Ghosts of Gold Mountain

The Chinese American presence in the USA started with the gold rush and the building of the transcontinental railroad.

It was a blessing to find Chang’s non-fiction work because he utilized a tremendous about of research to accurately cover the book’s topic. I’m also grateful that his writing style is not dull.

Building a railroad trestle through the High Sierra mountains in winter implies work conditions that affect laborers as well as investors. Chang strings the human sentiments throughout the history of those who participated in noble fashion, Chinese and non-Chinese alike.

In portraying the Chinese experience, Chang’s book as… show more.

For Chinese history and railroad enthusiasts, this is a must-read. Gordon Chang is a professor of American history at Stanford’s School of Humanities and Sciences. His book, with thorough and detailed research as its foundation, corrects a historical injustice of silence. It shines a light on the Chinese railroad workers who did the lion’s share of heavy lifting, blasting, and rock moving to complete the Central Pacific Railroad’s (CPRR) share of the Transcontinental Railroad. It’s an enlightening and smooth read, even for a layperson.

Once Ghosts of Gold Mountain was published, it quickly rose to the top of my… show more.