A fascinating account of the gold rush of 1849.

From these pages emerge the personalities that made the early days of the West so colorful and exciting: Captain John Sutter, on whose wilderness farm gold was first found; James Marshall, who discovered it; Colonel John Fremont, the explorer; John Studebaker; Collis Huntington; even the notorious bandit, Joaquin Murrieta. Many anecdotes about the fabulous "strikes" and legendary characters of the mining camps have been culled from contemporary documents to supply fresh and authentic background.

As readable as an adventure story, The California Gold Rush recreates accurately the life and atmosphere of "the days of old, the days of gold" when young men went West with pick and shovel to look for riches and stayed to add a new chapter to our country's history.

From the dust jacket