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61st out of 133 books
—
55 voters
The Floor of Heaven: A True Tale of the Last Frontier and the Yukon Gold Rush
by
Howard Blum (Goodreads Author)
It is the last decade of the 19th century. The Wild West has been tamed and its fierce, independent and often violent larger-than-life figures – gun-toting wanderers, trappers, prospectors, Indian fighters, cowboys, and lawmen –are now victims of their own success. They are heroes who’ve outlived their usefulness.
But then gold is discovered in Alaska and the adjacent Canad...more
But then gold is discovered in Alaska and the adjacent Canad...more
Hardcover, 420 pages
Published
April 26th 2011
by Crown
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You'd think you were reading fiction. This story is that good.
And the truth is that Floor of Heaven is a little bit fiction. Even Blum, in his final Note on Sources, acknowledges this.
Just a bit fiction, though. This book contains just enough fictional elements to shape the three intermingling true stories into a great book. But the heart of the story is solidly nonfiction.
It is a great book. It's the story of the beginnings of Alaska, the story of three characters so quirky and real that...more
And the truth is that Floor of Heaven is a little bit fiction. Even Blum, in his final Note on Sources, acknowledges this.
Just a bit fiction, though. This book contains just enough fictional elements to shape the three intermingling true stories into a great book. But the heart of the story is solidly nonfiction.
It is a great book. It's the story of the beginnings of Alaska, the story of three characters so quirky and real that...more
This was the non-fiction book we were reading for our book club, but it reads like a fiction novel. It is subtitled "A True Tale of the Last Frontier and the Yukon Gold Rush" and centers on 3 men whose lives, after many, many pages, intersect in Alaska. George Carmack, is a Marine deserter, whose discovery sets off the stampede to the Yukon, "Soapy" Smith is a flamboyant western villain, and Charlie Siringo is a cowboy turned Pinkerton detective named Charlie Siringo.
This was an exceedingly rea...more
This was an exceedingly rea...more
The American west has been won, the world economy is slipping into turmoil, and in the late 1890's- a man's word was as good as gold. Howard Blum's The Floor of Heaven recants the Klondike Gold Rush through the eyes of three influential men: George W. Carmack, Charlie Siringo, and Jeff "Soapy" Smith. George W. Carmack is the stern California-born prospector credited with discovering gold in the remote Yukon river valley (August 16, 1896) and, along with his partners Jim Mason and Dawson Charlie,...more
Interesting enough to keep me reading, but only just. The story is very surface-level, with lots of glossed-over periods of history and summarized, paraphrased conversations. I think this could have been a much longer, in-depth book, but for some reason the author chose to only tell one particular strain of a much wider story.
When I was 14, my family went to Alaska and we spent (what seemed to me) a lot of time in Skagway. We also visited Dyea. That really helped me visualize parts of the book,...more
When I was 14, my family went to Alaska and we spent (what seemed to me) a lot of time in Skagway. We also visited Dyea. That really helped me visualize parts of the book,...more
Some went to escape. Some went to start over. Some went for adventure. All were drawn by gold.
The Floor of Heaven is the amazing story of the Yukon Gold Rush, told through the lives of three men who despite their diverse backgrounds, found themselves in a showdown with a quarter million dollars worth of gold hanging in the balance.
Author Howard Blum does a magnificent job tracing the lives of Jeff “Soapy” Smith (con-man one minute, benefactor the next), Charlie Siringo (a cow puncher from Texas...more
The Floor of Heaven is the amazing story of the Yukon Gold Rush, told through the lives of three men who despite their diverse backgrounds, found themselves in a showdown with a quarter million dollars worth of gold hanging in the balance.
Author Howard Blum does a magnificent job tracing the lives of Jeff “Soapy” Smith (con-man one minute, benefactor the next), Charlie Siringo (a cow puncher from Texas...more
This was a good work of nonfiction, although it’s not quite what was advertised. I thought I was getting a detailed narrative of the Yukon Gold Rush that began in 1897, but that was actually pretty much the end point of the book. It was really a set of interesting tales surrounding three men of the Old West as the Old West was finally disappearing, and how they all ended up chasing gold in Alaska and the Yukon. As it turns out, this made for a better read.
The three men were a fairly famous cowbo...more
The three men were a fairly famous cowbo...more
Reason for Reading: I've never consciously thought about this before but I do seem to have a penchant for reading about the Klondike/Yukon gold rush. I'm even reading aloud a fiction book to my son on the topic at this moment! This was a must read for me.
