What do You think about Klondike: The Last Great Gold Rush, 1896-1899 (2015)?
I wavered between three and four stars for this one. Each paragraph of this book could easily have been developed into an entire book of its own. If you are in the mood to follow along on this grand sweeping epic then you'll think of this book as a four star, and perhaps a five, just for its incredible wealth of information, but if ever you want to pause, get to know someone a little better, or better understand any number of social, economic, historic, geographic, or other point you may become a little frustrated. A great book, sometimes breathtaking, sometimes infuriating.
—Krister Swartz
This was the first book of history written by Pierre Berton. He wrote many books afterwards but never quite attained the same level as he did in this one. Berton grew up in the Klondike listening to stories from those who had lived through the crazy Gold Rush. Perhaps for this reason, writes about the Klondike Rush with the same fluidity and ease with which a fish swims. Berton describes the men of the Gold Rush with a breathtaking vividness and passion. It is a great speculation on the madness and passion for Gold.
—Czarny Pies
At the end of the nineteenth century, a ship entered Seattle harbour, carrying the vanguard of prospectors from the far north, who were bringing out a fortune in gold. The newspapers spread the news: the ship had carried a million dollars in gold...a new strike on the Klondike River.Well, they were wrong. There had been near $2 million in gold on that ship! People the world over went mad! They flocked by the tens of thousands to pan for gold on the tributaries of the Yukon River. A lot of them didn’t even know that the Klondike was in Canada...many people still don’t! And they certainly had no idea of the brutal conditions they would meet with in the Canadian north.Berton, who grew up in the Yukon himself, tells the story as no one else can. Few of the people who dashed to the north actually made it to the gold fields, and by the time they got there, the richest claims had long been snapped up, so fewer still struck it rich. The Klondike Gold Rush lasted only 3 years...but what a ride it was! Fortunes were made and lost by some of the most eccentric characters you'll ever find in print.Berton was one of Canada's best writers, and this is definitely one of his finest books.
—Wendy Bertsch
