CALIFORNIA! (Wagons West Series No. 6) [Mass Market Paperback]

Dana Fuller Ross (Author)

Book Description

Series: Wagons West Series No. 6 | Publication Date: June 1, 1984

Gold fever. It swept the country from coast to coast, luring more than a hundred thousand seekers to the untamed territory of California. For them, the Gold Rush of 1848 represented the American Dream come true. But for the settlers who lived there, it was an all-out assault on the homes they'd struggled so hard to build. Now boomtowns arise overnight, teeming with outlaws, killers, and desperate men. In Sacramento Valley, former Texas Ranger Rick Miller struggles to keep the peace with nothing more than a six shooter and guts. Melissa Austen, who survived the Oregon Trail, is forced into a life of prostitution. And wagon master Whip Holt must battle the odds to save her - and stem the tide of bloodshed and greed. For these brave homesteaders, freedom is the real golden opportunity - and America the only dream worth fighting for...

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, French, German --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Back Cover

This map is completely user-friendly. Designed for visitors, this map contains practical and informative information about the area. More than just a map, it includes detailed street plans of the major cities and large scale projections of popular tourist destinations. There is also information provided on hotels and national parks. 5' x 10' folded / 28' x 39' unfolded, 5 climate charts, 6 area maps, 6 city/town plans, 15-20 color photographs.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Domain (June 1, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553263773
• ISBN-13: 978-0553263770
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,131,235 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars California Gold Rush Makes The West Wilder - Great Read!!, July 6, 2004

By 

Jana L. Perskie "ceruleana" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: California (Paperback)

Dana Fuller Ross' novels of America's great expansion into the western territories is some of the most intelligent, well written and well researched historic fiction I have read. "California" is Book 6 in a series of 24 novels which truly bring history to life during one of the United States' most important and fascinating periods.

When the United States acquired California, settlers moved to the new territory at a rate faster than Texas or Oregon ever experienced. Eventual statehood was a given. Then in 1848 gold was discovered near Fort Sutter in California's Sacramento Valley. Americans and people from all over the world, infected with "gold fever," converged on California. Many of those seeking instant wealth were lawless rabble, outlaws. The flood of immigrants to California that began in late 1848 became a tidal wave as the great Gold Rush gathered force. Before 1849 ended, more than one hundred thousand newcomers would arrive, most of them single men, and more than 75% of them Americans.

Brigadier General Leland Blake was assigned to command a garrison of twelve hundred men at San Francisco's Presidio. He and his wife Cathy were veterans of the first wagon train to forge the Oregon Trail. His new job was more than difficult. Saloons and houses of prostitution flourished in the boom towns. There were not enough police or soldiers to enforce the law. Vigilance committees were formed as riots broke out and the rate of murder, robbery and general crime increased. California's permanent settlers, for whom the real gold was the produce they received from working the land, found that their lives were endangered as men, failing in their search for gold and starving from lack of food and money, plundered the countryside.

Many of the characters from the first five books appear in "California" and new ones, both historical and fictitious, are introduced. The author gives these characters tremendous depth and illustrates how life in the new land, along with new responsibilities, changes them and effects their relationships. Former Texas Ranger Rick Miller, now Sheriff of Sacramento Valley, tries to bring law and order to his new home and is driven by a need for vengeance against the men who destroyed his family. Lovely Melissa Austen, another who made the trip across the Oregon Trail, is forced into a life of prostitution. Whip Holt, his wife and many others also have a part to play in "California."

The history, characters, plot and subplots in this novel are some of the most exciting and dynamic so far. I love history, and while I have read about and studied this period in America's development, I have learned so much from reading the first six "Wagons West" books. I plan to continue until I read them all. A wonderful reading experience.
JANA

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Gold Rush visited, September 18, 2001

By 

C. Bedford Crenshaw "the Rebel Rockhopper" (Indiana) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: California (Wagons West #6) (Paperback)

A wondeful read if one likes the California Gold Rush as a time period. Like the other WW books, its an engaging read. My quabbles with the book is its time frame; how much time passes in this book is beyond me. A few months? 4 years? I also do not like how Elisabeta had such an ignoble end. Still, this is the novel to read for inspiration on the Gold Rush.

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Series!, August 23, 2011

By 

[e-mail] (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Wagons West: California (Paperback)

This is just one book in the Wagons West series that portrays the hardships that the pioneers faced during the settling of the West. The author describes the people in the book so well they feel like old friends.