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And I'd Do It Again
2010 Reprint of 1936 First Edition. Aimee Crocker (1863-1941) was an heiress to gold and railroad fortunes and a daughter of Judge Edwin B. Crocker (1818-1875), legal counsel for the Central Pacific Railroad, Justice of the California Supreme Court in 1865 and founder of the Crocker Art Museum, the longest continuously operating art museum in the West. Her father was a brother of Charles Crocker, one of the "big four" California railroad barons. Ms. Crocker was an extremely wealthy railroad heiress who lived life her way, traveling the world, spending lavishly, marrying five times and conducting countless other affairs. She was not always a proper lady, but she could afford to be whomever she wished. Her book was published during the last hard times - 1936. And I'd Do It Again is here autobiography. An extremely hard book to find. First reprinted here.
315 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1936
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
April 21, 2024
Reading a Century Project. 1936
This is a hoot. Aimee Crocker’s family was Big in Sacramento, where I live. The Crocker name is on the city art museum. Its founding collection was a haul of drawings (mostly German) that Aimee’s parents collected on a European tour in the 1870s. After coming home they built the museum to house them. We all regret that they didm’t tour France instead, and bring back crates full of impressionist paintings.
At any rate, Aimee’s father was brother of one of the Transcontinental Railroad’s Big Four entrepreneurs. Her made plenty off the project as well. Aimee, however, was not interested in the proper life of a privileged heiress. She was wild from day one. Her escapades accelerated when she was sent to be ‘finished’ in Europe. Aimee loved men, and from then on it was one after another, the more exotic the better.
This memoir focuses on her adventures in Hawaii and Asia. She was captivated by her understanding of the mysterious east, ready to jump in the deep end of life in the jungle or the harem. According to the ‘memoir’ she barely escaped death and assault many times. I am sure that what made adventurers pull back at the last moment was the knowledge that hurting the very wealthy Judge Crocker’s American daughter, no matter how independent she might appear, would not be wise. Clearly consuls and other officials smoothed the way for her time after time.
One has to read this with a skeptical eye. I suspect some is true, much exaggerated.
But even if it’s only half true, it’s a lot of fun. Someone who lived the life she wanted to, with no regrets.
This is a hoot. Aimee Crocker’s family was Big in Sacramento, where I live. The Crocker name is on the city art museum. Its founding collection was a haul of drawings (mostly German) that Aimee’s parents collected on a European tour in the 1870s. After coming home they built the museum to house them. We all regret that they didm’t tour France instead, and bring back crates full of impressionist paintings.
At any rate, Aimee’s father was brother of one of the Transcontinental Railroad’s Big Four entrepreneurs. Her made plenty off the project as well. Aimee, however, was not interested in the proper life of a privileged heiress. She was wild from day one. Her escapades accelerated when she was sent to be ‘finished’ in Europe. Aimee loved men, and from then on it was one after another, the more exotic the better.
This memoir focuses on her adventures in Hawaii and Asia. She was captivated by her understanding of the mysterious east, ready to jump in the deep end of life in the jungle or the harem. According to the ‘memoir’ she barely escaped death and assault many times. I am sure that what made adventurers pull back at the last moment was the knowledge that hurting the very wealthy Judge Crocker’s American daughter, no matter how independent she might appear, would not be wise. Clearly consuls and other officials smoothed the way for her time after time.
One has to read this with a skeptical eye. I suspect some is true, much exaggerated.
But even if it’s only half true, it’s a lot of fun. Someone who lived the life she wanted to, with no regrets.
January 26, 2025
Edwardian heiress Aimee Crocker, after the failure of her first marriage, sets off multiple years-long journeys around the world for the sheer joy of it, picking up along the way many lovers, children, pearls and snakes.
I had never heard of Aimee Crocker until I read 19th Century Female Explorers and had my imagination completely captured by her. Born in 1864, she was a Sacramento heiress who led a fabulously strange and adventurous life, taking full advantage of her privilege to visit as many distant countries as she could in a time when travel was a tough and time-consuming undertaking.
This is Crocker's autobiography, though in truth it is compromised more of a series of anecdotes and episodes than a cohesive insight into her personal life - but who cares when all those adventures are so thrilling, the recounting so amusing? The writing is vivid and unusually direct, as though Crocker is telling us the stories as we sit across from her in a cocktail bar. I enjoyed having a boots-on-the-ground insight on so many places that are so different today.
