The Klondike Quest: A Photographic Essay 1897-1899

By Pierre Berton

Book Overview

"It is interesting to watch how the expressions change as you progress through the book, from optimistic in the beginning, to almost hopeless by the end... The pictures alone will offer hours of viewing." -- CM Magazine

"The story of the stampede is told well but shown even better." -- HistoryNet.com

This classic book is a truly great photographic essay of an historic event that made millionaires of an anonymous few but crushed thousands more in a hostile climate and unforgiving terrain anticipated by none.

We are nearing the 125th anniversary of the Klondike Gold Rush and no one has told the story as vividly as Yukon-born Pierre Berton. Canada's leading popular historian compiled over 200 rare period images from the more than 10,000 images in public archives and private collections. Depicting every aspect of what Berton called "one of the strangest mass movements in history," many of the compelling images were first published in this book.

The Klondike Quest brings to life the panoramic drama of the great stampede for gold as seen by the ordinary gold-seeker. The photographs are beautifully reproduced and informatively and colorfully captioned. "One million people, it is said, laid plans to go to the Klondike. One hundred thousand actually set off. And so the Klondike saga is a chronicle of humanity in the mass... For the next eighteen months, the Yukon interior plateau became a human anthill."

As a true story of real men looking for a golden phantom, it's a tale that can't be beat.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1550464531
• ISBN13: 9781550464535
• Release Date: July 2005
• Publisher: Boston Mills Press
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 2.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 8.9" x 10.2"

Customer Reviews

Riveting

The photos are riveting - each photo is a story. I studied the details of each picture - the clothing, the tools, the lines in their faces - trying to imagine the life these people led. The narrative is excellent, just enough to set the scene for each photo without being wordy. The author is good at conveying the emotions felt by the fortune-seekers at the various stages of their journey. Those who are interested in people and in history will enjoy this book.

Klondike

History has never been so entertaining and enthralling. This is was such a unique time and yet I could see so much of today's headlines in my mind as I read.

Unbelieveable photos! A must buy for history lovers.

Berton, a well known writer of Canadian histories, has put together quite a collection of photographs in this glossy tome. If you are realy interested in the subject, I suggest Klondike Quest for the remarkable pictures, and "The Klondike Fever", also by Berton, for a written account. I can't praise the collection of photographs enough.