Mountains and Molehills

by Frank Marryat

After a tragic fire in San Francisco destroyed many of his possessions, including his journals, Frank Marryat rewrote, from memory, much of what he had documented during his time in California in the middle of the gold craze of 1850. This historical treasure, originally published in 1855, the year that the author died of complications from yellow fever, recreates for readers the frenzy that drew thousands of miners and prospectors to California in their rush to find gold. Empathetic readers will feel the fear of yellow fever as this harrowing Englishman crosses Panama to reach California. However, not only will readers be exposed to Marryat’s own struggles to run a hotel and mine for gold, but they will also read about hardships emigrants had to overcome, the different types of mining in California, and the differences between miners from around the world, including French miners, Chinese miners, and English miners. Chapters include:

The Old Crab-Catcher
Coyote Hunting
Joe Bellow
Field of Gold
Transport Machinery to the Mine
The Fireman of San Francisco
And much more!

Skyhorse Publishing, along with our Arcade, Good Books, Sports Publishing, and Yucca imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs. Our list includes biographies on well-known historical figures like Benjamin Franklin, Nelson Mandela, and Alexander Graham Bell, as well as villains from history, such as Heinrich Himmler, John Wayne Gacy, and O. J. Simpson. We have also published survivor stories of World War II, memoirs about overcoming adversity, first-hand tales of adventure, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Genres: History

443 pages, Leather Bound

First published January 1, 1962

Reviews

[Julia Simpson-Urrutia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I purchased this book at Land's End Lookout near the Sutro Baths in San Francisco. It is a manuscript of a mid 19th century writer and so far (not quite half way through) it is everything it is purported to be: witty, engaging, full of life and anecdotes as well as being a very clear description of California when it was being settled by pioneers, adventurers and charlatans. I am enjoying it very much.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

An engaging first-hand account of Gold Rush era California, warts and all. Takeaways: San Francisco isn't constantly burning down anymore, which is nice. People aren't continually dying of cholera and yellow fever, which is good. People spouting racist invective and anti-immigrant sentiments - still feels like 1849.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

A funny and quixotic first-hand account of an Englishman's adventures in Gold Rush California.