George Hearst

Silver King of the Gilded Age

By: Matthew Bernstein

Write A Review

Hardcover | 19 August 2021

At a Glance

Hardcover
274 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
22.9 x 15.2

Hardcover

$116.75

or 4 interest-free payments of $29.19 with

Ships in 10 to 15 business days

Rising from a Missouri boyhood and meager prospecting success to owning the most productive copper, silver, and gold mines in the world and being elected a United States senator, George Hearst (1820–91) spent decades veering between the heights of prosperity and the depths of financial ruin. In George Hearst: Silver King of the Gilded Age, Matthew Bernstein captures Hearst’s ascent, casting light on his actions during the Civil War, his tempestuous marriage to his cousin Phoebe, his role as disciplinarian and doting father to future media magnate William Randolph Hearst, and his devious methods of building the greatest mining empire in the West.

Whether driving a pack of mules laden with silver from the Comstock Lode to San Francisco, bribing jurors in Pioche and Deadwood, or unearthing bonanzas in Utah and Montana Territories, Hearst’s cunning, energy, and industry were always evident, along with occasional glimmers of the villainy ascribed to him in the television series Deadwood.

In this first full-length biography, George Hearst emerges in all his human dimensions and historical significance—an ambitious, complex, flawed, and quintessentially American character.

Industry Reviews

"...a first-rate biography...Bernstein does his research and writes well..." - Historynet.com

"...Mr. Bernstein, a professor of English at Los Angeles City College, keeps it sprightly and engaging. Hearst's tireless questing has a fascination to it..."
--The Wall Street Journal

"A great telling of a rags to riches story." -- A Book with Legs Podcast

"As author Matthew Bernstein writes so eloquently, 'Hearst was the most famous miner in American history' ... And with Bernstein's biography, Hearst will be remembered again as one of America's greatest 19th-century entrepreneurs..."--True West

"In George Hearst, Silver King of the Gilded Age, Matthew Bernstein provides a folksy romp through the mining, cattle, political, and newspaper worlds of nineteenth-century America. This well-researched biography is guaranteed to inform and entertain."-- Nancy J. Taniguchi, author of Dirty Deeds: Land, Violence, and the 1856 San Francisco Vigilance Committee

"Matthew Bernstein's lively biography of George Hearst will ignite the interest of multitudes of readers. This is narrative western biography at its best." -- Richard W. Etulain, author of Thunder in the West: The Life and Legends of Billy the Kid

Shipping

	Standard Shipping	Express Shipping
Metro postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Regional postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Rural postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95

Orders over $79.00 qualify for free shipping.

How to return your order

At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.

Additional postage charges may be applicable.