Thomas F. (hardtack) -
It is very hard to review this book as it is so full of excesses that it seems almost unbelievable that such events really happened. So many times I wanted to say to the characters described in this book, "No! Don't do it that way."
In fact, I found the history to Klondike Gold Rush almost disturbing, which is probably why it took me so long to read it. I would read portions of a chapter and then put it down to pursue another book for awhile.
In fact, the author describes one character, who lived many years after the rush and had many adventures, saying that Hollywood would never make a movie about him as no one would ever believe it.
I guess that is the best description of the Klondike Gold Rush - no one would ever believe it.
In fact, I found the history to Klondike Gold Rush almost disturbing, which is probably why it took me so long to read it. I would read portions of a chapter and then put it down to pursue another book for awhile.
In fact, the author describes one character, who lived many years after the rush and had many adventures, saying that Hollywood would never make a movie about him as no one would ever believe it.
I guess that is the best description of the Klondike Gold Rush - no one would ever believe it.
Butch B. (mb450) reviewed Klondike Fever: The Life and Death of the Last Great Gold Rush on + 56 more book reviews
excellent book if you like historical books this a great book on the Klondike Gold rush of 1897 Well written amazing the things you will learn from this book. If you can find it read I Married the Klondike by Laura Beatrice Berton. I belive she is the mother of Pierre Berton.
Leo T. reviewed Klondike Fever: The Life and Death of the Last Great Gold Rush on + 1775 more book reviews
Since this book was published when there were survivors of the gold rush in the days of McKinley, I first checked the bibliography to see if Mr. Berton had interviewed some of them. I have found most historians prefer published facts and figures, but not 'pioneer histories' published by subscription, and fail to seek interviewees. There were none listed in the extensive bibliography but I next read "A Note on Sources" and found he had known numerous old timers because he himself was born there in 1920. This essay is one of the finest bibliographies I have ever read as Mr. Berton lauds the singles out a few of the best books for praise and also explains the shortcomings of some, especially those employing a ghost writer without immediate knowledge of the people and the geography. Thus the author, an experienced journalist, knows his people well enough to include their fates in his last chapter, 'Coda.' Needing this book for the shelf at the old soldiers home, I only was able to read the first three chapters, chapter seven, and the Coda, but hope to take it up again soon as it is very well written.
Mr. Berton respects the privations endured, treats those who 'rushed' kindly, and is tolerant of their many shortcomings. Knowing so many people and also consulting newspaper files, he almost always can find the true story. "The unvarnished story of the Klondike phenomenon is, in my opinion, the best story, and it is puzzling that should feel the need to embellish it. It is not really necessary to invent any incidents because in every case somebody has been on the spot to record, somewhere, exactly what happened."
Mr. Berton writes with enthusiasm about the stir created when some sourdoughs arrived in SF, Seattle, and Vancouver laden with gold. It became a story that was followed both in North America and internationally. He delights in describing some of the articles of dubious value sold to those who were heading for the Klondike and reveals that Seattle won the 'public relations' war to get miners to use their port as the jumping off point (and thus have many customers who were needing outfits). The few warnings that it would be the best part of a year before the argonauts arrived in Dawson (1898) were not heeded. The sea route to the Yukon River and then travel via a steamship to Dawson appeared the best but those arriving at St. Michaels often found there were too many gold-seekers, their outfits, and the usual supplies consigned to upstream traders to be accommodated and the 'season' when the Yukon River is navigable was very brief. The author shares (Chapter Six) the experiences of those that came via other routes, all of them being much worse than the Chilkoot Pass and the White Pass: Valdez, from the Cook Inlet, and from Yakutat Bay being across glaciers and the several overland 'all-Canadian' routes also offering terrible privations. It seems to me that there was more abandoned equipment and dead animals than that left on the earlier overland trails. Curiously, the author can find no one who came from Edmonton (then a town of 700) that took up a claim in the Klondike.