However, there were points while reading that I did feel a bit awkward. Crocker is definitely admiring of Asian cultures in a way many people of her era were not, but this book was still written by an Edwardian woman and published in 1936. Crocker often writes about people of color in a patronizing manner, and the fact that she somewhat fetishizes 'the Orient' is blatantly obvious. I also wished she'd included more stories from the second half of her life, as we race forward through time after her travels in India in a very disjointed fashion.
I had never heard of Aimee Crocker until I read 19th Century Female Explorers and had my imagination completely captured by her. Born in 1864, she was a Sacramento heiress who led a fabulously strange and adventurous life, taking full advantage of her privilege to visit as many distant countries as she could in a time when travel was a tough and time-consuming undertaking.
This is Crocker's autobiography, though in truth it is compromised more of a series of anecdotes and episodes than a cohesive insight into her personal life - but who cares when all those adventures are so thrilling, the recounting so amusing? The writing is vivid and unusually direct, as though Crocker is telling us the stories as we sit across from her in a cocktail bar. I enjoyed having a boots-on-the-ground insight on so many places that are so different today.
However, there were points while reading that I did feel a bit awkward. Crocker is definitely admiring of Asian cultures in a way many people of her era were not, but this book was still written by an Edwardian woman and published in 1936. Crocker often writes about people of color in a patronizing manner, and the fact that she somewhat fetishizes 'the Orient' is blatantly obvious. I also wished she'd included more stories from the second half of her life, as we race forward through time after her travels in India in a very disjointed fashion.
January 5, 2018
My dad and I have been looking for a copy of this book for a while. I've grown up hearing stories about Aimee Crocker, my great-great-grandmother, and the Crocker's of San Francisco. I had no idea this book had been republished in 2017, until my Aunt brought a copy to our house. Even though the writing is appalling, I have to give it the five stars that this woman deserves as someone I've been hearing about my whole life, and someone who did so much in her lifetime it's kind of amazing.
April 13, 2021
Interesting life
The tales of this book are often too outlandish to believe. I’m choosing to believe them anyway. Aimee Crocker seems to be an interesting an eccentric rich lady of her time. Her stories were very interesting, the type of story that would be fun to hear regaled at a party but can feel a bit much when reading them back to back. While Aimee does show an extended respect for POC beyond what I imagine would be typical of her time, she does have the annoying habit of referring to them often as ‘child-like’ or having ‘loyalty like a dog’ which to modern eyes reads a bit uncomfortably. Enjoyed the book. Probably wouldn’t read it again or recommend it unless I had someone who it would be perfect for. Would have loved to meet Aimee Crocker and I appreciate the sentiment reflected in the title!
The tales of this book are often too outlandish to believe. I’m choosing to believe them anyway. Aimee Crocker seems to be an interesting an eccentric rich lady of her time. Her stories were very interesting, the type of story that would be fun to hear regaled at a party but can feel a bit much when reading them back to back. While Aimee does show an extended respect for POC beyond what I imagine would be typical of her time, she does have the annoying habit of referring to them often as ‘child-like’ or having ‘loyalty like a dog’ which to modern eyes reads a bit uncomfortably. Enjoyed the book. Probably wouldn’t read it again or recommend it unless I had someone who it would be perfect for. Would have loved to meet Aimee Crocker and I appreciate the sentiment reflected in the title!
October 22, 2012
Aimee Crocker is absolutely fascinating! Her memoir is an exciting read, and is likely to inspire wanderlust and long walks in the moonlight. While I adore her recounts, I found Aimee Crocker's Refined Vaudeville (Taylor 2009) to shed far more light on this wild Victorian woman's adventures, affairs, and travels. Get to know this amazing heiress--train wreck honeymoon (literally) and all!
January 14, 2017
These are the memoirs of a Victorian adventuress as she galavants around the world in the way only endless wealth allows. Aimee Crocker was a source for scandal at home in the US but in the rest of the world she was admired and honoured as the free spirit she was. A thoroughly good read.
August 8, 2023
Aimee Crocker led a very interesting life. This book has some great stories. But...
