The Gold Rush

Steve Pitt is a Toronto-based freelance writer and an award-winning journalist. He has written many young adult and children's books, including Day of the Flying Fox: The True Story of World War II Pilot Charley Fox.

If silence is golden, you may be able to buy some with this fascinating
book about the great North American gold rushes of the last century.
This volume in Crabtree’s Life in the Old West series, examines the
causes and effects of gold fever in California and the Yukon during the
19th century. The text is divided into short chapters: “Gold
Strike,” “Getting to the Gold Fields,” “Staking a Claim,”
“How Was Gold Found,” “Tools of the Trade,” “Life at the
Mines,” “Women and Children,” “Native Land,” “Boomtowns,”
“Law and Order,” “Striking It Rich,” “A Dangerous Prospect,”
and “End of the Gold Rushes.” While the text manages to capture the
romance and excitement of bonanza fever, it also discusses the negative
impact the industry had on Native peoples, the environment, and
thousands of would-be millionaires who gave up everything to travel
west, but found, instead of a fortune, only drudgery or even death.

The book’s period photos, maps, full-color illustrations, and modern
photographs show what the gold fields look like today. A glossary and
index are included for easy reference. The result is a well-balanced,
highly readable, and very informative book that is well suited for both
reference and pleasure reading. Highly recommended.