Customer Reviews

Gold at Fortymile Creek: Early Days in the Yukon

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I've been working in the western Yukon off and on over the last several years and made a point of learning as much about the area as I can. To say the least, there have been a few books written about the history of the gold rush- just try an Amazon search!

Where Gates' book has its strength is that it starts before the goldrush with the early Russian explorers, and move into the early prospectors that plied the hills of the Fortymile country which were responsible for the Klondike discovery. In contrast to many of the Klondike books, Gates' is well-researched and referenced, and reads well. If you're looking for a starting point on the history of the Upper Yukon and perhaps looking for a book on the area to plan a trip, this is the one.

Michael Gates' book is an excellent history of gold exploration in the Yukon region prior to the Klondike gold rush stampede of 1897-98. Gates points out very well how important transportation and communciations were at the time, as well as the logistical difficulties of food supplies, and the role of poor diet to the miners' health. He also shows how little it took to create a stampede even among experienced prospectors, the development and role of the trading companies, the code of behavior among the early-day prospectors, and the personalities of the miners.

Gary Christenson

I throughly enjoyed this book. Gates does an excellent job in going into enough detail to make the book interesting but not heavy and boring. Having been an Alaska resident for 11 years and answering people's questions about that great state I was surprised in my knowledge gap concerning the gold rush. They still mine gold in Alaska today but not like they did then. It was dangerous just to get to where the gold was not to mention getting it out of the ground and trying to survive the harsh winters. This book is an educational, informative piece of work. It covers all aspects of a miner's life and several colorful characters from the gold rush. A great, fun to read book. If Alaska and the Yukon spark you interest and daydreams, this book, both paperback and hardcover, are well worth the asking price. This book will be one of the gems of your library. J.Grimes