Because it was written 90 years ago, I had a really difficult time with how racist it is. 😒
Because it was written 90 years ago, I had a really difficult time with how racist it is. 😒
April 8, 2020
‘That is the way in which most of the legends about me started. If only I could have lived up to them I would have had quite a time’. Nevertheless, there’s an elopement, a divorce, a train plummeting into a ravine, and a shark attack all before page fifty. While the procession of princes who fall in love with the free-spirited and unconventional Californian heiress begins to seem fanciful, and the sheer number of times she cheats death gives the headhunting community a bad name, Crocker’s adventures in the far east blow your average travelogue right out of the water.
March 1, 2019
Aimee Crocker was an amazing independent woman back when women were thought of no more than livestock. I admire this woman's power, pride and fearlessness. She traveled the world in a time when women were forced to marry and stay home. Their only purpose was to bear children and keep house. Thanks to fearless women like this, Thank heaven the world changed. I greatly loved this book about a very remarkable wild woman.
February 2, 2019
MY THOUGHTS:
I received this book in exchange for my honest review.
Crocker… what a spitfire!
To understand the shocking actions of Aimee Crocker, you must understand the restraints of the Edwardian era depicted in the book and what it meant for women of that time.
Women could not vote. Women were thought to be seen and not heard. They were considered property of men, fathers, brothers and then husbands. If the husband tired of her, he could get rid of her for another woman. The woman could not divorce the husband. Women were not allowed to own property. They were deemed chattel and were basically bought for ‘mating’ rights, the value of their ‘charms’ were based on the size of their dowry. Men married women from wealthy families to gain higher status in society. A woman’s status never changed. If she was born into money, she was a commodity, a bargaining chip. If a woman was born into poverty, she remained there and often sold herself to survive. Later came work houses, becoming a nanny, working for the rich and taking in laundry of the rich.
Aimee broke all the rules. She did things and went places that would be considered scandelous back then. She was daring and strong and I admire her courage too be true to herself.
Of course, she was rich and had the means to do things others could not, but she did bring about courage for other women who left their mark on history. I didn’t like the writing at times, but the exploits and adventures were fun to read and I even laughed out loud at times at her audacity.
I received this book in exchange for my honest review.
Crocker… what a spitfire!
To understand the shocking actions of Aimee Crocker, you must understand the restraints of the Edwardian era depicted in the book and what it meant for women of that time.
Women could not vote. Women were thought to be seen and not heard. They were considered property of men, fathers, brothers and then husbands. If the husband tired of her, he could get rid of her for another woman. The woman could not divorce the husband. Women were not allowed to own property. They were deemed chattel and were basically bought for ‘mating’ rights, the value of their ‘charms’ were based on the size of their dowry. Men married women from wealthy families to gain higher status in society. A woman’s status never changed. If she was born into money, she was a commodity, a bargaining chip. If a woman was born into poverty, she remained there and often sold herself to survive. Later came work houses, becoming a nanny, working for the rich and taking in laundry of the rich.
Aimee broke all the rules. She did things and went places that would be considered scandelous back then. She was daring and strong and I admire her courage too be true to herself.
Of course, she was rich and had the means to do things others could not, but she did bring about courage for other women who left their mark on history. I didn’t like the writing at times, but the exploits and adventures were fun to read and I even laughed out loud at times at her audacity.
December 10, 2018
Eh. I can't remember why I bought this book. I started it earlier in the year but put it down, bored. I've now finished it.
The book is a collection of purported reminiscences of Aimée Crocker. Apparently, she was once a star of the gossip pages. She inherited a large amount of money young and then proceeded to do as she pleased for the rest of her life. Some of her stories are okay. Many of them reek of bovine excrement. I suspect the author's self-portrayal has become a stock fictional character -- the aging, free-spirited socialite who is attracted to mysticism and surrounds herself with "interesting' people.
The author is allergic to supplying dates, she uses pseudonyms freely, and she only tells the stories she feel like telling. In other words, modern readers don't know who anyone is, when it happened, and are given little context to make sense of it. Even searching the internet liberally as I read didn't help much. The book, therefore, is of limited educational value, even if all of its incidents were plausible.
As for entertainment value, I didn't find it compelling. Back when it came out in 1936, the thought of a rich woman traveling around doing what she felt like doing in the face of social disapproval probably was more inspiring. I mostly just wondered how much of it she was making up and how much of it was con artists misleading the foolish American heiress.
The book is a collection of purported reminiscences of Aimée Crocker. Apparently, she was once a star of the gossip pages. She inherited a large amount of money young and then proceeded to do as she pleased for the rest of her life. Some of her stories are okay. Many of them reek of bovine excrement. I suspect the author's self-portrayal has become a stock fictional character -- the aging, free-spirited socialite who is attracted to mysticism and surrounds herself with "interesting' people.
