solariscrescent's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, and Hate crime
Moderate: Gore
slhandy45's review against another edition
4.0
I'm sure I learned in third grade California history that Chinese laborers worked on the western end of the transcontinental railroad, but that's as far as it went. Even without accounts from the laborers themselves, Chang has painted a rich picture of what their lives were probably like. And he has shown how instrumental they were to the completion of the line. An engaging - and eye-opening - story.
taroreads69's review against another edition
4.5
A super informative book about one of the most important figures of American history: the railroad workers from China, without whom the railroad system would not be possible the way we know it today. This book does an excellent job at recounting their history, despite the severe disadvantage of no first-hand sources being found. This is especially puzzling to the historian, who recount from other sources that "“in the single year 1876 alone, its ships carried more than 250,000 letters between China, Japan, and the United States. Yet remarkably, not a single message from or to a Railroad Chinese in this vigorous traffic has been located despite the most strenuous research efforts. Today there is nothing extant in their own words about their experiences.” Not an easy hurdle to overcome, yet the author still somehow manages to paint a very vivid and detailed picture of what the experience might have been like for the Chinese who arrived in Gold Mountain (the Cantonese phrase for America) to bring honor to their families. The reason this is not completely a 5 star read is because I wish the book had a little bit more structure. While it was chaptered, I could not discern a specific topic or theme. It was also not in chronological order, seeming to jump back and forth in time, choosing here and there to "zoom in" as it were, on an individual before moving on. Otherwise, I think this is an excellent introduction into the topic, with an expansive "read more library" at the end. I highly recommend it. 4,5 out of 5 stars.
kairosdreaming's review against another edition
4.0
This review is part of the Amazon Vine program.
I had known before that a lot of Chinese Immigrants came over to work on the railroads back in the 19th century. What I didn't know was the extent, the hardship, and just how integral they were to the effort.
Ghosts of Gold Mountain is a pretty definitive history of the "Railroad Chinese" who built the Transcontinental Railroad. As definitive as it can be considering there are no first-hand accounts themselves from the workers. It would seem that no journals, letters, etc. have yet been found to hear their side of the story. So we are left with historical accounts from newspapers, interviews with white Americans, and other non-first person basis. But despite this lack of information, Chang weaves a compelling narrative.
Imagine how hard it would have been to level out land and lay down track across the mountains. Now imagine doing that without any modern technology and only the strength of your back to do it. It is amazing what was accomplished. But it seems to have come at a high cost. An untold number of Chinese died creating the railroad. And since no records were kept well, the actual number will never be discovered.
Chang's writing is precise, but story-telling enough that you don't get bored with it. I found myself deeply engrossed and had a lot of trouble putting the book down. It was saddening (much like a look of most American history) but important. Why things like this aren't a part of our history classes I'll never fathom.
Review by M. Reynard 2019
I had known before that a lot of Chinese Immigrants came over to work on the railroads back in the 19th century. What I didn't know was the extent, the hardship, and just how integral they were to the effort.
Ghosts of Gold Mountain is a pretty definitive history of the "Railroad Chinese" who built the Transcontinental Railroad. As definitive as it can be considering there are no first-hand accounts themselves from the workers. It would seem that no journals, letters, etc. have yet been found to hear their side of the story. So we are left with historical accounts from newspapers, interviews with white Americans, and other non-first person basis. But despite this lack of information, Chang weaves a compelling narrative.
Imagine how hard it would have been to level out land and lay down track across the mountains. Now imagine doing that without any modern technology and only the strength of your back to do it. It is amazing what was accomplished. But it seems to have come at a high cost. An untold number of Chinese died creating the railroad. And since no records were kept well, the actual number will never be discovered.
Chang's writing is precise, but story-telling enough that you don't get bored with it. I found myself deeply engrossed and had a lot of trouble putting the book down. It was saddening (much like a look of most American history) but important. Why things like this aren't a part of our history classes I'll never fathom.
Review by M. Reynard 2019
shawnwhy's review against another edition
5.0
a bit of interesting history about california chinese population.
wildweasel105's review against another edition
5.0
This is an historical account of how the Chinese immigrants impacted the success of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad on May 10, 1869. Gordon Chang's exhaustive research documents the incredible hardships, the suffering and sacrifice that the Chinese workers faced when they were employed by the Central Pacific Railroad between 1863 and 1869.
This book is astounding on several accounts. One example is the fact that the tens of thousands of Chinese who toiled to lay the railroad bed and track from Sacramento California to Promontory Pass, Utah did so under the most grueling of conditions, including tunneling UNDER the Sierra Nevada mountain range...in the winter! Another example is the fact that although the joining of the East and the West by the first continuous railroad was a fantastic feat in itself, the Chinese actually get very little credit in a historical sense.
Gordon Chang sets out to reverse that error, and without undue emphasis on the social disparity these immigrants faced in California's early years, he challenges the reader to consider that without the Chinese labor force, the Transcontinental Railroad's outcome may have been severely changed.
This book is astounding on several accounts. One example is the fact that the tens of thousands of Chinese who toiled to lay the railroad bed and track from Sacramento California to Promontory Pass, Utah did so under the most grueling of conditions, including tunneling UNDER the Sierra Nevada mountain range...in the winter! Another example is the fact that although the joining of the East and the West by the first continuous railroad was a fantastic feat in itself, the Chinese actually get very little credit in a historical sense.
Gordon Chang sets out to reverse that error, and without undue emphasis on the social disparity these immigrants faced in California's early years, he challenges the reader to consider that without the Chinese labor force, the Transcontinental Railroad's outcome may have been severely changed.
sarahdittmore's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
4.0
Growing up in California, I’ve always been aware of the fact that Chinese immigrants were largely responsible for building the western half of the transcontinental railroad, however, I grew up knowing very little about what that actually looked like. This book does a great job of debunking myths and shining a light on the reality of the life and work conditions of the Railroad Chinese. Though dense and dry at times, I got a great picture of this time period and definitely learned a ton!