The Floor of Heaven

A True Tale of the Last Frontier and the Yukon Gold Rush

De: Howard Blum

Narrado por: John H. Mayer

New York Times bestselling author Howard Blum expertly weaves together three narratives to tell the true story of the 1897 Klondike Gold Rush.

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. 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 forests, and towering mountains capped by glistening layers of snow and ice.

In a true-life tale that rivets from the first page, we meet Charlie Siringo, a top-hand sharp-shooting cowboy who becomes one of the Pinkerton Detective Agency’s shrewdest; George Carmack, a California-born American Marine who’s adopted by an Indian tribe, raises a family with a Taglish squaw, and makes the discovery that starts off the Yukon Gold Rush; and Jefferson "Soapy" Smith, a sly and inventive conman who rules a vast criminal empire.

As we follow this trio’s lives, we’re led inexorably into a perplexing mystery: a fortune in gold bars has somehow been stolen from the fortress-like Treadwell Mine in Juneau, Alaska. Charlie Siringo discovers that to run the thieves to ground, he must embark on a rugged cross-territory odyssey that will lead him across frigid waters and through a frozen wilderness to face down "Soapy" Smith and his gang of 300 cutthroats. Hanging in the balance: George Carmack’s fortune in gold.

At once a compelling true-life mystery and an unforgettable portrait of a time in America’s history, The Floor of Heaven is also an exhilarating tribute to the courage and undaunted spirit of the men and women who helped shape America.

Better Than Fiction

What made the experience of listening to The Floor of Heaven the most enjoyable?

All three main characters were fully developed. I felt like I knew them, good and bad, and found myself wishing all three could get what they wanted (even the "bad" guy).

What did you like best about this story?

Very detailed and descriptive. I felt like I was there.
Also, the way the three different stories were weaved together. Nicely done.

Which scene was your favorite?

If I told you, it would spoil the whole book. Let's just say that the climactic scene is all the more enjoyable because...it really happened!!!

If you could rename The Floor of Heaven, what would you call it?

Three Men and a Pot of Gold

Any additional comments?

Great read/listen for summer vacations.

A Masterpiece

A truly enjoyable blood-boiling saga of an era that forged the last of the West.
You will love it.

Could have been better…

This would have been a better story if the 3 men who’s story the book follows all met up at the end in the big shootout of Soapy Smith. Instead, the stories barely intertwined! And there were so many crazier than fiction stories that happened in the Klondike, I don’t know why making up a fake Treadwell theft and vaguely connecting it to Carmack was necessary.
I only kept listening because I’m familiar with the places so it was entertaining, but if I didn’t know the area well, I would not have kept listening.

Skip to Part 2

Part 1 got dull as a litany of personal histories you couldn't figure out how would connect. If you start with Part 2, it holds attention more and you won't have missed much.

great read, didn't want it to end.

if you are intrigued by gold rush and detective stories this book is for you