The author is allergic to supplying dates, she uses pseudonyms freely, and she only tells the stories she feel like telling. In other words, modern readers don't know who anyone is, when it happened, and are given little context to make sense of it. Even searching the internet liberally as I read didn't help much. The book, therefore, is of limited educational value, even if all of its incidents were plausible.
As for entertainment value, I didn't find it compelling. Back when it came out in 1936, the thought of a rich woman traveling around doing what she felt like doing in the face of social disapproval probably was more inspiring. I mostly just wondered how much of it she was making up and how much of it was con artists misleading the foolish American heiress.
March 16, 2024
Devoured. Will premise this by saying some language you have to look past as it was written by a rich white aristocrat who grew up in the late 1800’s. Nothing crazy, but terms we wouldn’t use now.
This lady knows how to paint a picture and tell a story. The stories of the east she tells are simply marvellous, divine, at times completely bizarre - and utterly captivating. The way she also described the effect of British and American colonialism is perfectly illustrated, especially from a time where division was rife. She was a true humanitarian in my opinion. Figuring out the east of the globe for herself.
Would recommend, especially to women, as a woman who went against her families wishes to explore the world rather than settle down with a husband in America. Wish I could unread to read again.
This lady knows how to paint a picture and tell a story. The stories of the east she tells are simply marvellous, divine, at times completely bizarre - and utterly captivating. The way she also described the effect of British and American colonialism is perfectly illustrated, especially from a time where division was rife. She was a true humanitarian in my opinion. Figuring out the east of the globe for herself.
Would recommend, especially to women, as a woman who went against her families wishes to explore the world rather than settle down with a husband in America. Wish I could unread to read again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2023
I thought I read quotes from this book in a book about tattoo history that I recently read, but maybe I just read about her and Googled and came across the book that way. I really don't remember now. But I was expecting more about tattoos. Crocker wrote a little bit about someone else getting tattooed by Hori Chiyo but that was it! I got through this whole entire book waiting and waiting for something that never came. It was an interesting enough life story but not what I was hoping for. Also, as a modern woman reading this in 2023, it's a little rough reading ALL the casual racism. There is so much! I don't think it's unexpected considering a wealthy old white woman wrote this in the 1930s, but it's not necessarily the easiest to get through now.
October 22, 2025
Since I live in Sacramento and visit the Crocker Art Museum frequently, I learned that one descendent of Crocker had written an autobiography so I sought it out. Aimee Crocker has written "her story." really a bunch of anecdotes. In all of the stories she was young and adventurous. We wrote this book in the years before her death and often refers to her aging and memory issues. In other words, take it all with a grain of salt!
But doing a bit of research, she did live an amazing life. If you ever wondered what you might do if money was of no concern, well, here is someone who lived that life. It's a lot of fun and the book does include photos to back up some of the stories. Perfect reading for a rainy weekend!
Recommended.
But doing a bit of research, she did live an amazing life. If you ever wondered what you might do if money was of no concern, well, here is someone who lived that life. It's a lot of fun and the book does include photos to back up some of the stories. Perfect reading for a rainy weekend!
Recommended.
February 22, 2023
“Things always happen to me” says the author, quite early on in this book, and that is very much an understatement if even half of her tales are to be believed!
I’m not sure how much of it I do believe - everywhere she goes people seem to fall madly in love with her/trust her with their deepest secrets/invite her to join in some incredible experiences - but it was quite entertaining to read her very casual descriptions of being kidnapped (several times) courted by mysterious and powerful men (again, several times), and generally defying the usual image of late 19th century women as she travels the world.
I’m not sure how much of it I do believe - everywhere she goes people seem to fall madly in love with her/trust her with their deepest secrets/invite her to join in some incredible experiences - but it was quite entertaining to read her very casual descriptions of being kidnapped (several times) courted by mysterious and powerful men (again, several times), and generally defying the usual image of late 19th century women as she travels the world.
April 10, 2022
Such an interesting historical figure! Even if a lot of this is exaggerated it still makes for a really interesting read and insight into the time at least from the perspective of a woman of wealth. I can completely see her being in the US papers frequently for her "scandalous" actions. The last chapter seemed rushed though- like she was just trying to shove a bunch of things in that she did not have time to document as a separate chapter or as a separate book in terms of her adventures when she returned to the US.
