Rush to Gold

The California Gold Rush began in 1848 and incited many "wagons west". However, only half of the 300,000 gold seekers travelled by land. The other half travelled by sea. And it's the story of this second group that interests Malcolum Rohrbough in his authoritative new book "The Rush to Gold". He examines the California Gold Rush through the eyes of 30,000 French participants. In so doing, he offers a completely original analysis of an important – but previously neglected – chapter in the history of the Gold Rush, which occurred at a time of sweeping change in France and transformed the country. Rohrbough is the author of "Days of Gold", which is generally accepted as the essential text on the subject, and he spent considerable time researching his current book in France. He is the first to provide an international focus to such a pivotal time in American history. "The Rush to Gold" is an important contribution to the fast-growing field of transnational American history.