Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Fawcett Crest Books (1983), 816 pages
Description
Fictio Literatur Romanc Historical Fictio HTML:New York Times Bestseller: Sweeping from the 1850s through the early 1920s, this towering family saga examines the price of ambition and power. Joseph Francis Xavier Armagh is twelve years old when he gets his first glimpse of the promised land of America through a dirty porthole in steerage on an Irish immigrant ship. His long voyage, dogged by tragedy, ends not in the great city of New York but in the bigoted, small town of Winfield, Pennsylvania, where his younger brother, Sean, and his infant sister, Regina, are sent to an orphanage. Joseph toils at whatever work will pay a living wage and plans for the day he can take his siblings away from St. Agnes's Orphanage and make a home for them all. Joseph's journey will catapult him to the highest echelons of power and grant him entry into the most elite political circles. Even as misfortune continues to follow the Armagh family like an ancient curse, Joseph takes his revenge against the uncaring world that once took everything from him. He orchestrates his eldest son Rory's political ascent from the offspring of an Irish immigrant to US senator. And Joseph will settle for nothing less than the pinnacle of glory: seeing his boy crowned the first Catholic president of the United States. Spanning seventy years, Captains and the Kings, which was adapted into an eight-part television miniseries, is Taylor Caldwell's masterpiece about nineteenth- and early twentieth-century America, and the grit, ambition, fortitude, and sheer hubris it takes for an immigrant to survive and thrive in a dynamic new land.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member lydiasbooks
I picked this up when I ran out of reading material over Passover, and it was a great surprise! I adored it. I got thoroughly engrossed, and loved every moment of reading it. I could feel all the emotions in the book deeply, and I love the wonderfully fascinating historical background of it. I'd
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recommend Taylor Caldwell, and will be reading more of her books. Show Less
LibraryThing member jusaport
This is an epic story about greed, power, and the price that comes with it. Joseph Armagh, an Irish immigrant caring for his two younger siblings arrives in America with no money and a bleak future. Over the years he schemes, bribes, betrays, and disgraces others to his climb to the top. He marries
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a Senator's daughter to obtain more power and dismisses her for another woman, her stepmother. He controls his younger siblings then becomes furious when they begin lives of their own and fatally he joins a secret cabal of powerful men becoming their enemy when he schemes to make his son the first Irish-Catholic President of the United States. This book covers this period of American history through events and memorable characters, particularly Joseph. He is equally sinister and charming. He could plot an enemy's murder then protect a woman with all of the chivalry of a knight. He succeeds at being both detestable and fascinating. Show Less
LibraryThing member jwhenderson
After more than three decades of writing novels Taylor Caldwell demonstrated with Captains and the Kings that she could still tell a great story. In it young Joseph Armagh arrives in America in 1854, an impoverished orphan with a younger brother and sister to provide for. The narrative highlights
Like many of her earlier novels, at least those that I have read, she tells a memorable sprawling story with fascinating characters. Standing at the center of this large cast is Armagh himself. Joseph has an aura or perhaps charisma that he uses to make himself fascinating to others, but he is not an easy person to like. His character is filled with contradictions. As he engages in dangerous activities like slave trading, bootlegging, and shady business deals, he wants more of what the people engaged in these enterprises have to offer. His character is dark and he disdains the notion of any hope or optimism. Joseph orders the death or disgrace of most enemies with very little conscience. He marries for position rather than love, while turning to another woman for the sustenance his marriage lacks. He dominates his brother and sister and becomes furious when they begin lives of their own. But Joseph is not a one-dimensional character. He is a very multi-faceted man with a bit of humanity that shows every once in awhile. He has a very romantic and chivalrous side. At first dismissive of his children, he slowly begins to accept them and take pride in them up to the point where he has ambitions that include the presidency for his eldest son (which would make him the first Catholic President of the United States about 50 years before John F. Kennedy). One of the most touching scenes that shows Joseph’s better character is where he shows real regret in disgracing a senator, whom he realizes is a truly good man.
Another theme is the idea that there is a secret group controlling the real power behind the government. Joseph comes into a world of The Committee of Foreign Relations; shadowy men who make decision that affect the world around them. Joseph and later his son, Rory, become involved in some chilling meetings where these men discuss upcoming world wars, stock market panics and crashes, and Communist uprisings in a nonchalant matter as though they were items on a shopping list. This sort of conspiracy theory motif does make for fascinating reading and makes one wonder. Joseph despite all of his money, and cynicism is at heart a naive character and doesn't truly realize how dangerous they can be until they turn on him and his son. The story is well told and the family with all of its warts and issues is interesting to the end.
