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The Bonanza King: John Mackay and the Battle over the Greatest Riches in the American West
“A monumentally researched biography of one of the nineteenth century’s wealthiest self-made Americans…Well-written and worthwhile” ( The Wall Street Journal ) it’s the rags-to-riches frontier tale of an Irish immigrant who outwits, outworks, and outmaneuvers thousands of rivals to take control of Nevada’s Comstock Lode.
Born in 1831, John W. Mackay was a penniless Irish immigrant who came of age in New York City, went to California during the Gold Rush, and mined without much luck for eight years. When he heard of riches found on the other side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in 1859, Mackay abandoned his claim and walked a hundred miles to the Comstock Lode in Nevada.
Over the course of the next dozen years, Mackay worked his way up from nothing, thwarting the pernicious “Bank Ring” monopoly to seize control of the most concentrated cache of precious metals ever found on earth, the legendary “Big Bonanza,” a stupendously rich body of gold and silver ore discovered 1,500 feet beneath the streets of Virginia City, the ultimate Old West boomtown. But for the ore to be worth anything it had to be found, claimed, and successfully extracted, each step requiring enormous risk and the creation of an entirely new industry.
Now Gregory Crouch tells Mackay’s amazing story—how he extracted the ore from deep underground and used his vast mining fortune to crush the transatlantic telegraph monopoly of the notorious Jay Gould. “No one does a better job than Crouch when he explores the subject of mining, and no one does a better job than he when he describes the hardscrabble lives of miners” ( San Francisco Chronicle ). Featuring great period photographs and maps, The Bonanza King is a dazzling tour de force, a riveting history of Virginia City, Nevada, the Comstock Lode, and America itself.
Born in 1831, John W. Mackay was a penniless Irish immigrant who came of age in New York City, went to California during the Gold Rush, and mined without much luck for eight years. When he heard of riches found on the other side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in 1859, Mackay abandoned his claim and walked a hundred miles to the Comstock Lode in Nevada.
Over the course of the next dozen years, Mackay worked his way up from nothing, thwarting the pernicious “Bank Ring” monopoly to seize control of the most concentrated cache of precious metals ever found on earth, the legendary “Big Bonanza,” a stupendously rich body of gold and silver ore discovered 1,500 feet beneath the streets of Virginia City, the ultimate Old West boomtown. But for the ore to be worth anything it had to be found, claimed, and successfully extracted, each step requiring enormous risk and the creation of an entirely new industry.
Now Gregory Crouch tells Mackay’s amazing story—how he extracted the ore from deep underground and used his vast mining fortune to crush the transatlantic telegraph monopoly of the notorious Jay Gould. “No one does a better job than Crouch when he explores the subject of mining, and no one does a better job than he when he describes the hardscrabble lives of miners” ( San Francisco Chronicle ). Featuring great period photographs and maps, The Bonanza King is a dazzling tour de force, a riveting history of Virginia City, Nevada, the Comstock Lode, and America itself.
480 pages, Hardcover
First published June 19, 2018
About the author
Gregory Crouch
11 books52 followersGregory Crouch is an author who specializes in adventurous and historic subjects.
Most recently, he is the author of The Bonanza King: John Mackay and the Battle Over the Greatest Riches in the American West (Scribner, 2018). Crouch also wrote the true-life World War II flying adventure China’s Wings (Bantam, 2012) and the mountaineering memoir Enduring Patagonia (Random House, 2001).
Crouch has reviewed more than 30 books for the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, New York Times Book Review, and NPR Books, among others, and has published stories in The Atlantic, National Geographic, National Geographic Adventure, Smithsonian, Time, American History, World War II, Islands, Outside, Popular Mechanics, Backpacker, and many other national and regional media, and dozens of adventure stories for Rock & Ice, Ascent, Alpinist, and Climbing, where he was a senior contributing editor. He is also the author of Goldline: Stories of Climbing Adventure and Tradition (The Mountaineers, 2001) and Route Finding: Navigating with a Map and Compass (Falcon, 1999).
Crouch and his work have been quoted in the New York Times, Newsweek, The Atlantic, Forbes, Nautilus, Alpinist, the Washington Post, the South China Morning Post, and by NPR.
