In 1897, the United States was mired in an economic depression, so when the newspapers announced gold was to be found at the Klondike River region of the Yukon, tens of thousands of desperate yet woefully unprepared Americans swarmed north in hopes of striking it rich. Telling the story of the gold rush through the individual experiences of the people who endured it, Brian Castner introduces a young Jack London, who would make his fortune but not in gold; Colonel Samuel Steele, who tried to save the stampeders from themselves; notorious gangster Soapy Smith, and colorful figures like Skookum Jim and hotel entrepreneur Belinda Mulrooney.

"A riveting tale told with panache and discernment. Castner brings to throbbing life the thousand days of the Klondike rush, and leaves the reader breathless yet edified."—H.W. Brands