Chapter Ten deals with Wm. Jefferson 'Soapy' Smith and offers an excellent example of Pierre Berton's skills as a writer.
The photo on the endpaper at the front of the book is of hardy gold rushers trudging up the Chilkoot Pass with loads of supplies. I was ten years old in 1957 and in sixth grade when a classmate introduced me to a neighbor of his who was a veteran missing one leg. In 1897 he had enough money to buy supplies and luckily carried the hundreds of pounds of basic food into the Yukon Territory by making trip after trip, telling us how dark, gloomy, and cold the days were. He had insufficient funds for much equipment, bringing a few clothes, three blankets, a couple of pots, a bowl, spoon, etc., a pick, pan, saw, shovel, and hammer and insufficient clothing (soon to find one extra pair of boots was insufficient). But he said the beans, bacon, dried peas, and flour were to be a Godsend. He found just enough gold for his return passage and needing work on his return to the States, joined the Army and served in the Philippines. We didn't know enough to ask the right questions so Mr. Berton's detailed chapter (Seven) was especially interesting. Also I am glad to be reminded how well rascally Indians made out for once because they could demand premium rates to employ their skill and strenth as porters.
Two maps, index.
Mr. Berton respects the privations endured, treats those who 'rushed' kindly, and is tolerant of their many shortcomings. Knowing so many people and also consulting newspaper files, he almost always can find the true story. "The unvarnished story of the Klondike phenomenon is, in my opinion, the best story, and it is puzzling that should feel the need to embellish it. It is not really necessary to invent any incidents because in every case somebody has been on the spot to record, somewhere, exactly what happened."
Mr. Berton writes with enthusiasm about the stir created when some sourdoughs arrived in SF, Seattle, and Vancouver laden with gold. It became a story that was followed both in North America and internationally. He delights in describing some of the articles of dubious value sold to those who were heading for the Klondike and reveals that Seattle won the 'public relations' war to get miners to use their port as the jumping off point (and thus have many customers who were needing outfits). The few warnings that it would be the best part of a year before the argonauts arrived in Dawson (1898) were not heeded. The sea route to the Yukon River and then travel via a steamship to Dawson appeared the best but those arriving at St. Michaels often found there were too many gold-seekers, their outfits, and the usual supplies consigned to upstream traders to be accommodated and the 'season' when the Yukon River is navigable was very brief. The author shares (Chapter Six) the experiences of those that came via other routes, all of them being much worse than the Chilkoot Pass and the White Pass: Valdez, from the Cook Inlet, and from Yakutat Bay being across glaciers and the several overland 'all-Canadian' routes also offering terrible privations. It seems to me that there was more abandoned equipment and dead animals than that left on the earlier overland trails. Curiously, the author can find no one who came from Edmonton (then a town of 700) that took up a claim in the Klondike.
Chapter Ten deals with Wm. Jefferson 'Soapy' Smith and offers an excellent example of Pierre Berton's skills as a writer.
The photo on the endpaper at the front of the book is of hardy gold rushers trudging up the Chilkoot Pass with loads of supplies. I was ten years old in 1957 and in sixth grade when a classmate introduced me to a neighbor of his who was a veteran missing one leg. In 1897 he had enough money to buy supplies and luckily carried the hundreds of pounds of basic food into the Yukon Territory by making trip after trip, telling us how dark, gloomy, and cold the days were. He had insufficient funds for much equipment, bringing a few clothes, three blankets, a couple of pots, a bowl, spoon, etc., a pick, pan, saw, shovel, and hammer and insufficient clothing (soon to find one extra pair of boots was insufficient). But he said the beans, bacon, dried peas, and flour were to be a Godsend. He found just enough gold for his return passage and needing work on his return to the States, joined the Army and served in the Philippines. We didn't know enough to ask the right questions so Mr. Berton's detailed chapter (Seven) was especially interesting. Also I am glad to be reminded how well rascally Indians made out for once because they could demand premium rates to employ their skill and strenth as porters.
Two maps, index.