This is a true story told in narrative form which really reads like a novel and thus a quick page-turner. The book focuses in on three people: George Carmack, AWOL Marine who "ignites" the biggest gold rush the world has seen; Soapy Smith, conma...more
This is a true story told in narrative form which really reads like a novel and thus a quick page-turner. The book focuses in on three people: George Carmack, AWOL Marine who "ignites" the biggest gold rush the world has seen; Soapy Smith, conma...more
For me to be drawn to a non-fiction book it has to be something unique! I prefer to drift off into a made-up world that someone else creates. OK, it's escapism. But every now and then a true story comes along that triggers the escape mechanism in my mind and I HAVE TO read the book. The Floor of Heaven is one of those rare books. Howard Blum sets the stage for this true life tale so perfectly, the reader forgets it's true!
Blum tells the story of three men hunting for a better life, and the plac...more
Blum tells the story of three men hunting for a better life, and the plac...more
I enjoyed this book tremendously; I read a lot of non-fiction, and this is one of the best I've read. Blum's writing is very engaging and more reminiscent of a novelist than anything. All three of the subjects are interesting, particularly the Cowboy turned Pinkerton Agent Charlie Siringo. I also like how Blum shows the changes in George Carmack's character and how his gold strike fundamentally changed his character. I didn't like the sections on Soapy Smith as much, but he's not exactly an admi...more
A clever narrative that weaves together the lives of three men and the intriguing story of how their paths cross near the Klondike.
There’s Charles Siringo, touted as the last American cowboy, who becomes a Pinkerton detective; George Carmack, an AWOL marine who becomes part of an Indian tribe and discovers gold on the Klondike; and Soapy Smith, a conman who builds an underground empire in Skagway, Alaska.
About halfway into this book, I really began to wonder how the author had so much informat...more
There’s Charles Siringo, touted as the last American cowboy, who becomes a Pinkerton detective; George Carmack, an AWOL marine who becomes part of an Indian tribe and discovers gold on the Klondike; and Soapy Smith, a conman who builds an underground empire in Skagway, Alaska.
About halfway into this book, I really began to wonder how the author had so much informat...more
Howard Blum brings up two interesting facts which are integral to this book. One, the Yukon gold rush came as a final hurrah for the displaced heroes of the Wild West. And two, it occurred while the United States was in the grip of a devastating economic depression.
The first of these facts is more obvious to the casual reader. The stories of Jack London and other writers of the period grant us some familiarity with those who braved arduous conditions in hope of finding fortune in the frozen nort...more
The first of these facts is more obvious to the casual reader. The stories of Jack London and other writers of the period grant us some familiarity with those who braved arduous conditions in hope of finding fortune in the frozen nort...more
A true story of discovery of gold in the Klondike, Yukon Territory. 3 men who spent their lives living in the wild west conquering Indians and bison to tame the area (in their view and time), head out to the newest untamed wilderness Alaska. George Carmack will eventually be the person who discovers gold in the Yukon after going native and living with Indians. Charlie Ringo will be hired by the Pinkertons to be a detective and catch thieves who stole gold from a mine in Alaska. And a man named S...more
The history of the Alaskan Gold Rush as told through the eyes of three very different individuals: Charlie Siringo, a cowboy-turned-Pinkerton-detective investigating the theft of hundreds of gold bars from an Alaskan mine; Soapy Smith, a conman/gang-leader/generally reprehensible fellow pursuing power (and gold, naturally) across the States into Alaska; and George Carmack an American Naval man gone AWOL, who marries into the native Tagish people and avidly pursues his own dreams of gold.
I admit,...more
I admit,...more
I like not knowing what to expect and it's even more of a pleasure to see tidbits about the surrounding areas of where I live. This world is steeped with history that goes largely unrecognized without people like Blum, Larson, Dash, Abbott and a few more names that slip my mind at the moment.
Many men have forsaken their already established livelihoods across the states to gamble on a dream and adventure with little more than the clothes on their backs and what they could carry in a rucksack to...more
Many men have forsaken their already established livelihoods across the states to gamble on a dream and adventure with little more than the clothes on their backs and what they could carry in a rucksack to...more
A historic "memoir"/stories of the Yukon Gold Rush. This book is based on actual diaries, property records, family histories, etc.. of four men who lived during the Yukon gold rush . I found the stories interesting and the ingenuity of these individuals was impressive. You had to be tough and smart to survive in these difficult and lawless times. Of course many idiots survived the rush and even struck it rich just through dumb luck and being in the right place at the right time ! Well researched...more
Fun book. I wish we had not been blown out of Skagway on our anniversary trip. It would have been neat to have seen some of the places referenced in the story. Good historical "non-fiction" account of a time when I believe the people were far tougher than we are today. I had read a little about "Soapy" in some histories of Leadville, and if was fun to add more information and color.
