A novel hardcover bargain price, september 30, 2002 by kevin baker author. But in the terrible july of 1863, the poor and desperate of paradise alley would face a new catastropheas flames from the war that was tearing america in two reached out to set their city on fire. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read paradise alley. Paradise alley is a fascinating glimpse into american history and the evolution of new york city. Paradise alley is a scathing tale of humanity at its worst in startling and painful. Editions of paradise alley by kevin baker goodreads. Kevin baker born 1958 is an american novelist, historian, and journalist. Kevin baker down in the waterfront slum of paradise alley, three women deirdre dolan okane, ruth dove, and maddy boyle struggle with their private fears as they wait for the storm to descend on them.
Buy a cheap copy of paradise alley book by kevin baker. Hundreds of thousands of poor irish immigrants smolder with resentment against a war and a president which have cost them many of their young men. But in the terrible july of 1863, the poor and desperate of paradise alley would face a new catastropheas flames from the war that was tearing america in two reached out to. Paradise alley by kevin baker harpercollins australia. Open library is an initiative of the internet archive, a 501c3 nonprofit, building a digital library of internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form.
Review paradise alley by kevin baker january magazine. It about the american civil war during the reign of abraham lincoln. Paradise alley by kevin baker at the height of the civil war, what begins with strong words and a few broken bottles will, over the course of five days, escalate into the worst urban conflagration in american history. Kevin baker books, ebooks, audiobooks, biography barnes. They came by boat from a starving landand by the underground railroad from southern chainsseeking refuge in a crowded, filthy corner of hell at the bot. Until september 2001, three summer days in 1863 were. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The third in kevin baker s cinematic trilogy spotlighting momentous episodes in the history of new york city, strivers row brings to vivid life all that was harlem in 1943 the country in the midst of war overseas, the city seething with crime, poverty and politics fueled by racism. Paradise alley chronicles the draft riots that shook new york city during the summer of 1863. Paradise alley by kevin baker 2002, hardcover for sale. Stream and download audiobooks to your computer, tablet or mobile phone. The middle volume of the trilogy won the 2003 james fenimore cooper prize for best historical fiction and the 2003 american book award. He has been a professional writer since the age of, working originally for the gloucester daily times, gloucester, mass.
See all books authored by kevin baker, including dreamland, and paradise alley, and more on. Sometimes you see it coming by baker, kevin and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. They came by boat from a starving landand by the underground railroad from southern chainsseeking refuge in a crowded, filthy corner of hell at the bottom of a great metropolis. Paradise alley was published by harpercollins in 2002, and the third and final volume of the trilogy, strivers row, which was published in february, 2006. Hundreds of thousands of poor irish immigrants smolder. Welcome to the web site of best selling author kevin baker. I wasnt sure when i joined audible that id be able to listen to a book, but paradise alley is the perfect book for this, the story pulls you in and you wont want to stop listening.
Paradise alley they came by boat from a starving landand by the underground railroad from southern chainsseeking refuge in a crowded, filthy corner of hell at the bottom of a great metropolis. Paradise alley by kevin baker pdf free download ebook. He graduated from columbia university in new york city in 1980, and since then has earned his living as a write. Baker is a skilled ringmastera simultaneously a richly imaginative fiction writer. He is a columnist for american heritage magazine and a regular contributor to the new york times, harpers, and other periodicals. The title of each chapter was a characters name and it was difficult to follow. Paradise alley is probably too long, and the grisly, frequently nauseating naturalistic detail is laid on with a trowel. Now in paperback comes the story of the intersection of. Kevin baker is the bestselling author of the novels dreamland, paradise alley, and sometimes you see it coming. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading paradise alley. The new york city draft riots of 1863 provide an appropriately violent subject for this period melodrama from the historical researcher for harry evanss the american century and novelist dreamland, 1999, etc. They came by boat from a starving landand by the underground railr.
Nor does the reader need any, because this book is one of the most experiential ones i have ever read. Many times the text was written in first person and it was hard to remember who the book was talking about. They came by boat from a starving landand by the underground railroad from southern chainsseeking refuge in a crowded. The effects it had on both races, that is, blacks and whites. Until september 2001, three summer days in 1863 were the most frightening in the history of new york city. Kevin baker is perhaps the most ambitious american novelist working today.
Kevin baker is the author of the bestselling novel dreamland, picked by the christian science monitor as one of the 10 best books of 1999 and paradise alley, an extended nyt bestseller which was selected for the today show book club by frank mccourt. Looking at the characters in paradise alley, what are some of the key problems they encounter and how does the assimilation process manifest itself in their daily. Paradise alley is a story of the intersection of the irish and africanamerican experiences in the crucible of. Kevin baker books list of books by author kevin baker. Kevin was the chief historical researcher on harold evans bestselling history, the american century, published by knopf in 1999. Baker refers to the street violence as one of the worst instances of. Other works include a contemporary baseball novel called sometimes you see it coming 1993, crown, and the graphic novel, luna park, illustrated by danijel zezelj dc comics, 2009.
