Ghost towns and mining camps of California [Hardcover]

Remi A Nadeau (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1965

Wonderfully illustrated hardcover, with drawings of miners and a picture of an old village.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A delightful, humorous and historical look at the towns and mining camps of California to be enjoyed by both the casual reader and the serious history buff. -- Placerville Mountain Democrat

A long-needed guide, provided by the historian perhaps most qualified for such a work. . . . . a beautifully designed, pictorially generous volume which reflects Nadeau's ability to combine scholarship with writing style. -- Los Angeles Times --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 278 pages
• Publisher: Ward Ritchie Press; 3rd edition (1965)
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0007ETJT2
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,128,636 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A bit dated but a must-have for the Ghost Town and mining buff's library, October 4, 2005

By 

B. Wynne (Copperopolis, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ghost Towns and Mining Camps of California: A History & Guide (Paperback)

Most of the book was written 40 years ago and recently revised. Any ghost town or mining buff worth his or her salt has probably read most of this before, either from the author's original articles from which this book is mostly comprised or from other authors rehashing the same material or quoting the content as a source.
Still, this is a great original source and worth the price for the photo reprints and stories of the rough and tumble Gold Rush. The author manages to cover the highlights of the Gold Rush and its classic stories in a very readable way without resorting to quoting monotonous figures for gold and ore production in tons and millions of dollars as a way to add filler.
A good read and worth adding to the library but probably a bit too dated to use as a travel guide, best for reference.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining reading, September 14, 2010

By 

Debbie (Harrison, AR United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Ghost Towns and Mining Camps of California

--Book Description--
Using letters, journals, newspapers, reminiscences, and other original papers from various libraries and museums, author Remi Nadeau gives a view of the Gold Rush and the mining towns the way the miners saw them. He includes many rare photos from private collections and maps and directions for finding even the remotest ghost towns.

--My Review--
"Ghost Towns and Mining Camps of California" is an entertaining history of the Gold Rush towns and mining camps in California based on letters, journals, newspapers, and more. The stories were mainly from 1848 to 1856, though he'd briefly tell the rest of the town's history if it lasted beyond that. The author gave a brief history of the gold rush and then shared amusing tales about what life was like in each of the main camps and towns. The stories included Christmas balls, racial clashes, and tales of local robbers. He also described what the towns looked like, how & why that changed, and what's left of them (even the smallest ones) now. He included black and white photographs of the towns, digs, and miners as well as maps and information on what's left of each camp or town today and how to find them.

The book didn't really describe how the mining was done but focused on the towns and social interactions. It's an entertaining read for anyone remotely interested in the subject, but it'd also be a great research resource for authors who want to set their novel during the Gold Rush. This is also a good book for anyone who'd like to track down the old mining camps and towns, though the information given in my 1965 version is probably a bit dated.