The Age of Daredevils

De: Michael Clarkson

Narrado por: Malcolm Hillgartner

At the dawn of the twentieth century, a small but determined band of barrel jumpers risked their lives in one of the world's most wondrous waterfalls. Only a few survived.

By turns a family drama and an action-adventure story, The Age of Daredevils chronicles the lives of the men and women who devoted themselves to the extraordinary sport of jumping over Niagara Falls in a barrel - a death-defying gamble that proved a powerful temptation to a hardy few.

Internationally known in the 1920s and '30s for their barrel-jumping exploits, the Hills were a father-son team of daredevils who also rescued dozens of misguided thrill seekers and accident victims who followed them into the river. The publicity surrounding the Hills' spectacular feats ushered in tourism, making Niagara Falls the nation's foremost honeymoon destination, but ultimately set Red Hill Jr. on a perilous path to surpass his father's extraordinary leaps into the void.

Like the works of Jon Krakauer and David McCullough, The Age of Daredevils explores the primal force of fear and the thirst for adventure that drive humans to the brink of death to see if they can somehow escape.

©2016 Michael Clarkson. (P)2016 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

interesting

loved the the history of the falls and what. conveyance that people used in their attempts to go over the falls in one piece and alive.

great info

really good book for some history about the falls and the river men who lived off of the devastation.

Does it matter?

Mildly interesting at first but it dragged slowly to a non-ending. The stories of a bunch of dumb people risking their lives to go over the falls just doesn’t have any redeeming value.

Very interesting

Many years ago my family visited Niagara Falls and while there we visited a museum that had some of the barrels that had been used for the various stunts. I found it very interesting to hear the story about the people associated with those exploits.

A by gone era

You feel as if you know the River Boys who risk their lives and the consequences that play on their families lives saving people who come into contact with Niagara Falls. William Red Hill will always be remembered as a great Man and the patriarch of the Daredevil's.

Fascinating

Who knew. Well I guess the people living near the falls knew. Met some really fascinating characters who were clearly born too soon. Could only wonder what their lives would be like today with cable and social media

Interesting

The facts given within are interesting...but this is not a spellbinding book. I could take it or leave it. It is a good choice if you have work to do that would get ignored if you were stuck in a book!

More than awesome, and captivating!!

This is my first book review, but I have to let others know how fabulous this audio book was. I bought the book not realizing that this was about a real family of daredevils. The way their lives unwound, yet came together. Much more than just reading about the stunts. Narration was spot on, and the narrator was able to show the personalities with subtle nuances. Afterwards, I went on YouTube and researched more of the William "Red" Hill family. So interesting. I have been to Niagra Falls in Canada, years ago, and now learned I've actually touched some of the barrels the family used. Gave me goosebumps!! Read it, research it, love it.

What people will do for kicks

Interesting true stories of people who were risk takers by going over Niagra Falls. It was quite a cult and some made a living out of this kind of risky behavior. Having been to Niagra Falls, I was stunned that anyone would even think about trying this.

A Story seldom heard

I love little bits of history that rarely make the history books. Everyone knows the people went over the falls in a barrel but to know these people makes history come alive. The Hill family story needs to be told. It kept me involved & sometimes at the edge of my seat. I felt the heart sickness of the wives who were helpless to convince their husbands & father to their children to choose them over the falls. But there was a call, an obsession, or even a vision of fame & money that had to be fulfilled regardless of the insurmountable odds against success.