Paradise alley by kevin baker overdrive rakuten overdrive. Paradise alley was also chosen by bestselling angelas ashes author, frank mccourt, as a today show book club selection. Share paradise alley by kevin baker 2003, paperback paradise alley by kevin baker 2003, paperback 1 product rating. At the height of the civil war, what begins with strong words and a few broken bottles will, over the course of five days, escalate into the worst urban conflagration in american history. Kevin baker was born in august 1958, in englewood, new jersey and grew up in rockport, massachusetts, a small town on the north shore. Read paradise alley by kevin baker available from rakuten kobo. Paradise alley, kevin baker s followup to dreamland, makes full use of his skills as a top historical researcher. Ive purchased three copies of it to give away, and have since downloaded the authors other books, ive just finished dreamland and it was as good as this one.
He was born in englewood, new jersey, and grew up in new jersey and rockport, massachusetts. Nov 18, 2015 kevin baker is the bestselling author of the novels dreamland, paradise alley, and sometimes you see it coming. A novel paperback september 30, 2003 by kevin baker author. Paradise alley by kevin baker about the book at the height of the civil war, what begins with strong words and a few broken bottles will, over the course of five days, escalate into the worst urban conflagration in american history. The book follows the difficult lives of ruth, deirdre and maddy. Looking at the characters in paradise alley, what are some of the key problems they encounter and how does the assimilation process manifest itself in their daily lives. Paradise alley by kevin baker 2003, paperback ebay. Paradise alley by kevin baker book club discussion. Baker paints on a large canvas, but when it comes down to it, this book is really about family and the dogged determination of its several members to reunite against all odds and for various reasons. Paradise alley was the winner of the 2003 james fenimore cooper prize for best historical fiction, and the american book award. Paradise alley city of fire trilogy, book 1 by kevin baker book cover, description, publication history. Maybe he had hit it right off, had found, in the first public house he tried, a garrulous drunk who would tell him for the price of a camphorsoaked whiskey where he might find a certain mixedrace couple, living down in one of the nigger nests along paradise alley no.
Kevin baker authored the big crowd, strivers row, paradise alley, dreamland, and sometimes you see it coming. The characters include ruth, johnny dolan, billy dove, deirdre, maddy and robinson. A novel, kevin baker,0060195827, book, very good paradise alley. Kevin baker was born in august 1958, in englewood, new jersey, and grew up in rockport, massachusetts, a small town on the north shore. Paradise alley by kevin baker reading guidebook club. See the newest novels, discuss with other book lovers, buy romance books online. This story follows three irish women living on a small new york city street, each. Baker refers to the street violence as one of the worst instances of civic unrest in american history. Ive read many good books where the writer clearly knew the importance of a sense of place, but as far as atmosphere goes, aside from using a time machine, i have never seen atmosphere better done than it is in paradise alley. Strivers row chronicles similar riots during world war ii. The outrage this inspires escalates into the worst urban conflagration in american history. Paradise alley is a scathing tale of humanity at its worst in startling and. Paradise alley kevin baker perennial paperback 688 pages. This followup to dreamland, bakers 1999 novel about coney island, is both an example of his talents as a historian and, occasionally.
Read your book anywhere, on any device, through redshelfs cloud based ereader. At the height of the civil war, word spreads through the poorest quarters of new york city that a military draft is about to be implemented a draft from which any rich mans son can buy an exemption. But its deftly plotted, fabulously detailed, and never less than absorbing. At the height of the civil war, word spreads through the. Paradise alley kevin baker ebook harpercollins publishers. Paradise alley, kevin bakers followup to dreamland, makes full use of his skills as a top historical researcher. He lives in new york city with his wife, the writer ellen abrams, and their cat, stella. Kevin baker for five terrifying days during the civil war, the streets of manhattan were taken over ty the draft riots. One of paradise alley s central themes is the irish immigrants struggle to adapt to a new and foreign environment while trying to preserve their cultural heritage in the process. Baker has a way with description that goes above and beyond most writers of historical novels. He graduated from columbia university in new york city in 1980, and since then has earned his living as a writer and editor. Paradise alley city of fire trilogy, book 1 by kevin baker.
The eponymous setting is a dantesque slum where the only sound heard in the street is the buzzing of flies, hovering over the heaps of garbage and the horse carcasses. Paradise alley paints a picture of american life in new york city and the politics therein, the trenches of the battlefields of the civil war. Paradise alley by kevin baker, first edition abebooks. A novel by kevin baker and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Paradise alley concerns a tumultuous moment in the record of the civil war. This book was difficult to follow, and the story was uninteresting. His new book paradise alley takes place in new york city during the draft riots of 1863 when irish mobs terrorized manhattan.
1225 1209 294 139 618 376 69 324 1551 1260 529 1104 919 1028 1025 639 819 1210 1027 931 586 495 940 233 1154 758 1151 614 1236 254 768 449