George Carmack: The Man of Mystery Who Set Off the Klondike Gold Rush

Tamara D. Reynish is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of History at
the Memorial University of Newfoundland.

James Albert Johnson crafted this biography of one of the initial
players in the Klondike gold rush from hundreds of letters and legal
documents that were rescued from potential oblivion after they were
discovered in a secondhand bookstore. Spanning the beginnings of the
great gold rush as well as George Carmack’s personal and professional
lives, the work details his extensive interactions with the rugged
northern interior and its inhabitants, including his lengthy
relationship with the Tagish woman, Shaaw Tlaa or Kate. The biography is
replete with photos that enhance the revivification of an important
aspect of northern Canadian history.

Unfortunately, there are some problems with the book. First, it
contains too few references, leaving the reader to ponder the source of
the information given. Second, there are spelling (particularly in the
photo captions) and formatting errors throughout the book. Third, the
end of Chapter 10 does not flow as well as the other chapters do, which
is particularly disappointing as this chapter perhaps best signifies
Carmack’s unrelenting determination and desire for success at any cost
(even the dissolution of his relationship with Kate).

Despite these flaws, George Carmack is a story of perseverance that
reveals lost details about an interesting person during a crucial time
in Canada’s past.