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Summary: MARIE JONES, ASSOCIATE REVIEWER - BOOKIDEAS.COM WRITES:
Review: Ever since reading "The DaVinci Code" by Dan Brown, I've been searching for another great novel that would keep me up until the wee hours of the morn, turning page after page after page, not wanting to stop. I found it in a powerful and epic novel about a historical event that changed the course of American history - the Great 1906 San Francisco earthquake and firestorms.
"1906" is awesome in its massive scope and amazing attention to historical detail, and presents a bold and moving vision of life in the early 1900's in one of America's most vibrant and richest cities. Author and screenwriter James Dalessandro grabs the reader by the throat from Page One and draws you in with his engrossing story (based on fact) about the forces of corruption that plagued San Francisco at the height of its glory, corruption that ran deep into all areas of civic, law enforcement and governmental levels. This corruption has remained quite a nicely covered up secret for many decades, but Dalessandro's highly detailed research sheds new light on just how severe the problems were that led up to the devestation of the city.
As the story progresses, we follow our heroine, Annalisa Passarelli, an opera and theatre critic who longs to report on harder news, as she becomes a key player in a massive operation to put an end to the corrupt forces that keep her city in the shackles of fear. Along with Annalisa, we meet the bad guys, the wicked Mayor and crime bosses that run the city behind the scenes, and the members of the police department who choose crime over crimefighting. There is the evil Shanghai Kelly, who is responsible for running an operation that kidnaps men and young boys for slave labor, and the cruel pimps and madames who traffick in young Chinese girls as sex slaves for depraved politicos.
We also meet a small group of police officers known as The Brotherhood, bound by blood and led by the heroic and charming Hu nter Fallon, whom becomes romantically involved with Annalisa. Hunter is not only trying to make the police force honest and corruption free, and take down every wicked politico he can as part of as part of President Roosevelt's war against graft, he is also desparately trying to warn an unconcerned Mayor about a report he has prepared for the city's fire chief that details di saster for the city should an earthquake occur, a disaster involving a total lack of water resources for fighting the fires that would surely follow.
Also peppered throughout the story are other wonderful and colorful characters, some honest and good, others dark and violent. We even meet the famed Enrico Coruso, whose presence in the city during the quake is documented fact and provides a nice thread of interest throughout the story. These interwoven stories add to the rich layered texture of the writing. Imagine "Gone With the Wind" set during the Big Quake and you get an idea of just how large the scope of this book is, yet the characters and their situations develop on an intimate level that is totally satisfying to the reader.
As we follow The Brotherhood and Annalisa in their quest to reveal the corruption that engulfs their beloved city, the author injects hints of the major disaster to come. We know the earthquake is coming, and Dalessandro teases us throughout, until the final moment when we feel like we'll just scream if the quake doesn't happen. When it does, the writing is brutal and descriptive as the quake does its damage to a golden city. But it's the fires that Dalessandro focuses on, and the sheer destructive power they emitted as the entire city went up in smoke.
This page-turner is filled with excitement, anticipation, heroes you can cheer for, descriptive scenes that will steal your breath away, and historical fact that will blow you away. I had no idea the level of corruption that San Franciscans in these years were dealing with, nor did I realize that much of the destruction caused by the fires could have been directly related to said same corruption.
"1906" has already been snatched up by a major motion picture studio and I will be one of the first in line to see this awe-inspiring novel hit the big screen. But don't be a fool and wait for the movie, read the book first. It is truly an experience I would hate for anyone to miss out on.
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Summary: A Blockbuster!
Review: A blockbuster! James Dalessandro, author of "Bohemian Heart" and "Citizen Jane," is at the top of his form, demonstrating once again that he is one of the best, smartest writers of our time. "1906" is destined to stand beside the other classics of the genre, like "Hiroshima" and "A Night To Remember." Can't wait for the movie!
-Anthony DeStefano, Author, A Travel Guide to Heaven
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Summary: COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN
Review: A friend gave me 1906 for a gift, and from page one I could not put it down, something that has not happened to me in awhile. I don't know what I loved more, the incredible portrait of old San Francisco, or the description of the earthquake as it rips through California, or the portrayal of Enrico Caruso, one of the funniest and most endearing characters I've ever read. I loved the action, the characters, but most of all the history and the descriptions. This book is a lot more than a disaster novel. After my husband reads it, I'm going to read it again.
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Summary: A fast, fun, fact-based roller coaster ride!
Review: As a 5th-generation San Franciscan, and an avid reader of any book dealing with the 1906 earthquake and fire, I found James Dallesandro's novel to be a wonderful re-creation of a turbulent time in The City by the Bay.