A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, Crouch also completed U.S. Army Airborne and Ranger schools and led two infantry platoons. He left the Army to pursue other interests, most notably in rock and ice climbing and high-stakes international mountaineering. He developed a particular obsession with the storm-swept peaks of Patagonia and made seven expeditions to those remote mountains, where he made a number of world-class first ascents.
Most recently, he is the author of The Bonanza King: John Mackay and the Battle Over the Greatest Riches in the American West (Scribner, 2018). Crouch also wrote the true-life World War II flying adventure China’s Wings (Bantam, 2012) and the mountaineering memoir Enduring Patagonia (Random House, 2001).
Crouch has reviewed more than 30 books for the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, New York Times Book Review, and NPR Books, among others, and has published stories in The Atlantic, National Geographic, National Geographic Adventure, Smithsonian, Time, American History, World War II, Islands, Outside, Popular Mechanics, Backpacker, and many other national and regional media, and dozens of adventure stories for Rock & Ice, Ascent, Alpinist, and Climbing, where he was a senior contributing editor. He is also the author of Goldline: Stories of Climbing Adventure and Tradition (The Mountaineers, 2001) and Route Finding: Navigating with a Map and Compass (Falcon, 1999).
Crouch and his work have been quoted in the New York Times, Newsweek, The Atlantic, Forbes, Nautilus, Alpinist, the Washington Post, the South China Morning Post, and by NPR.
A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, Crouch also completed U.S. Army Airborne and Ranger schools and led two infantry platoons. He left the Army to pursue other interests, most notably in rock and ice climbing and high-stakes international mountaineering. He developed a particular obsession with the storm-swept peaks of Patagonia and made seven expeditions to those remote mountains, where he made a number of world-class first ascents.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
May 6, 2024
John Mackay was an admirable man, and this is a classic American rags-to-riches story. The Comstock Lode itself was just astonishing, and the Big Bonanza even more so. One of a kind! In the 20 bonanza years, the Comstock produced something like $545 billion in 2019 dollars. Wow.
Mackay was a self-taught mining man, and got very good at it. His mines were well-run, and his personal integrity was impressive. Mind, the author fell in love with his subject a bit, but the independent reading I've done also portrays Mackay very favorably. The Mackay School of Mines in Reno was named in his honor.
More than I wanted to know, in parts -- but the depth of Crouch's research is impressive. 3.5 stars, rounded up. Recommended for those interested in Western, mining, and industrial history.
Mackay was a self-taught mining man, and got very good at it. His mines were well-run, and his personal integrity was impressive. Mind, the author fell in love with his subject a bit, but the independent reading I've done also portrays Mackay very favorably. The Mackay School of Mines in Reno was named in his honor.
More than I wanted to know, in parts -- but the depth of Crouch's research is impressive. 3.5 stars, rounded up. Recommended for those interested in Western, mining, and industrial history.
June 16, 2018
The Bonanza King is history told by that cool teacher you had in school, the one you remember making you actually want to go to class. (Shout out to Mike O’Toole and Carl Guarneri). If you have any desire to learn about life in the old west, you need to read this book.
Full review can be found here: http://paulspicks.blog/2018/06/11/the...
Please check out all my reviews: https://paulspicks.blog
Full review can be found here: http://paulspicks.blog/2018/06/11/the...
Please check out all my reviews: https://paulspicks.blog
October 30, 2019
My husband picked this book up at our local Costco before our June vacation this past summer. As he read it, he would share fun facts from the book about the area we live in. Honestly, I was not all that interested, preferring to read the "beach" picks I had brought along. Then a few months after returning home, an invitation arrived in the mail. My husband proclaimed an upcoming "date night". The author, Gregory Crouch, was coming to the university and we were going to a reception with Crouch as the honored guest and then to a lecture about the book. My attention was captured. And yet I still procrastinated on getting it to he top of my to read pile. Date night came and went. The author was gracious to all at the reception and the lecture was outstanding. Interesting. Fact filled. Humorous. Captivating. I had never been so interested in history and places local to me. Through Couch's oral story-telling I will never be able to take them for granted again.