The author's style was easy and to read and hard to put down. After reading his "Notes on Sources" I think he hit h...more
The author's style was easy and to read and hard to put down. After reading his "Notes on Sources" I think he hit h...more
I will say without hesitation that "The Floor of Heaven" was, for me, the most enjoyable, non fiction book I have ever read. Howard Blum, the author, wanted to "tell an engaging tale that contained both high drama and a perplexing mystery and write a true story, to boot". He definately suceeded.
As I read about the lives of the 3 main characters,Charlie Siringo, George Carmack, and "Soapy" Smith, I thought to myself that fictional characters could never be this interesting. I also thought how g...more
As I read about the lives of the 3 main characters,Charlie Siringo, George Carmack, and "Soapy" Smith, I thought to myself that fictional characters could never be this interesting. I also thought how g...more
view all 6 comments
It is the last decade of the 19th century. The Wild West has been tamed and its fierce, independent and often violent larger-than-life figures – gun-toting wanderers, trappers, prospectors, Indian fighters, cowboys, and lawmen –are now victims of their own success. They are heroes who’ve outlived their usefulness.
But then gold is discovered in Alaska and the adjacent Canadian Klondike and a new frontier suddenly looms - an immense unexplored territory filled with frozen waterways, dark spruce fo...more
But then gold is discovered in Alaska and the adjacent Canadian Klondike and a new frontier suddenly looms - an immense unexplored territory filled with frozen waterways, dark spruce fo...more
This is an engaging story of three men who were part of the rush of adventurers seeking fortune and escape in the west and the Alaskan frontier.
I'm amazed at the time and research that went into this book, and at the same time it reads like a novel (and a good mystery at times) rather than a history lesson. The characters really come to life.
Soapy Smith is a conman gangleader who wants to take advantage of gullible prospectors. Charlie Siringo is a cowboy turned Pinkerton detective, and George...more
I'm amazed at the time and research that went into this book, and at the same time it reads like a novel (and a good mystery at times) rather than a history lesson. The characters really come to life.
Soapy Smith is a conman gangleader who wants to take advantage of gullible prospectors. Charlie Siringo is a cowboy turned Pinkerton detective, and George...more
I was very anxious to read this book ever since I travelled to Alaska early this year and spent a few days in the Skagway/Dyea area and having my imagination captured by the story of the Yukon Gold Rush. We walked a short section of the Chilkoot trail and I was keen to learn more about the whole episode in history, particularly the hardships endured by the prospectors and the slim chance of actually striking it rich.
This book sheds little light on that and, as such, rates as a serious disappoint...more
This book sheds little light on that and, as such, rates as a serious disappoint...more
This is a very interesting tale of three men during a time in America when the days of the wild frontier were vanishing. However up north times were still as wild as ever and the sixgun and the lever rifles ruled the land. What fascinated me was the way that the author wrote this to read almost like a good action/adventure novel. And with his note on sources at the end of the book the author truly must be commended for the formidable task that he took on in writing this book. The mountains of ma...more
Three frontier archetypes circle warily in this account, which culminates in a show-down between lawbreakers and vigilantes in the streets of Skagway, Alaska, at the height of the Yukon gold rush. There is the lawman, the law-breaking cut-throat, and the gold miner who struck it rich – and whose lives entangle and intersect at odd intervals, first in the wild west of the 1870s and 1880s, and then in the gold fields, mines, and ramshackle mining towns of Alaska. All three were real, and left fair...more
This is a character-driven historical account of the Klondike gold rush. The first half of the book sets the stage by following the lives of three men, Charlie Siringo, a cowboy detective; Soapy Smith, a con-man; and George Carmack, a prospector. Their lives eventually meet-up in Skagway, Alaska. The best part was when Charlie was solving the mystery of how the Treadwell mine was robbed. The source books the author cited in the "Note on Sources" at the end would make some good future reading.
HIGH ADVENTURE. A VERY ENTERTAINING READ.
Set at the end of the nineteenth century, when the wild, wild west was getting tamer, and the untamed far-north was becoming wilder, ‘The Floor of Heaven: A True Tale of the Last Frontier and the Yukon Gold Rush’, by Howard Blum, tells the larger than life stories of the some of the cowpokes and conmen who straddled those two worlds.
It is the story of three unforgettable men of legend and adventure: Charlie Siringo, George Carmack and Soapy Smith; any on...more
Set at the end of the nineteenth century, when the wild, wild west was getting tamer, and the untamed far-north was becoming wilder, ‘The Floor of Heaven: A True Tale of the Last Frontier and the Yukon Gold Rush’, by Howard Blum, tells the larger than life stories of the some of the cowpokes and conmen who straddled those two worlds.
It is the story of three unforgettable men of legend and adventure: Charlie Siringo, George Carmack and Soapy Smith; any on...more
What makes this "true tale" fun for me to read is reading how life was in a time before electricty, cars, communication, etc. It was full of adventure for men, not so great for women unless you like to make soap and candles and boil shirts in starch, but I digress, this book is about men.
Outlaws, flim-flam men, Pinkerton detectives, prospectors, and cowboys from Texas to Alaska in the late 1800s is what this is about. The author used letters, diaries, direct quotes in newspapers, etc. to find ou...more
Outlaws, flim-flam men, Pinkerton detectives, prospectors, and cowboys from Texas to Alaska in the late 1800s is what this is about. The author used letters, diaries, direct quotes in newspapers, etc. to find ou...more
Stories from history are sometimes better than fiction. This follows several men on both sides of the law who played significant roles in the settling of the west, the Alaska gold fever and the discovery of gold in the Yukon. A Texas cowboy turned Pinkerton agent, a huckster and his men who travel to new frontiers cheating others of their fortures, the solving of a mystery of how gold was being stolen from a mine in Alaska. Lots of interesting adventure here.
Jul 06, 2011
Curlita
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommended to Curlita by:
Seattle Public Library
Shelves:
2011
Historical narrative (as opposed to historical fiction - based on fact and a ton of research, but written like a novel) about the Yukon Gold Rush in the 1890s. Extremely well done. Blum creates a detailed portrait of three men who played roles in this time period, builds suspense in each story line, and gives a painful education on the gold rush and its significance in American history.
It would have been nice *ahem* to read about one of the women characters in this time period (and there must h...more
It would have been nice *ahem* to read about one of the women characters in this time period (and there must h...more
This is a good read for anyone interested in the Last Frontier of Alaska and the Yukon, and the characters who shaped its early, formative culture. I had heard of all of the main figures in this book prior to reading it, but was unaware of how connected they were in their histories and fates. It does not read like a dry historical account, which makes it a comfortable read (but not unintellectual). It's more of a 4.5 star than 5 (I wondered sometimes, how much some of the dialogue has been enhan...more
I won this book as a giveaway...What a treat for the first giveaway!
Blum says his goal when writing The Floor of Heaven was to tell a story. I want to let everyone know he has definitely accomplished his goal with this book. Blum takes you deep into the world inhabited and trials faced by his three main characters. The intertwining stories are so enthralling, at times you forget they are true. From start to finish the book reads like a freight train...Once you get started stopping is not an easy...more
Blum says his goal when writing The Floor of Heaven was to tell a story. I want to let everyone know he has definitely accomplished his goal with this book. Blum takes you deep into the world inhabited and trials faced by his three main characters. The intertwining stories are so enthralling, at times you forget they are true. From start to finish the book reads like a freight train...Once you get started stopping is not an easy...more
I thoroughly enjoyed following three men from the west and how their paths would coss in Alaska during the Yukon Gold Rush. At first it was a difficult idea for me to wrap my head around that a cowboy, turned Pinkerton agent, a first class con man, and a man who spent his life searching for wealth would actually cross paths in Alaska. The truth of the story is better than any novel writer could have ever thought up. I would strongly recommend this book to any person who enjoys history with a twi...more
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| This "true story" is not so true. | 1 | 18 | Jun 21, 2011 02:19am |
HOWARD BLUM is the author of the New York Times bestseller and Edgar Award winner American Lightning, as well as such bestsellers as Wanted!, The Gold Exodus, and Gangland. He is currently a contributing editor at Vanity Fair. While at the New York Times, he was twice nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting. The Floor of Heaven: A True Story of the old West and the Yukon Gold Ru...more
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