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his drive to pursue success and money, and with it the powerful allies and enemies he makes while practically alienating his family. He even gets involved with conspiracies in his drive for success.Like many of her earlier novels, at least those that I have read, she tells a memorable sprawling story with fascinating characters. Standing at the center of this large cast is Armagh himself. Joseph has an aura or perhaps charisma that he uses to make himself fascinating to others, but he is not an easy person to like. His character is filled with contradictions. As he engages in dangerous activities like slave trading, bootlegging, and shady business deals, he wants more of what the people engaged in these enterprises have to offer. His character is dark and he disdains the notion of any hope or optimism. Joseph orders the death or disgrace of most enemies with very little conscience. He marries for position rather than love, while turning to another woman for the sustenance his marriage lacks. He dominates his brother and sister and becomes furious when they begin lives of their own. But Joseph is not a one-dimensional character. He is a very multi-faceted man with a bit of humanity that shows every once in awhile. He has a very romantic and chivalrous side. At first dismissive of his children, he slowly begins to accept them and take pride in them up to the point where he has ambitions that include the presidency for his eldest son (which would make him the first Catholic President of the United States about 50 years before John F. Kennedy). One of the most touching scenes that shows Joseph’s better character is where he shows real regret in disgracing a senator, whom he realizes is a truly good man.
Another theme is the idea that there is a secret group controlling the real power behind the government. Joseph comes into a world of The Committee of Foreign Relations; shadowy men who make decision that affect the world around them. Joseph and later his son, Rory, become involved in some chilling meetings where these men discuss upcoming world wars, stock market panics and crashes, and Communist uprisings in a nonchalant matter as though they were items on a shopping list. This sort of conspiracy theory motif does make for fascinating reading and makes one wonder. Joseph despite all of his money, and cynicism is at heart a naive character and doesn't truly realize how dangerous they can be until they turn on him and his son. The story is well told and the family with all of its warts and issues is interesting to the end.
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LibraryThing member Glorybe1
I am not sure how I feel about this book to be honest! I found the main character Joseph Armagh an extremely hard character to like. He had a hard start in life to be fair but it left him with a broken personality and an overwhelming desire to have money, but he wanted to have to control everyone's
Money was his god closely followed by power, which as the saying goes corrupts.
There were some very scary concepts within the story, which if, are true, is more terrifying than anything else you could possibly think of.
Joseph was a very unhappy, lonely man, cursed in more ways than one, to live a sad and futile existence, in the end totally alone.
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life as well, he schemed, bribed and betrayed everyone, to get what he wantedMoney was his god closely followed by power, which as the saying goes corrupts.
There were some very scary concepts within the story, which if, are true, is more terrifying than anything else you could possibly think of.
Joseph was a very unhappy, lonely man, cursed in more ways than one, to live a sad and futile existence, in the end totally alone.
Show Less
LibraryThing member bookworm2bookworm
Believe it or not, I read this book twice. The first time I read it was in the late seventies and now. The reason for me reading it the first time was because I watched and loved the mini series of this novel.
You know how they say "the book is better than the movie"? Well, not in this case. After
I'm afraid my observations stayed the same. If you really want to find out more of what this story is all about, get the mini series.
Melanie for b2
You know how they say "the book is better than the movie"? Well, not in this case. After
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I read the novel the first time, after I saw the series, I felt that the characters were much better flashed out in the series than in the book.I'm afraid my observations stayed the same. If you really want to find out more of what this story is all about, get the mini series.
Melanie for b2
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LibraryThing member bookworm2bookworm
Believe it or not, I read this book twice. The first time I read it was in the late seventies and now. The reason for me reading it the first time was because I watched and loved the mini series of this novel.
You know how they say "the book is better than the movie"? Well, not in this case. After
I'm afraid my observations stayed the same. If you really want to find out more of what this story is all about, get the mini series.
Melanie for b2b
Complimentary copy provided by the publishe
You know how they say "the book is better than the movie"? Well, not in this case. After
Show More
I read the novel the first time, after I saw the series, I felt that the characters were much better flashed out in the series than in the book.I'm afraid my observations stayed the same. If you really want to find out more of what this story is all about, get the mini series.
Melanie for b2b
Complimentary copy provided by the publishe
Show Less
LibraryThing member Auntie-Nanuuq
This is a family saga reminiscent of the Kennedys. It is well written, lush of detail and story.
Original language
English
Original publication date
1972
Physical description
816 p.; 4.15 inches
ISBN
0449205622 / 9780449205624