So I moved the book up in the pile. I was still a bit intimidated by its heft. Finally, it was time. The literary genius of Crouch was apparent from page one. The story was compelling immediately. The depth of the material was such that I read slowly wanting to know every person and place. This is a fabulous work. I recommend ALL readers - who enjoy biography, history, and/or especially reside in or around Nevada - pick it up. You will cherish the time you spend in the bonanza. Everyone who has been in conversations around me these last weeks, from happy hour to grocery store to soccer tournament to scheduled meetings, has heard about this book and a fun fact(s) about Mackay or Nevada. Crouch masterfully crafted an entertaining, informative, rich work befitting the honest and hard working Mackay. Intended or not, there are nuggets throughout that future generations can mine. I honestly did not want The Bonanza King: John Mackay and the Battle over the Greatest Riches in the American West to end. But I believe it to be just the beginning - of learning more about my local treasures and reading Crouch's other works.
So I moved the book up in the pile. I was still a bit intimidated by its heft. Finally, it was time. The literary genius of Crouch was apparent from page one. The story was compelling immediately. The depth of the material was such that I read slowly wanting to know every person and place. This is a fabulous work. I recommend ALL readers - who enjoy biography, history, and/or especially reside in or around Nevada - pick it up. You will cherish the time you spend in the bonanza. Everyone who has been in conversations around me these last weeks, from happy hour to grocery store to soccer tournament to scheduled meetings, has heard about this book and a fun fact(s) about Mackay or Nevada. Crouch masterfully crafted an entertaining, informative, rich work befitting the honest and hard working Mackay. Intended or not, there are nuggets throughout that future generations can mine. I honestly did not want The Bonanza King: John Mackay and the Battle over the Greatest Riches in the American West to end. But I believe it to be just the beginning - of learning more about my local treasures and reading Crouch's other works.
January 9, 2019
Thanks to Net Galley for making this book available.
Fascinating biography of John Mackey, the wealthiest 19th century American giant of industry that you have never heard of! The son of Irish immigrants raised in NY tenements, 49er, common miner (above and below ground), hard worker, manager, mine and mill owner, bank owner, and more. If you know anything about California history, you will recognize a lot of the names associated with the Comstock Lode and Virginia City, NV.
Before all that he was the child of Irish immigrants. He grew up in a NY slum and sold newspapers. He was a 49er. He was a common miner, both placer and below ground. He worked hard, had a little luck, and succeeded beyond his wildest dreams.
While Mackay and his wife Louise Hungerford Bryant are both very interesting, this book is also full of other interesting details. The names of those heavily involved in the Comstock will be very familiar to many interested in California history (Hearst, Sutro, Clemens/Twain, etc). The technical advances in mining the occurred around the Comstock lode were amazing--from the braking system on the lifts (which was then applied to create SF's cable cars), to the mills, to the timbering system. Mackay's ways of working around his problems by creating competition occur again and again.
Crouch certainly did his research--the bibliography is large and varied. I was a little confused by the book endnotes vs the chapter endnotes (I prefer footnotes myself). There were some things that I found missing, especially given how comprehensive this book is: 1) the system of adding shares to the mines is not explained. Were these stock splits (2 for 1, 3 for 1) or were they additional shares created to be sold? It matters, as splits would mean every shareholder had to pay more in assessments (and might force some to sell), but any one owner's dividend total would stay the same; while adding new shares to sell would decrease dividends per share; and 2) despite the many mentions of the huge amounts of mercury used to mill Comstock ore, Crouch never mentions the New Almaden mercury mine outside San Jose. Is this where their mercury came from? If they got it elsewhere, why?
Fascinating biography of John Mackey, the wealthiest 19th century American giant of industry that you have never heard of! The son of Irish immigrants raised in NY tenements, 49er, common miner (above and below ground), hard worker, manager, mine and mill owner, bank owner, and more. If you know anything about California history, you will recognize a lot of the names associated with the Comstock Lode and Virginia City, NV.
Before all that he was the child of Irish immigrants. He grew up in a NY slum and sold newspapers. He was a 49er. He was a common miner, both placer and below ground. He worked hard, had a little luck, and succeeded beyond his wildest dreams.
While Mackay and his wife Louise Hungerford Bryant are both very interesting, this book is also full of other interesting details. The names of those heavily involved in the Comstock will be very familiar to many interested in California history (Hearst, Sutro, Clemens/Twain, etc). The technical advances in mining the occurred around the Comstock lode were amazing--from the braking system on the lifts (which was then applied to create SF's cable cars), to the mills, to the timbering system. Mackay's ways of working around his problems by creating competition occur again and again.
