About the Author

H. W. BRANDS holds the Jack S. Blanton Sr. Chair in History at the University of Texas at Austin. A New York Times bestselling author, he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in biography for The First American and Traitor to His Class.

Reviews

“An engrossing, multifaceted history.” —The New York Times

“A barn burner. . . . Masterfully sketched historical figures, subtly developed themes, and epically well-braided stories. . . . There’s only one thing to say . . . and that’s ‘Eureka!’ ” —San Francisco Chronicle

“Exuberant. . . . Entertaining, lively. . . . Brands [is] a wonderfully skilled narrative historian.” —Los Angeles Times

“Highly readable and entertaining. . . . History titles loom large, and perhaps none larger than The Age of Gold.” —Houston Chronicle

“A triumph. . . . Brands has struck gold.” —The Oregonian

“[H. W. Brands] will change the way you see history. . . . The Age of Gold brilliantly pans the historical record for nuggets of hardship and, in the process, hits upon a mother lode of a story.” —Austin American-Statesman

“Gripping. . . . Thoroughly researched. . . . An eminently readable, detail-filled book.” —Chicago Tribune

“A serious, comprehensive study, filled with memorable visions and interesting observations. . . . A book that explores history, politics, geology, adventure and industry with omnibus enthusiasm. . . . Its author, like the miners of the gold rush themselves, leaves no stone unturned.” —The San Diego Union-Tribune

“A fine, robust telling of one of the greatest adventure stories in history.” —David McCullough, Pulitzer Prize—winning author of John Adams

“Brands assembles a colorful collection of people swept into this craze from around the world . . . in[to] a dazzling setting that conveys the world-changing effects of this era. . . . [He is a] master storyteller.” —The Christian Science Monitor

“Few historians can tell a tale better than Brands.” —Dallas Morning News

“Populated with colorful California characters. . . . Brands makes a convincing case that the discovery of gold was a seminal event in American history.” —Boston Herald

“Fascinating. . . . Brands brings the era and its characters to life in a remarkably entertaining narrative that is meticulously researched and crisply written. . . . The Age of Gold is historical reporting at its best.” —Arizona Daily Star

"An engrossing, multifaceted history." -The New York Times

"A barn burner. . . . Masterfully sketched historical figures, subtly developed themes, and epically well-braided stories. . . . There's only one thing to say . . . and that's 'Eureka!' " -San Francisco Chronicle

"Exuberant. . . . Entertaining, lively. . . . Brands [is] a wonderfully skilled narrative historian." -Los Angeles Times

"Highly readable and entertaining. . . . History titles loom large, and perhaps none larger than The Age of Gold." -Houston Chronicle

"A triumph. . . . Brands has struck gold." -The Oregonian

"[H. W. Brands] will change the way you see history. . . . The Age of Gold brilliantly pans the historical record for nuggets of hardship and, in the process, hits upon a mother lode of a story." -Austin American-Statesman

"Gripping. . . . Thoroughly researched. . . . An eminently readable, detail-filled book." -Chicago Tribune

"A serious, comprehensive study, filled with memorable visions and interesting observations. . . . A book that explores history, politics, geology, adventure and industry with omnibus enthusiasm. . . . Its author, like the miners of the gold rush themselves, leaves no stone unturned." -The San Diego Union-Tribune

"A fine, robust telling of one of the greatest adventure stories in history." -David McCullough, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of John Adams

"Brands assembles a colorful collection of people swept into this craze from around the world . . . in[to] a dazzling setting that conveys the world-changing effects of this era. . . . [He is a] master storyteller." -The Christian Science Monitor

"Few historians can tell a tale better than Brands." -Dallas Morning News

"Populated with colorful California characters. . . . Brands makes a convincing case that the discovery of gold was a seminal event in American history." -Boston Herald

"Fascinating. . . . Brands brings the era and its characters to life in a remarkably entertaining narrative that is meticulously researched and crisply written. . . . The Age of Gold is historical reporting at its best." -Arizona Daily Star

The California gold rush of 1849 revolutionized expectations. It gave material promise to the American Dream and made gold the lubricant of the world economy. Brands (history, Texas A&M), the author of acclaimed works like his life of Benjamin Franklin, The First American, here fashions a smoothly flowing narrative from diaries, journals, letters, and other contemporary accounts. He recounts how the famous, like John Sutter, John Frmont, Leland Stanford, and the filibuster William Walker, and the not famous, like settler Sarah Royce, slave Archy Lee, Chinese immigrant Yee Ah Tye, and trader James Savage, changed their lives and shaped the history of California, the United States, and the world. These and the hundreds of thousands of other individuals who sparked the Age of Gold catapulted California into the center of a sectional and slavery controversies and of modern U.S. economic issues concerning gold vs. silver standards and debtors vs. creditors. Brands writes history as the art of storytelling that enthralls and informs the reader. Highly recommended, especially for public libraries.-Charles L. Lumpkins, Pennsylvania State Univ., State College Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.