The Shirley Letters: From the Calfornia Mines, 1851-1852 (Paperback)

by Louise Amelia Knapp Smith Clappe (Author), Marlene Smith-Baranzini (Editor) "I can easily imagine, dear M-, the look of large wonder, which gleams from your astonished eyes, when they fall upon the date of this..." (more)
Key Phrases: coyote hole, mining purposes, red calico, Rich Bar, Indian Bar, Feather River (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Of all the writers drawn to California between 1845 and the mid-1860s, [Clappe] speaks with the most original voice. " -- James D. Houston, author, _Californians: Searching for the Golden State_

"_The Shirley Letters_ is superb reading!" -- The Midwest Book Review

Product Description
_The Shirley Letters_, written from the mining camps in 1851 and 1852, are something valuable and rare—a portrait by a woman of an era dominated by men. They offer a vivid picture of gold rush life, from accounts of "murders, fearful accidents, bloody deaths, a mob, whippings, a hanging, an attempt at suicide, and a fatal duel" to bars lined with "that eternal crimson calico which flushes the whole social life of the Golden State," and the rare and welcome luxury of oyster feasts. The sights, smells, and even the sounds of the mining camps come alive—the echoes of swearing men, the flume with its "dismal moaning and shrieking all the live-long night," the barking of mongrel dogs. With the "wild grandeur and awful magnificence" of the Sierra as background, this classic account presents a picture of the gold rush that is at times humorous, at times empathetic, and always trustworthy.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 195 pages
• Publisher: Heyday Books (March 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1890771007
• ISBN-13: 978-1890771003
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #95,665 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #26 in	Books > History > United States > State & Local > Pacific Northwest
  #44 in	Books > History > United States > 19th Century > Old West

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitive edition of a Gold Rush classic, June 1, 1999

By A Customer

Dame Shirley's classic (and often humorous!) letters portray the California gold rush in all its excitement and ethnic diversity. At last an edition has appeared that sets her writings in context! Editor Marlene Smith-Baranzini has done students, researchers, and history buffs a huge favor by putting together THE definitive Dame Shirley collection, complete with excellent introduction, interpretive footnotes, maps, photographs, and even a glossary. Reccommended for anyone interested in California history or just in search of a good read.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent first hand portrayol of California's Gold Rush, July 24, 1998

By A Customer

I enjoyed this book. It give a fine first hand account of what life was like in the California gold mines at the beginning of the gold rush. The letters are well written with great attention to detail.

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best Books about this subject existing., June 17, 2001

By	Mary K. Doran (Ventura, California USA) - See all my reviews

This book is a marvelous true story of what it was like, in California, during a time which will never come again. The author's detailed descriptions and wonderful style of writing takes the reader there, to the Old California, when it wasn't a state, it was a wild untaimed country unto itself. Truly beautiful.

I have one of under 200 original copies, signed by the author, it is my treasure. I am so glad to see it here, offered to the general public. I obtained it just last month, and wanted to share it with every woman, man, child I know! I thought I was going to have to type the entire book just to give a copy to my mother. I thought that because of the small number printed that there wasn't any way I would find another one, but low and behold, here it is, reprinted only this year, on Amazon. A must for any Californian.