Crouch certainly did his research--the bibliography is large and varied. I was a little confused by the book endnotes vs the chapter endnotes (I prefer footnotes myself). There were some things that I found missing, especially given how comprehensive this book is: 1) the system of adding shares to the mines is not explained. Were these stock splits (2 for 1, 3 for 1) or were they additional shares created to be sold? It matters, as splits would mean every shareholder had to pay more in assessments (and might force some to sell), but any one owner's dividend total would stay the same; while adding new shares to sell would decrease dividends per share; and 2) despite the many mentions of the huge amounts of mercury used to mill Comstock ore, Crouch never mentions the New Almaden mercury mine outside San Jose. Is this where their mercury came from? If they got it elsewhere, why?
November 24, 2018
I am one of those weirdos who at least skims the acknowledgment pages of books, hoping to find someone I know. My son, as a university special collections librarian, is in these acknowledgments, so that was the number one selling point. The other was that Virginia City, Nevada, was part of my stomping grounds as a kid. I've had good times drinking in the Delta Saloon of touristy, modern-day Virginia City, and I've tramped its surrounding hills and old mine tailings on childhood rock-hunting trips with my grandparents and gone through some of the old buildings on ghost-hunting expeditions. There's a lot of fun to be had in Virginia City.
This book is not about rocks or ghosts; it's a history of the Comstock Lode and a biography of John Mackay, a fabulous rags-to-riches story of an Irish immigrant who journeyed from hawking newspapers on NYC street corners, to toiling through the California Gold Rush, to becoming one of the richest men in the world through honest labor and business savvy. Few deserved it more than Mackay, who remained down-to-earth and likable despite his unimaginable wealth. He stayed at the top by treating his employees well, jealously guarding his good name and reputation, and successfully taking on some notably unscrupuled heavy hitters of the time, including Jay Gould and William Sharon and his notorious Bank Ring. I might have learned more than I'd ever planned to about the science and engineering involved in mining, and I'm okay with that. It was fascinating.
Mary Jane Simpson was AWESOME. I'm talking about the mule, not the newspaper correspondent, although I'm sure she was a very nice person. But this mule!
It's not an easy-breezey read; I had to renew my library copy twice, and I'm frankly surprised they didn't email me saying, "You've had it long enough. Give it back. Go buy your own." Which I probably will.
This book is not about rocks or ghosts; it's a history of the Comstock Lode and a biography of John Mackay, a fabulous rags-to-riches story of an Irish immigrant who journeyed from hawking newspapers on NYC street corners, to toiling through the California Gold Rush, to becoming one of the richest men in the world through honest labor and business savvy. Few deserved it more than Mackay, who remained down-to-earth and likable despite his unimaginable wealth. He stayed at the top by treating his employees well, jealously guarding his good name and reputation, and successfully taking on some notably unscrupuled heavy hitters of the time, including Jay Gould and William Sharon and his notorious Bank Ring. I might have learned more than I'd ever planned to about the science and engineering involved in mining, and I'm okay with that. It was fascinating.
Mary Jane Simpson was AWESOME. I'm talking about the mule, not the newspaper correspondent, although I'm sure she was a very nice person. But this mule!
It's not an easy-breezey read; I had to renew my library copy twice, and I'm frankly surprised they didn't email me saying, "You've had it long enough. Give it back. Go buy your own." Which I probably will.
July 23, 2018
“It’s a John Mackay!”
No one objected to my reviewing my own book with CHINA’S WINGS, so I’m doing it again.
Wow did I ever have fun researching and writing THE BONANZA KING. Best thing about these projects is the vision of vanished worlds and forgotten people I end up carrying around in my head. I did my best to get them out and onto the page.
I hope people enjoy their time with John and Louise Mackay and “the rats of the lower galleries” as much as I have.
No one objected to my reviewing my own book with CHINA’S WINGS, so I’m doing it again.
Wow did I ever have fun researching and writing THE BONANZA KING. Best thing about these projects is the vision of vanished worlds and forgotten people I end up carrying around in my head. I did my best to get them out and onto the page.
