Fear not, dear readers. Nathaniel Philbrick is still at the top of his game with The Rush. And as per usual, this book is way more than it looks like from the title and the cover. Gold is one thing. What people do with it becomes the real story.
Philbrick starts with the famed discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill in 1848 California. This, of course, is already well-worn territory. However, Philbrick is more interested in what happens when the gold is out of the ground. The book then follows the rise of crooked and racist politicians, unhinged geniuses, and murderous mobs. All of this leads directly to the Civil War.
Now, for us history nerds, I know there is some skepticism about the link to the Civil War. I myself wondered if this would be one of those tenuous subtitles which never get fully proven. Philbrick is not positing that the Gold Rush caused the Civil War. He does, however, show how specific consequences of the Rush did lead to major events we now agree were catalysts for the war. This isn’t a case of a book title throwing keywords at the wall.
It goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway. Philbrick is one of the smoothest writers alive today. Everything flows perfectly. He makes his point, uses a quote, and then moves on. Nothing is wasted, but nothing is ever rushed, either. There’s a reason he’s one of the best, and it is all on display here.
(This book was provided as a review copy by Viking Books.)
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