Rush for Riches: Gold Fever and the Making of California

by J.S. Holliday

Book Overview

In this vivid account of the birth of modern California, J.S. Holliday frames the gold rush years within the larger story of the state's transformation from the quietude of a Mexican hinterland in the 1840s to the forefront of entrepreneurial capitalism by the 1890s. No other state, no nation experienced such an adolescence of freedom and success. By 1883 California was hailed as "America, only more so."

Holliday's boldly interpretive narrative...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0520214021
• ISBN13: 9780520214026
• Release Date: June 1999
• Publisher: University of California Press
• Length: 366 Pages
• Weight: 3.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 9.2" x 11.0"

Customer Reviews

Five Stars all the way, please do NOT be strayed by the single, 1 star review

This book is THE premier California gold rush book, both in terms of content accuracy and quality, and in terms of publication quality! I am not going to bother to repeat what the other reviewers have said (the 5 star ones), but I have to comment on the totally outrageous "1 star" reviewer's comments, which falsely state that J.S. Holliday did not give homage to the Indians in Califonia. The index for "Rush for Riches" includes numerous references to the Indians of California and their situation and roles, during the Gold Rush, and in fact there has been no author that has been more sensitive to California's native Indians, in my opinion... For example, this book discusses in detail such topics as the Indians being blocked from secularized missions, civil rights legislation, disease and mortality among the Indians, the extermination campaign against the Indians, their lifestyles and culture during this time, and it even discusses their use as mine laborers, mission workers, etc. How anyone can have the insensitivity to rate this book any less than 5 full stars, is a mystery to me. It is by far the finest gold rush book EVER written, and if you read it yourself, you will find this out, for yourself. Furthermore, this book was subsidized and co-published by the prestigious Oakland Museum of California, AND by the University of California, and its hardbound retail price is and was outrageously low, given its all- around quality. I do recommend the hardbound version, by the way.

A beautiful book, beautifully written.

This is a beautiful book, beautifully written by one of the foremost experts on the gold rush and its impact on California history. Thoroughly researched, insightful, engaging, and richly illustrated. Highly recommended. -David Burkhart, author of Earthquake Days: The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake & Fire in 3-D.

Gold Rush highlights

This book was so highly recommended that I rushed to my library and checked out the hardcopy edition. Excellent use of color and fascinating collection of photographs. I am writing a historical novel centered in San Francisco and the Mother Lode. This book is simply excellent.