, the women's-rights struggle, national expansionism, and the beginning of the moving-picture industry. The book's major drawback is its length. However, readers who are willing to invest the time will find it an interesting view of the U.S. at the turn of the century.
Shirley B. Blaes, R.E. Lee High School, Springfield, VA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
John Jakes brings the unforgettable Crown family (beer barons of Chicago) alive through their strong personal bonds, their business successes, the rise of labor, the development of photography and the U.S. involvement in Cuba. The overpowering forces of history draw hard lines in Paul Crown's life. Herrmann's reading is superb, with distinctive character vocalizations and the powerful emotions of family tragedy and triumph. Musical interludes ease the transition between years and locales in this abridged version. J.E.G. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine