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Captains and the Kings
When Joseph Armagh first saw America in the early 1850s, he was a 12 year old Irish immigrant - a penniless orphan cast upon a hostile shore to make a home for himself. Years later, in his palatial estate, he looked back on his long, rich life. He was now a multimillionaire, one of the world's most powerful and feared men...a man who was determined to make his handsome eldest son the first Catholic President of the United States.
814 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1972
2426 people are currently reading
7125 people want to read
About the author
Taylor Caldwell
153 books558 followers Also known by the pen names Marcus Holland and Max Reiner.
Taylor Caldwell was born in Manchester, England. In 1907 she emigrated to the United States with her parents and younger brother. Her father died shortly after the move, and the family struggled. At the age of eight she started to write stories, and in fact wrote her first novel, The Romance of Atlantis, at the age of twelve (although it remained unpublished until 1975). Her father did not approve such activity for women, and sent her to work in a bindery. She continued to write prolifically, however, despite ill health. (In 1947, according to TIME magazine, she discarded and burned the manuscripts of 140 unpublished novels.)
In 1918-1919, she served in the United States Navy Reserve. In 1919 she married William F. Combs. In 1920, they had a daughter, Mary (known as "Peggy"). From 1923 to 1924 she was a court reporter in New York State Department of Labor in Buffalo, New York. In 1924, she went to work for the United States Department of Justice, as a member of the Board of Special Inquiry (an immigration tribunal) in Buffalo. In 1931 she graduated from SUNY Buffalo, and also was divorced from William Combs.
Caldwell then married her second husband, Marcus Reback, a fellow Justice employee. She had a second child with Reback, a daughter Judith, in 1932. They were married for 40 years, until his death in 1971.
In 1934, she began to work on the novel Dynasty of Death, which she and Reback completed in collaboration. It was published in 1938 and became a best-seller. "Taylor Caldwell" was presumed to be a man, and there was some public stir when the author was revealed to be a woman. Over the next 43 years, she published 42 more novels, many of them best-sellers. For instance, This Side of Innocence was the biggest fiction seller of 1946. Her works sold an estimated 30 million copies. She became wealthy, traveling to Europe and elsewhere, though she still lived near Buffalo.
Her books were big sellers right up to the end of her career. During her career as a writer, she received several awards.
She was an outspoken conservative and for a time wrote for the John Birch Society's monthly journal American Opinion and even associated with the anti-Semitic Liberty Lobby. Her memoir, On Growing Up Tough, appeared in 1971, consisting of many edited-down articles from American Opinion.
Around 1970, she became interested in reincarnation. She had become friends with well-known occultist author Jess Stearn, who suggested that the vivid detail in her many historical novels was actually subconscious recollection of previous lives. Supposedly, she agreed to be hypnotized and undergo "past-life regression" to disprove reincarnation. According to Stearn's book, The Search of a Soul - Taylor Caldwell's Psychic Lives, Caldwell instead began to recall her own past lives - eleven in all, including one on the "lost continent" of Lemuria.
In 1972, she married William Everett Stancell, a retired real estate developer, but divorced him in 1973. In 1978, she married William Robert Prestie, an eccentric Canadian 17 years her junior. This led to difficulties with her children. She had a long dispute with her daughter Judith over the estate of Judith's father Marcus; in 1979 Judith committed suicide.
Also in 1979, Caldwell suffered a stroke, which left her unable to speak, though she could still write. (She had been deaf since about 1965.) Her daughter Peggy accused Prestie of abusing and exploiting Caldwell, and there was a legal battle over her substantial assets.
She died of heart failure in Greenwich, Conn
Taylor Caldwell was born in Manchester, England. In 1907 she emigrated to the United States with her parents and younger brother. Her father died shortly after the move, and the family struggled. At the age of eight she started to write stories, and in fact wrote her first novel, The Romance of Atlantis, at the age of twelve (although it remained unpublished until 1975). Her father did not approve such activity for women, and sent her to work in a bindery. She continued to write prolifically, however, despite ill health. (In 1947, according to TIME magazine, she discarded and burned the manuscripts of 140 unpublished novels.)
In 1918-1919, she served in the United States Navy Reserve. In 1919 she married William F. Combs. In 1920, they had a daughter, Mary (known as "Peggy"). From 1923 to 1924 she was a court reporter in New York State Department of Labor in Buffalo, New York. In 1924, she went to work for the United States Department of Justice, as a member of the Board of Special Inquiry (an immigration tribunal) in Buffalo. In 1931 she graduated from SUNY Buffalo, and also was divorced from William Combs.
Caldwell then married her second husband, Marcus Reback, a fellow Justice employee. She had a second child with Reback, a daughter Judith, in 1932. They were married for 40 years, until his death in 1971.
In 1934, she began to work on the novel Dynasty of Death, which she and Reback completed in collaboration. It was published in 1938 and became a best-seller. "Taylor Caldwell" was presumed to be a man, and there was some public stir when the author was revealed to be a woman. Over the next 43 years, she published 42 more novels, many of them best-sellers. For instance, This Side of Innocence was the biggest fiction seller of 1946. Her works sold an estimated 30 million copies. She became wealthy, traveling to Europe and elsewhere, though she still lived near Buffalo.
Her books were big sellers right up to the end of her career. During her career as a writer, she received several awards.
She was an outspoken conservative and for a time wrote for the John Birch Society's monthly journal American Opinion and even associated with the anti-Semitic Liberty Lobby. Her memoir, On Growing Up Tough, appeared in 1971, consisting of many edited-down articles from American Opinion.
Around 1970, she became interested in reincarnation. She had become friends with well-known occultist author Jess Stearn, who suggested that the vivid detail in her many historical novels was actually subconscious recollection of previous lives. Supposedly, she agreed to be hypnotized and undergo "past-life regression" to disprove reincarnation. According to Stearn's book, The Search of a Soul - Taylor Caldwell's Psychic Lives, Caldwell instead began to recall her own past lives - eleven in all, including one on the "lost continent" of Lemuria.
In 1972, she married William Everett Stancell, a retired real estate developer, but divorced him in 1973. In 1978, she married William Robert Prestie, an eccentric Canadian 17 years her junior. This led to difficulties with her children. She had a long dispute with her daughter Judith over the estate of Judith's father Marcus; in 1979 Judith committed suicide.
Also in 1979, Caldwell suffered a stroke, which left her unable to speak, though she could still write. (She had been deaf since about 1965.) Her daughter Peggy accused Prestie of abusing and exploiting Caldwell, and there was a legal battle over her substantial assets.
She died of heart failure in Greenwich, Conn
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 465 reviews
May 12, 2012
Taylor Caldwell is largely unknown today, and CAPTAINS AND THE KINGS is virtually the only novel of her left in print in mass-market paperback, and less than a handful are available in oversized paperback editions. But from 1938 (DYNASTY OF DEATH) through her last published novel, ANSWER AS A MAN (1980), Caldwell kept countless readers enthralled with her powerful sagas of ambition and destiny, set during various periods of American and European history (along with a few diversions to Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece). Her novels were notable for their great emotional depth, as well as her unerring eye for detail - she was often (and justifiably) accused of verbosity, but she was nevertheless a thunderingly good storyteller.
CAPTAINS AND THE KINGS is one of her best novels, almost a late-career companion to DYNASTY OF DEATH and NEVER VICTORIOUS, NEVER DEFEATED (1954). Both novels are about men with a passion for success who let no one and nothing stand in the way of achieving it. Caldwell herself called CAPTAINS AND THE KINGS her "Kennedy novel," because the tragic family she chronicles here does indeed resemble that famous family. The novel's central character, Joseph Francis Xavier Armagh, arrives in America from Ireland as a penniless orphan - decades later he's one of America's wealthiest and most powerful men, with one ambition left: to make his son, Rory, the first Catholic president of the United States.
CAPTAINS AND THE KINGS is about power - actually, even more than that, it's about the power behind power, the people behind the scenes - bankers, investors, manufacturers - who control politicians and the destinies of nations.
I was besotted with CAPTAINS AND THE KINGS as a teenager, and read it four times between 1972 and 1975. I re-read it two years ago, well over 30 years after my last reading, and enjoyed it all over again.
If you've never read Taylor Caldwell, CAPTAINS AND THE KINGS is well worth seeking out, along with DYNASTY OF DEATH, TESTIMONY OF TWO MEN, and DEAR AND GLORIOUS PHYSICIAN. With historical fiction once again highly popular, it's time Caldwell was rediscovered.
5/12/12: 39 years after it was published, the paperback edition of CAPTAINS AND THE KINGS has gone out of print. It was the last mass-market paperback of a Caldwell title available - end of an era!
CAPTAINS AND THE KINGS is one of her best novels, almost a late-career companion to DYNASTY OF DEATH and NEVER VICTORIOUS, NEVER DEFEATED (1954). Both novels are about men with a passion for success who let no one and nothing stand in the way of achieving it. Caldwell herself called CAPTAINS AND THE KINGS her "Kennedy novel," because the tragic family she chronicles here does indeed resemble that famous family. The novel's central character, Joseph Francis Xavier Armagh, arrives in America from Ireland as a penniless orphan - decades later he's one of America's wealthiest and most powerful men, with one ambition left: to make his son, Rory, the first Catholic president of the United States.
CAPTAINS AND THE KINGS is about power - actually, even more than that, it's about the power behind power, the people behind the scenes - bankers, investors, manufacturers - who control politicians and the destinies of nations.
I was besotted with CAPTAINS AND THE KINGS as a teenager, and read it four times between 1972 and 1975. I re-read it two years ago, well over 30 years after my last reading, and enjoyed it all over again.
If you've never read Taylor Caldwell, CAPTAINS AND THE KINGS is well worth seeking out, along with DYNASTY OF DEATH, TESTIMONY OF TWO MEN, and DEAR AND GLORIOUS PHYSICIAN. With historical fiction once again highly popular, it's time Caldwell was rediscovered.
5/12/12: 39 years after it was published, the paperback edition of CAPTAINS AND THE KINGS has gone out of print. It was the last mass-market paperback of a Caldwell title available - end of an era!
July 1, 2012
I don't even know where to start with this book. My dad told me about it years ago. Its not exactly one you find lying around on library shelves waiting to be checked out. And, in fact, I only have a copy because I borrowed it from my dad... and HE only has a copy because my sister found it at a thrift store. Anyway- back to reviewing it.
First- beware it is what I call "old" writing. What I mean by that is it is more of a Margaret Mitchell or MM Kaye style than say a modern day popular author. It has details that most people would skip and yet are so vital and contain information pertinent to the story that you must read them in order to understand.
Next- it is set in the mid-1800s to earlier 1900's and full of politics, yet while reading it, I still felt as though I was reading the politics of today. It forces you to question and wonder and be suspicious. I quite enjoyed that haha however, if you are already prone to conspiracy theories, this might put you over the edge.
Furthermore- the character development is intense. I think that's part of what I distinguish as "old" writing, where the author spends more time letting you into why their characters are doing things as opposed to describing what they actually did. And there are so many characters, that takes time and pages! (hello- this thing is over 800 pages long!) I was so impressed with her ability to keep her characters true to themselves and what she had established, but allowing them to grow with the story and circumstances she developed.
Finally- my dad will tell you he thinks this story is loosely based on the Kennedy Family. Do I agree? hmmmm... possibly. The author has obviously changed the time period and circumstances enough so that if it wasn't planted in your mind already, you may not make the connections. However, I can see that it might be inspired by their heritage.
Overall, it was a great read. Its got me thinking about black helicopters and skulls and societies. ;)
First- beware it is what I call "old" writing. What I mean by that is it is more of a Margaret Mitchell or MM Kaye style than say a modern day popular author. It has details that most people would skip and yet are so vital and contain information pertinent to the story that you must read them in order to understand.
Next- it is set in the mid-1800s to earlier 1900's and full of politics, yet while reading it, I still felt as though I was reading the politics of today. It forces you to question and wonder and be suspicious. I quite enjoyed that haha however, if you are already prone to conspiracy theories, this might put you over the edge.
Furthermore- the character development is intense. I think that's part of what I distinguish as "old" writing, where the author spends more time letting you into why their characters are doing things as opposed to describing what they actually did. And there are so many characters, that takes time and pages! (hello- this thing is over 800 pages long!) I was so impressed with her ability to keep her characters true to themselves and what she had established, but allowing them to grow with the story and circumstances she developed.
Finally- my dad will tell you he thinks this story is loosely based on the Kennedy Family. Do I agree? hmmmm... possibly. The author has obviously changed the time period and circumstances enough so that if it wasn't planted in your mind already, you may not make the connections. However, I can see that it might be inspired by their heritage.
Overall, it was a great read. Its got me thinking about black helicopters and skulls and societies. ;)
May 16, 2023
I was a huge Taylor Caldwell fan growing up.
This series was loosely based on the Kennedy family.
I remember so proud and inspired when I found out that the author was female! Bravo.
She was a prolific writer. It was said that her then husband burned some 140 unpublished novels.
She made it look so easy, but when I read that story, I realized that she never let failure or rejection from stopping her from doing what she loved best.
What an excellent series: both the books and the TV mini-series!
This series was loosely based on the Kennedy family.
I remember so proud and inspired when I found out that the author was female! Bravo.
She was a prolific writer. It was said that her then husband burned some 140 unpublished novels.
She made it look so easy, but when I read that story, I realized that she never let failure or rejection from stopping her from doing what she loved best.
What an excellent series: both the books and the TV mini-series!
March 6, 2019
The ending implies that the Joseph Armagh only lived for his family, but the truth was that he only wanted his family to fulfill his own aim in life, which was to take revenge on a world which was too hard on a poor immigrant boy. His sister was to grow up to be a great lady, not a nun. His brother was to grow up to be as strong as himself, not a musician. He ignored his son Rory until he held potential to change the world as Joseph wanted it changed. Then he ruined Rory's life in the process.
The conspiracy theory was too unbelievable for me.
Maybe fans of Ayn Rand would like it?
Also..it's .very hard for modern readers to slog through the extensive description.
The conspiracy theory was too unbelievable for me.
Maybe fans of Ayn Rand would like it?
Also..it's .very hard for modern readers to slog through the extensive description.
Want to read
January 11, 2009Ok--Be very careful with Taylor Caldwell books. She has geared these toward women who want hardcore romance--if you know what I mean. It is usually brief I hear, but the point of her books is not about "heaving bossoms" it's to educate the average reader about governments and what goes on behind the scenes. She is very educated and a very talented writer and usually writes about a specific conspiracy. They may sound strange but I would highly recommend any of her books (minus the bedroom scene) for anyone interested in learning politics without getting out a history book.
November 7, 2008
For everyone who did or has ever voted in a presidential election, this is a must read. When an unknown can come out of the woodwork, unstudied and untested, without any sort of litmus test, and become our president, we must ask ourselves, "Who is he and who owns him?' Read this book! It is haunting!
February 5, 2017
I can't even bring myself to finish this book. The descriptions sometimes go on for pages. I can't make myself care about the main character. He is cold and unfeeling and I have lost interest.
August 12, 2011
A truly extraordinary book in every way! My mom told me that a long time ago, she read a book that was so good, and I thought to myself, I have to read this. I enjoyed every page, and it's amazing to think about how it applies to our lives today. If you read it and think about it, the book should both frighten you while making you wonder who the hell is actually running our country and the world. Men behind curtains that no one has ever heard of making decisions that change how the world functions, all for political and economical gain that furthers their push for abosolute power.
I highly recommend anyone willing to turn on their brains give this a try with an open mind. You will no regret it. Five stars is all I can give but I would have given more.
I highly recommend anyone willing to turn on their brains give this a try with an open mind. You will no regret it. Five stars is all I can give but I would have given more.
March 19, 2015
داستان زندگی پسری ایرلندی بنام جوزف است که در سیزده سالگی یتیم می شود و سرپرستی خواهر وبرادر کوچکترش را بر عهده می گیرد .آنها از مهاجران به آمریکا هستند
.داستان شرح کارهایی است که جوزف انجام می دهد تا به ثروت می رسد تاآنجا که پسرش را می خواهد رئیس جمهور کند در بخش دوم داستان شرح حال پسرش روایت می شودکه تم سیاسی ماجرا بیشتر پرداخت می شود. هر چه که داستان پیش میرود پرکشش تر میشود
.داستان شرح کارهایی است که جوزف انجام می دهد تا به ثروت می رسد تاآنجا که پسرش را می خواهد رئیس جمهور کند در بخش دوم داستان شرح حال پسرش روایت می شودکه تم سیاسی ماجرا بیشتر پرداخت می شود. هر چه که داستان پیش میرود پرکشش تر میشود
February 25, 2019
A wonderful old book that has long been a favorite. Written beautifully with a fascinating storyline.
Bravo and a real winner!!!
Bravo and a real winner!!!
August 19, 2018
Since my grandparents immigrated to the USA in the mid/late 1800s I love reading historical fiction shining light on the ocean travel across the Atlantic and then the determination and independent hardwork necessary to become prosperous American citizens. The beginning of this novel was very enjoyable but the rambling filler throughout this novel turned the reading enjoyment into a grueling task just to finish reading this book.
I did finish this it because I made a promise to myself to always finish any book that I start reading but I honestly had to drag myself through this one. This is a terrific story with interesting characters but the micro descriptions of storm clouds and wall paneling and fireplace flames and facial expressions and so on stole 2 stars from my review.
My analogy is this....When I go to a fine restaurant for an outstanding enjoyable meal I don’t need the chef or waitress to stand at my table telling me every ingredient used, where the spices originated, how they were prepared and how long the meal baked. Would that equate to an enjoyable eating experience? Not to me! I’d consider the meal delicious but definitely not enjoyable. That’s exactly how I feel about reading this book.
I did finish this it because I made a promise to myself to always finish any book that I start reading but I honestly had to drag myself through this one. This is a terrific story with interesting characters but the micro descriptions of storm clouds and wall paneling and fireplace flames and facial expressions and so on stole 2 stars from my review.
My analogy is this....When I go to a fine restaurant for an outstanding enjoyable meal I don’t need the chef or waitress to stand at my table telling me every ingredient used, where the spices originated, how they were prepared and how long the meal baked. Would that equate to an enjoyable eating experience? Not to me! I’d consider the meal delicious but definitely not enjoyable. That’s exactly how I feel about reading this book.
October 22, 2012
Captains and the Kings is such a great all around read in my opinion. So much so that it is one of my favorite books of all time (and that's saying a lot coming from me).
While the theme at first glance seems to be a rags to riches story, it goes so much more beyond that. You have history, romance, politics, drama (plenty of it yet not overdone), and it also delves into the different natures of human beings. It is easy to read, yet pretty intense and I had a difficult time putting this book down! Caldwell writes so well and is able to captivate the reader that by the end of the book, I was left wanting more.
For those who haven't read this book yet, I hope you give this one a chance!
While the theme at first glance seems to be a rags to riches story, it goes so much more beyond that. You have history, romance, politics, drama (plenty of it yet not overdone), and it also delves into the different natures of human beings. It is easy to read, yet pretty intense and I had a difficult time putting this book down! Caldwell writes so well and is able to captivate the reader that by the end of the book, I was left wanting more.
For those who haven't read this book yet, I hope you give this one a chance!
June 20, 2012
A long awaited book, just arrived from USA through BM.
The tumult and the shouting dies,
The Captains and the Kings depart.
Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice -
An humble and a contrite heart.
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget, lets we forget!
Rudyard Kipling
This is the story of Joseph Armagh, an Irish immigrant, and his family.
He struggled in order to survive as soon as his mother and two little brothers arrived in America but his perseverance made him a rich and powerful man, which only dream is to make his son the first catholic president of the United States of America.
This is Caldwell's Kennedy's novel, an allusion of this tragic American family.
There is a TV series Captains and the Kings (1976)made based on this book.
The tumult and the shouting dies,
The Captains and the Kings depart.
Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice -
An humble and a contrite heart.
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget, lets we forget!
Rudyard Kipling
This is the story of Joseph Armagh, an Irish immigrant, and his family.
He struggled in order to survive as soon as his mother and two little brothers arrived in America but his perseverance made him a rich and powerful man, which only dream is to make his son the first catholic president of the United States of America.
This is Caldwell's Kennedy's novel, an allusion of this tragic American family.
There is a TV series Captains and the Kings (1976)made based on this book.
September 1, 2009
این کتاب نه تنها یک رمان، که نمایه ای از ساختار سیاسی اکثر کشورهاست. ساختاری که شکل دهنده قدرت است.
این کتاب زندگی یک مهاجر ایرلندی به امریکا در سنین پایین تا دوران پیری اش را به تصویر کشیده است که از فقر و نداری به جاه و قدرت می رسد تا جایی که می خواهد پسرش را به نامزدی ریاست جمهوری برساند.
داستانی مملو از زندگی و مبین ناپاکی قدرت که با معادلات انسانی همخوانی ندارد. در کل می توانم بگویم که رمانی است برپایه عرض فلسفه ای که مد نظر نویسنده اش بوده است و به شدت به دوستان توصیه می کنم که آن را مطالعه نمایند
این کتاب زندگی یک مهاجر ایرلندی به امریکا در سنین پایین تا دوران پیری اش را به تصویر کشیده است که از فقر و نداری به جاه و قدرت می رسد تا جایی که می خواهد پسرش را به نامزدی ریاست جمهوری برساند.
داستانی مملو از زندگی و مبین ناپاکی قدرت که با معادلات انسانی همخوانی ندارد. در کل می توانم بگویم که رمانی است برپایه عرض فلسفه ای که مد نظر نویسنده اش بوده است و به شدت به دوستان توصیه می کنم که آن را مطالعه نمایند
June 8, 2017
One of my favorite books. The characters are strong and the story line is compelling. When you are finished reading it, you are left with a disturbing thought . . . who are the people in charge . . . calling all of the shots?
March 6, 2014
TV miniseriesGreat watching but glad I didn't read - know what I mean?
September 5, 2020
An epic novel that will no doubt charm conspiracy theorists who read it. For me, a timely read in light of US politics today. Well written, if a little repetitive on some of its key themes but made powerful through the author’s steadfast stance on the universality of corruption in industry, politics and the lives of society’s powerful elite. Quite a large meal, this book.
December 22, 2019
DO NOT BUY THE KINDLE VERSION OF THIS BOOK!!!! I read and enjoyed Taylor Caldwell when I was in high school, so when I found Captains and the Kings for a Kindle $1.99 special, I thought this was a sure hit. I could not have been more wrong. The first third of the book was gripping, despite me gritting my teeth over the complete lack of punctuation or random punctuation in spots where no comma or quotation mark ever should have been. Then it began to seem like chunks of the book were missing. And perhaps these chunks really were! I think whoever formatted this book for Kindle was on drugs. For example, in one chapter Katherine is dying and asking Joseph to marry Bernadette, and in the next screen they refer to Rory as if I am supposed to know who Rory is. Given Taylor Caldwell's detailed descriptions that go on for pages, I found it very puzzling that the wedding and subsequent birth of Rory would be completely omitted. I suspect it wasn't Caldwell, but the fault of whoever was turning the book into Kindle. And from there it just went downhill. I found myself bewildered as to who people were, what had happened during time gaps, and finding more and more excuses not to continue reading. And finally I just gave up at about 52% or so. If I can find a paper copy someday at a used book fair, I will start it over and probably really enjoy the book. But the Kindle version is appalling. I'm glad I paid only $1.99.
June 24, 2012
This is a pretty powerful HF from the early 70s. Caldwell was quite a prolific writer. This is one of her later books which was made into a popular mini-series in the 70s. On the surface it is a book of a young Irish immigrant who with hard work and a willingness to do whatever was needed for success was able to build a multi-million dollar business empire and to consort with the world's most powerful people. Joseph Armagh closely resembles Joe Kennedy in his Irish heritage, his interest in politics, his determination to see his son elected to the American presidency, and his ruthlessness. Yet he was also a loving and caring brother, father and business partner and lover, but those feelings never came first. First and foremost he had a vision of how to succeed, how to get even and how to advance his own personal agenda.
So on one level this is the personal story of Joseph Armagh and how he overcomes so many obstacles in his fight to provide for his "family". But on another level it is written with a flagrant political agenda - to expose the presence of "an invisible government", a world-wide gathering of bankers, businessmen, etc. who collectively decide " the destinies of nations, their survival or their obliteration", who is elected, who is assassinated, what their political agenda will be, etc. Both sides of the story help to make this one a most intriguing read.
So on one level this is the personal story of Joseph Armagh and how he overcomes so many obstacles in his fight to provide for his "family". But on another level it is written with a flagrant political agenda - to expose the presence of "an invisible government", a world-wide gathering of bankers, businessmen, etc. who collectively decide " the destinies of nations, their survival or their obliteration", who is elected, who is assassinated, what their political agenda will be, etc. Both sides of the story help to make this one a most intriguing read.
August 26, 2009
This is a fascinating read. You feel totally involved in this world while you are reading. I read it as a teenager and as an adult and it's loosely based on the story of the Kennedys more particularly their father Joseph with a lot of intrigue and nasty back-stabbing thrown in. Creepy doesn't even begin to describe the kind of people that are in this book...and anyone who comes in contact with them is fighting a losing battle.
April 22, 2018
Way too long, way too everything. Almost went the way of atlas shrugged when the message was becoming more important than the storytelling. Great character development, it’s one shining point; admittedly, didn’t much like the characters though. Been awhile since I stuck with a book that really wasn’t working for me.
June 2, 2018
A pretty depressing story, nobody has a happy ending.
Apart from the conspiracy theories, which bored me to death, I quite liked the book, especially the first part, until Joe marries Bernadette, from there on the plot is entangled and entangled without much sense and it made the task of finishing reading it quite hard.
Apart from the conspiracy theories, which bored me to death, I quite liked the book, especially the first part, until Joe marries Bernadette, from there on the plot is entangled and entangled without much sense and it made the task of finishing reading it quite hard.
September 30, 2018
This sweeping saga of a powerful family dynasty, loosely based on the Kennedys, was written in the 70's, but it could be a cautionary tale published yesterday about political corruption and the dangers of socialism. It was actually quite depressing, in the context of what is going on in our country today, so it took me awhile to get through.
February 7, 2020
2,5
Εξαιρετικά κακή μετάφραση. Τόσο κακή που δεν μπορώ να το βάλω σ’αυτή βαθμολογία
Εξαιρετικά κακή μετάφραση. Τόσο κακή που δεν μπορώ να το βάλω σ’αυτή βαθμολογία
February 19, 2019
I read this book a long, long time ago and just loved it. The story of Joseph Francis Xavier Armagh and his family is inspirational and heartbreaking. Some consider it a retelling of the story of the Kennedy family, and you can see the similarities.
July 16, 2021
My new favourite author Taylor Caldwell. The Captain and the Kings….. I will reflect and may update this review, one thing I know for sure, “Money does not conquer all, but love sure can.” Joseph learned that the hard way.
September 6, 2024
I remember watching the mini-series in 1976 that was made from this novel! The story is of a poor Irish immigrant boy and his younger brother and sister, orphaned as they arrive in America. The oldest Joseph dedicates his life to providing for his family, rising from poverty to fortune, but he is cursed by a dying man who gets in his way. And his family pays the price for his sin.
May 31, 2012
Captains and the Kings is the sweeping 1972 novel of the family of Joseph Francis Xavier Armagh, who departs Ireland as a 13-year-old with his mother and younger brother Sean to join his father in America. His mother dies upon arrival in New York harbor giving birth to his baby sister Regina. He promises her to take care of the family. They are penniless and find out they will not be allowed to debark in New York at the same time that he is informed that his father has recently died. They debark in Philadelphia. Joseph uses most of the little money he has been left by his father to place Sean and Regina with the nuns in an orphanage. Joseph begins working at anything and sends money to the orphanage so they won’t put Sean and Regina up for adoption. He frequently goes hungry because he won’t spend money to himself when it is needed to keep his family together.
Joseph happens on a newspaper article about an oil strike in Titusville, PA and “borrows” money from his employer (which he later repays with interest) as he leaves without notice for Titusville. During a train accident he saves the life of an injured fellow traveler Harry Zeff, following which he is befriended by a rich and powerful fellow Irishman Ed Healey. Joseph soon becomes indispensable to the wide variety of business interests in which Mr. Healey is involved. This evolves into an almost father-and-son relationship and at Mr. Healey’s death, Joseph becomes the principal heir to the majority of the vast business interests. Now, after fifteen years, Joseph is able to provide a beautiful home for Sean and Regina and takes them from the orphanage.
The inheritance Joseph received from Mr. Healey was VERY large. Joseph is so driven that he has increased the value many times in the years following. He is a very ruthless businessman and will take all necessary steps to reach his goals. This included threats against the family of a congressman which drove him to commit suicide rather than face the consequences of what Joseph threatened to do. However, the congressman writes Joseph a letter prior to his death in which he places a curse on Joseph’s family. Joseph is not superstitious and does not initially believe in the curse, but as the novel progresses, so many deaths occur to members of his family and others for whom he cares, that the curse begins to haunt him. This becomes especially true when he is financing the effort to get his last living child elected as the American President.
I well remember the 1976 TV miniseries that was made of this novel and have intended to read it many times. I’m very glad to have gotten the push to do so from the Aussie Readers’ Group, i.e., Book Reading Challenges -> May Challenge - Reduce your TBR list! I barely finished it during the month of May, but do intend to continue the “Reduce my TBR list” effort.
Captains and the Kings is a well written very enjoyable family saga. It has many parallels to the Kennedy Clan and their alleged curse. I enjoyed it a lot and recommend it to others who might be interested.
[Book 45 of revised 2012 target 70 (Jan-10; Feb-11; Mar-9; Apr-8; May-7)]
Joseph happens on a newspaper article about an oil strike in Titusville, PA and “borrows” money from his employer (which he later repays with interest) as he leaves without notice for Titusville. During a train accident he saves the life of an injured fellow traveler Harry Zeff, following which he is befriended by a rich and powerful fellow Irishman Ed Healey. Joseph soon becomes indispensable to the wide variety of business interests in which Mr. Healey is involved. This evolves into an almost father-and-son relationship and at Mr. Healey’s death, Joseph becomes the principal heir to the majority of the vast business interests. Now, after fifteen years, Joseph is able to provide a beautiful home for Sean and Regina and takes them from the orphanage.
The inheritance Joseph received from Mr. Healey was VERY large. Joseph is so driven that he has increased the value many times in the years following. He is a very ruthless businessman and will take all necessary steps to reach his goals. This included threats against the family of a congressman which drove him to commit suicide rather than face the consequences of what Joseph threatened to do. However, the congressman writes Joseph a letter prior to his death in which he places a curse on Joseph’s family. Joseph is not superstitious and does not initially believe in the curse, but as the novel progresses, so many deaths occur to members of his family and others for whom he cares, that the curse begins to haunt him. This becomes especially true when he is financing the effort to get his last living child elected as the American President.
I well remember the 1976 TV miniseries that was made of this novel and have intended to read it many times. I’m very glad to have gotten the push to do so from the Aussie Readers’ Group, i.e., Book Reading Challenges -> May Challenge - Reduce your TBR list! I barely finished it during the month of May, but do intend to continue the “Reduce my TBR list” effort.
Captains and the Kings is a well written very enjoyable family saga. It has many parallels to the Kennedy Clan and their alleged curse. I enjoyed it a lot and recommend it to others who might be interested.[Book 45 of revised 2012 target 70 (Jan-10; Feb-11; Mar-9; Apr-8; May-7)]
May 19, 2014
19th Century America was an exciting time of economic growth, a time in which fortunes were made and lost, the time that Mark Twain called "The Guilded Age", when fortunes were made and lost and empires were built. It is in this context that Taylor Caldwell's novel "The Captains and the Kings" takes place.
This novel is a typical Caldwell novel. Despite her love of historical novels, Caldwell is not a historian and tends to get the basic facts wrong concerning the era about which she is writing. Another typical Caldwell trait is her love of the Kennedy clan, and of all of her novels, this one is the one that is most obviously inspired by the Kennedys. The main character is an Irish immigrant who comes over during the great potato famine of the 1840s, and immediately encounters the hostility of the pre-Civil War American society toward the new Irish Catholic immigrants. But his luck changes in an unlikely encounter on a train with a local political boss who ends up taking him under his wing. After this, the main character takes the fast track toward power and riches.
Despite the limitations of this novel, it does have a very positive trait of the Taylor Caldwell novel, which is that it has a strong story line, deep characters and a strong message. Caldwell traces the tendency of the 19th century "robber barron" to sell his soul in the blind pursuit of riches that characterizes novels about the post-civil war 19th Century United States. Like the Kennedys, the character in this book longs to place his son in the White House, but unlike the Kennedys he is unable to do so. Still, this is a novel worth reading, as long as you can deal with the historical inaccuracies.
This novel is a typical Caldwell novel. Despite her love of historical novels, Caldwell is not a historian and tends to get the basic facts wrong concerning the era about which she is writing. Another typical Caldwell trait is her love of the Kennedy clan, and of all of her novels, this one is the one that is most obviously inspired by the Kennedys. The main character is an Irish immigrant who comes over during the great potato famine of the 1840s, and immediately encounters the hostility of the pre-Civil War American society toward the new Irish Catholic immigrants. But his luck changes in an unlikely encounter on a train with a local political boss who ends up taking him under his wing. After this, the main character takes the fast track toward power and riches.
Despite the limitations of this novel, it does have a very positive trait of the Taylor Caldwell novel, which is that it has a strong story line, deep characters and a strong message. Caldwell traces the tendency of the 19th century "robber barron" to sell his soul in the blind pursuit of riches that characterizes novels about the post-civil war 19th Century United States. Like the Kennedys, the character in this book longs to place his son in the White House, but unlike the Kennedys he is unable to do so. Still, this is a novel worth reading, as long as you can deal with the historical inaccuracies.
October 2, 2011
Taylor Caldwell reveals the ruthless world of the era after the industrialization of America began and one could imagine the same world of today's corporate climate in the digital era. The common thread of course is mankind with the good and the bad traits shining through! Captains and the Kings was made into a mini-series and CD set is available even now on Amazon. I am going to order the set. After reading the book in the 70's, I gained a great insight not only into the history of the era but also a pretty good portrait of old Joe Kennedy Sr. who was strikingly similar as the chief character of this book. In any event, it was a good read and I would read it again if it were available on Kindle. However, new copies are still available for those who want to settle down with a great book.
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