March 11, 2017
I was not familiar with the life of Aimee Crocker before reading this.
She was typical of some Victorian women who had the courage - and the resources it must be said - to undertake exciting expeditions and adventures.
Also she comes across as someone who would have been fun to be with.
Highly recommended.
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher Head of Zeus via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review.
She was typical of some Victorian women who had the courage - and the resources it must be said - to undertake exciting expeditions and adventures.
Also she comes across as someone who would have been fun to be with.
Highly recommended.
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher Head of Zeus via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review.
August 31, 2019
While the adventures described in this book definitely deserve five stare, the author’s total lack of skill when it comes to writing, her aversion to dates and her completely chaotic chain of thought, made me enjoy the book far less than I was hoping. Aimée Crocker had a wonderfully adventurous life and she seems like an astonishing woman, the book is just very poorly written and does not convey 1% of the magnificent stories there probably were to tell.
November 17, 2019
I’m torn between 3 stars and 4. I did enjoy reading this and found it to be a quick read, but sometimes the briefness of the stories seemed too brief, or she focused too much on wanting to share scandal that the potential for more interesting anecdotes were lost. I also started to tire of just how many men were immediately in love with her. But with all that said, it was still a fun book, and it makes me curious to learn more about her
February 21, 2020
The amazing experiences of an Edwardian heiress who was obviously quite liberated for her time. She clearly was quite a character and maybe embellished some of the stories but even allowing for that, she was certainly a brave and intrepid person. Quite fascinating to hear her descriptions of the Far East, especially HK at the turn of the century. Not fantastically written but I gave it an extra star because she was such a feisty woman!
March 24, 2020
I though she would write about the places she visited instead the people she encountered. I realised then, that people are the most interesting thing to write about. However, her fascination came from the lack of knowledge and she is privileged to travel, experience, and basically risk her life. Some of her stories are almost fiction. I enjoyed almost very page until I got bored at the end when she started to worship the spirituality of the east because she found it alluring and mysterious.
March 29, 2023
On amazon, Joy1991 wrote:
"The tales of this book are often too outlandish to believe. I’m choosing to believe them anyway."
I actually do believe Crocker's stories. And found them interesting. As Joy1991 also speaks to - the voice of a humanist in very racist times (I mean, more overtly, linguistically speaking). She tries to find language for what she feels, how she feels, who she meets - how they are extraordinary. It's a difficult thing to do, but I think she captures the aura of it.
"The tales of this book are often too outlandish to believe. I’m choosing to believe them anyway."
I actually do believe Crocker's stories. And found them interesting. As Joy1991 also speaks to - the voice of a humanist in very racist times (I mean, more overtly, linguistically speaking). She tries to find language for what she feels, how she feels, who she meets - how they are extraordinary. It's a difficult thing to do, but I think she captures the aura of it.
June 10, 2025
This is a fabulous book. It’s exciting and fun, and also such a period piece (there were a few spots where I winced at wording choices!) that it really reflects the times and person who lived through them. Can’t recommend enough!
“But I will have drunk my joy at the Great Feast,
what more could I want?
I will have lived
and I will die” - Fernand Gregh
“But I will have drunk my joy at the Great Feast,
what more could I want?
I will have lived
and I will die” - Fernand Gregh
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 12, 2019
Quick read, not a literary masterpiece but a view into the thoughts and trends of an era long gone.
I liked it - memories of a lady lucky enough to have enough money to be adventurous in the late 19th century.
I liked it - memories of a lady lucky enough to have enough money to be adventurous in the late 19th century.
May 25, 2020
What a rollicking good time! Not quite a memoir, not quite a travelogue, a beautiful and intrepid American heiress with wanderlust recounts some of her adventures in the Near and Far East at the turn of the 20th century. What a gal!
May 3, 2023
Picked this book up after visiting the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento and it truly added to my memories of the trip. Incredible tales of a woman who lived by her own rules in a time where women were expected to blend into the background. Truly a fun read.
July 3, 2019
Fabulous,scandalous,highly diverting.
August 10, 2019
Absolute nutter. Painfully posh. Loved the blokes. So blasé about nearly getting murdered. Fun fun fun.
August 17, 2019
What a remarkable glimpse of an even more remarkable life! Wow.
August 27, 2019
Reads like gossip with a very rich, posh old lady at high tea. Questionable truth to every story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews