Has anyone read, "The Age of Gold: The California Gold Rush and the New American Dream"?

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Longacre
Longacre Posts: 16,717 ✭✭✭
in U.S. Coin Forum
I am here doing Day #2 of my Mr. Mom routine, as Mrs. L. vacations in the sunny climes of California. Rather than spending massive sums of money on Tiffany.com like she does throughout the day, I did a quick search of the Amazon site. Has anyone here ever read, "The Age of Gold: The California Gold Rush and the New American Dream"? It looks like a good book and it touches upon my interest in history and gold coins. I attached a link below to the Amazon site for reference.

Disclosure-- I am not the author of this book, I have no financial interest in it, and to my knowledge, each of the books being sold are not currently stickered.


Amazon
Always took candy from strangers
Didn't wanna get me no trade
Never want to be like papa
Working for the boss every night and day
--"Happy", by the Rolling Stones (1972)

Comments

  • ricko
    ricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    I have not read that book... I have QDB's book on the California gold rush et al.. (signed).. Does this cover significantly different topics? Cheers, RickO
  • fc
    fc Posts: 12,805 ✭✭✭
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    Does this cover significantly different topics?

    i would be very interested in that also. it seems whenever i pick
    up a gold rush book now days it regurgitates the same old research.

    truly if i read more about Mr Sutter i will puke.

    what i have been reading lately, sometimes very dry, but containing
    nuggets of interest is the actual diaries of those who traveled to
    california and attempted to find gold. rather interesting and it
    comes from a person who was actually there. be warned though,
    these are amateurs writing a diary so sometimes they rant a bit.
    especially about indians, food, and dissolving friendships!

    one may consider looking for books after the cali gold rush. this
    would be the boom in silver mining or maybe the klondike.

    i would be truly hesitant to order another cali gold rush book without
    getting a good description why it is different then others!
  • RYK
    RYK Posts: 35,801 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    << <i>I have not read that book... I have QDB's book on the California gold rush et al.. (signed).. Does this cover significantly different topics? Cheers, RickO >>



    I own the QDB book as well, but I have never read it. It's way too big and heavy. I have heard that there are documented injuries from people actually attempting to read it (no joke!), so becareful if you decide to do so. image

    At any rate, everything I ever wanted to know about the California Gold Rush and its link to numismatics is in the QDB book. Perhaps I can hire the neighbor boy down the street, the one who is a lineman on the football team and helps me schlep in the Heritage FUN and ANA catalogs, to hold the book for me next time I decide to try reading it. image
    My Box of 20: https://pcgs.com/setregistry/collectors-showcase/box-20/ryks-gold-box-20/17132
  • CalGold
    CalGold Posts: 2,608 ✭✭
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    It is a very readable and interesting history of the gold rush written from a perspective that integrates the personal history of several important historical figures--Fremont and William Tecumseh Sherman--as well as other lesser known people who went to California in search of gold

    It is not a coin book, and I do not recall there being any real discussion of coins. The portions about Sherman do discuss banking, since he was a banker in SF at the time.

    CG
  • GoldenEyeNumismatics
    GoldenEyeNumismatics Posts: 13,187 ✭✭✭
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    << <i>

    what i have been reading lately, sometimes very dry, but containing
    nuggets of interest is the actual diaries of those who traveled to
    california and attempted to find gold. rather interesting and it
    comes from a person who was actually there. be warned though,
    these are amateurs writing a diary so sometimes they rant a bit.
    especially about indians, food, and dissolving friendships!

    one may consider looking for books after the cali gold rush. this
    would be the boom in silver mining or maybe the klondike.
    >>



    The rants of those amatuer diary writer's are the best resources available to view what life in the gold camps was ACTUALLY like. It shows what was really important and on the minds of the miners.

    Other gold rushes to read about---Colorado, Montana, Nevada (Comstock Lode), Black Hills, Cripple Creek, Klondike, plus some lesser known rushes.
  • Dennis88
    Dennis88 Posts: 5,797 ✭✭✭
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    I just read this book. It deals with other subjects of the gold rush than most other books about the period. For example life during the travel to California over the Panama Isthmus, as experienced by Jessie Fremont, the route around cape horn, it's speeds and dangers, and the overland journey made by others. The second chapter of the book deals with life during the gold rush, especially in San Francisco and the criminal city it was back then. The last chapter deals with Californian history from 1856-1890.

    Dennis
    VOC Numismatics
    Like VOC Numismatics on facebook
  • DDR
    DDR Posts: 1,686 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    I read the book several years ago and really enjoyed it: well-written, interesting and very readable.
    David
    Complete Set of Chopmarked Trade Dollars
    Carson City Silver Dollars Complete 1870-1893http://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/showcase.aspx?sc=2722"
  • Longacre
    Longacre Posts: 16,717 ✭✭✭
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    Thanks Dennis and others. The book is available used on Amazon for $1.86, so I think I will pick it up.
    Always took candy from strangers
    Didn't wanna get me no trade
    Never want to be like papa
    Working for the boss every night and day
    --"Happy", by the Rolling Stones (1972)
  • DDR
    DDR Posts: 1,686 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    At $1.86 you cannot go wrong.
    David
    Complete Set of Chopmarked Trade Dollars
    Carson City Silver Dollars Complete 1870-1893http://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/showcase.aspx?sc=2722"
  • Analyst
    Analyst Posts: 1,438 ✭✭✭
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    DDR: <<... read the book several years ago and really enjoyed it: well-written, interesting and very readable. >>

    I appreciate the mini-review and the OP. I will look for this book.

    FC: << ... what I have been reading lately, sometimes very dry, but containing nuggets of interest is the actual diaries of those who traveled to california and attempted to find gold. ... these are amateurs writing a diary so sometimes they rant a bit. ...>>

    GoldenEye: <<<The rants of those amatuer diary writer's are the best resources available to view what life in the gold camps was ACTUALLY like. It shows what was really important and on the minds of the miners.>>

    Are there widely available volumes of such diaries, perhaps some that have reputations for authenticity and historically important content?

    GoldenEye: <<Other Gold Rushes to read about---Colorado, Montana, Nevada (Comstock Lode), Black Hills, Cripple Creek, Klondike, plus some lesser known rushes.>>

    Let us not forget the Southern Gold Rush! Please read:

    The Southern Gold Rush, the Seymour Collection, and Templeton Reid

    insightful10 gmail
    "In order to understand the scarce coins that you own or see, you must learn about coins that you cannot afford." -Me
  • DaveG
    DaveG Posts: 3,535 ✭
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    I recommend "The World Rushed In" by JS Holliday.

    It is an edited diary of a Forty-Niner. I read it a long time ago, but I recall it was pretty interesting. (The diary may be more about the journey than the diggings, though.)

    Also, Bowers' Gold Rush Encyclopedia has lots of first person material in it. There used to be some excellent excerpts on the Numismatic Bibliomania Society's website - not sure if they're still there.

    Check out the Southern Gold Society

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