He did a fantastic job melding actual historical events and characters with an exciting, moving fictional storyline. As much as I enjoyed Caleb Carr's history/ fiction mix "The Alienist" (which dealt with a similar time period in New York City), I enjoyed "1906" even more.
Dallesandro writes in a very visual style and he brings to life the wild city in transition that was San Francisco at the turn-of-the-century. The book has lots of excellent period detail that only a true student of San Francisco history could include.
An extremely enjoyable read!
D. Cruz
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Summary: An exciting, page-turner
Review: As a bookseller, it is great to have a book you can handsell with conviction knowing that your customers will return and thank you for the recommendation. James Dalessandro has written a thrilling depiction of early 20th century San Francisco. The story includes memorable fictional characters along with true-life ones who come together at a pivotal point in history. The plot, based on the corruption during that era, is satisfying enough to keep the pages turning earthquake or not. I agree with all the positive reviews prior to this one - it is without a doubt one of the top novels of 2004 and deserves best-seller status. I loved it.
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Summary: A Must Read
Review: As a native San Franciscan, the cover sold me immediately.
I enjoyed reading every page. The book took me back to that time frame. The details and the imagery were there. What I enjoyed reading the most is how James Delassandro depicted the neigborhoods in such great detail. As I read through the book I could visualize the particular neighborhood he was writing about. It simply amazed me. The story is well written and easy to follow. I can't wait to see the movie! Finally a book about San Francisco's amazing earthquake disaster in America and the nasty city corruptions! Read on...
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Summary: Tea at the Palace
Review: Author James Dalessandro graciously met with my book club for tea at the Palace Hotel recently. He fascinated us with details of how he researched the details of the history of SF and the earthquake, created his fictional characters and shared info on the progress of the upcoming 1906 movie for which he wrote the screenplay. Most impressive was the quantity of research that he did over his six years of writing the book which included reading over 200 books as well as referencing SF newspapers from 1906. All detailed descriptions were greatly researched from the Waltham motorcycle, the Chinese "orphan" girls, to the clothing, furniture, buildings, etc. of the time. With the 100th anniversary of the '06 earthquake coming soon, it is a timely book to read.
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Summary: 1906 A Novel by James Dalessandro
Review: Dalessandro is a Master Storyteller who brings truth to the table. The novel 1906 is a journey about humanity and the lack of it that shaped the soul of San Francisco. Walking side by side with each of the characters you can almost hear them breathe, almost see them as you turn a corner. The year was 1906 when the greatest earthquake brought "The City" to her knees. Through the power of story, Dalessandro has given us a chance to walk in history and embrace the human spirit. If you are only going to read one book this year, make it 1906!
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Summary: 1906 - The year Hell was unleashed on Earth
Review: Dalessandro's '1906' does a superb job of weaving fiction with history. His high level of detail not only transports you back in time, but also reveals the true magnitude of this epic disaster and the unimaginable devastation it caused. I enjoyed reading '1906' immensely and was particularly impressed by his strong, intelligent female protagonist- Annalisa. Another strong point of the novel is the colorful and diverse palette of 'good guys' and 'bad guys' (two of which ultimately box it out in a ruggedly well-written fight scene at the Barbary Coast.) Dalessandro gradually builds the story to a thundering crescendo in the 3rd Act when the earthquake tears the city apart and literally unleashes Hell on Earth (the earthquake is just the beginning of the terrifying chaos that follows...) Most stories have fairly mediocre endings, but not here- Dalessandro ends with a strong finale and all of Part 3 kept me glued to the book. Highly recommended.
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Summary: The 1906 San Francisco earthquake finally laid bare
Review: Dallesandro's 1906 is an awesome book, as much for its epic sweep as for how tightly six years of solid research are integrated into a compelling story. It's not just about the earthquake. In the best tradition of fictionalized history, the interactions of a pastiche of real, combined, and invented characters tell us much we didn't know about the real events leading to the earthquake, as well as the botched attempts to save the City afterward. Without departing from the fiction and the drama, the author makes a compelling argument that for almost a century a coverup has grossly understated the death toll, hidden the corruption that anticipated the fires but gutted the preventive measures, and presented incompetents and villains as courageous heroes. It may make you wonder if current fire precautions will be sufficient the next time the San Andreas or Hayward fault lets go. The book is especially recommended to readers with a fondness for the uniqueness of San Francisco. You'll find yourself walking those streets, climbing those hills, envisioning extravagant Nob Hill hotels and mansions as well as long-gone (or at least long-replaced) SoMa tenements and Barbary Coast bawdyhouses. But it's the characters, presented in the full context of their cultural setting, that stay with you.
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