I hope people enjoy their time with John and Louise Mackay and “the rats of the lower galleries” as much as I have.
September 11, 2020
John Mackay deserves more attention in these modern times. He came from very modest circumstances when he immigrated from Ireland. Through very hard work and some luck he unlocked much of the wealth of the Comstock lode. That would be a good story on its own. But Crouch paints a picture of two things which make the story even better. First, Mackay, even though he became one of the richest men in America of the end of the Nineteenth Century, never lost his common touch. He treated people from his workers to his competitors fairly and he was often the first on the job and the last off. He remained modest and devoted to his wife and family.
At the same time the book puts his accomplishments in context of all of the major figures in the growth of mining in California and Nevada. As the Comstock grew in importance a series of financial types tried to manipulate the value of the undiscovered properties - Mackay spent his time understanding the possibilities of the ores in his area - while he had to speculate (in the nature of the business) he focused on value. At the end of his book the story of how he took on Jay Gould who was trying to corner the telegraphy and Atlantic cable business is presented.
What was also interesting to me about this biography is that as Mackay grew in wealth he made a series of trips to Europe and to the east coast of the US - the complexity of that travel got simpler but not easy.
Crouch has an optimistic but realistic style. I liked this book.
At the same time the book puts his accomplishments in context of all of the major figures in the growth of mining in California and Nevada. As the Comstock grew in importance a series of financial types tried to manipulate the value of the undiscovered properties - Mackay spent his time understanding the possibilities of the ores in his area - while he had to speculate (in the nature of the business) he focused on value. At the end of his book the story of how he took on Jay Gould who was trying to corner the telegraphy and Atlantic cable business is presented.
What was also interesting to me about this biography is that as Mackay grew in wealth he made a series of trips to Europe and to the east coast of the US - the complexity of that travel got simpler but not easy.
Crouch has an optimistic but realistic style. I liked this book.
October 18, 2018
A very good book about the history of old California and of the perseverance of men and women of the old west. John Mackay originally from Ireland, then five points New York and then made his way to California during the gold rush. Finding no luck he would walk 100 miles over the Sierra’s to what would become the Comstock mines and through hard work he would end up becoming many years later the 19th richest man according to Forbes. He would always continue to work in the mines even after his wealth, he would pay the workers top dollar. Some of the engineering ideas that they came up with back then for shoring up the tunnels for one are still used in today’s mines. He would fight with business men and bankers that would try to take over the mines with ways that they did not expect a simple miner to come up with, but he learned everything as he went along. Even when he married and years later moved his family to Europe he would still work inside the mine. He would be shot, accused of many falsehoods all for the sake of taking over the Comstock. The author goes into the history of not only the area at the time but also what was going on in the country. At one time the amount of bullion coming out of the Comstock was minting 42% of the money in the U.S. that is large amount for just one place, so you can see how he became rich along with his partners. A good well written book, full of information and if you like history a very good read. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com
September 19, 2018
I knews zilch about the Comstock Lode. This book tells me more that I could imagine,. Intricately researched and well written, I got a real feel for the hgih times and low of The Big Bonanza and the people who made it happen. Wild West capitalism at it's best--and worst. I was totally unfamiliar with John Mackay, and hope to find a full length bio of him. Anyone who could beat the Bank of california AND Jay Gould at their own game is my hero. And what a work ethic.
If you are interested in the history of the American West, this book is for you.
One small quibble. What happened to Mackay's mother and sister in NYC and Louisa Hungerford MacKay's parents? They all just disappeared, though I can understand why Mr. Hungerford's disappearance would be welcome.
If you are interested in the history of the American West, this book is for you.
One small quibble. What happened to Mackay's mother and sister in NYC and Louisa Hungerford MacKay's parents? They all just disappeared, though I can understand why Mr. Hungerford's disappearance would be welcome.
June 26, 2018
I received a free Kindle copy of The Bonanza King by Gregory Crouch courtesy of Net Galley and Scribner, the publisher. It was with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and my fiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google Plus pages.
I requested this book as I am an avid reader of American history and the description of the book sounded interesting and covered a subject about which I have not previously read. This is the first book by Gregory Crouch that I have read.
I found this book to be well researched, written and an very interesting read. The author's writing style makes it more like you are reading a novel versus a piece of history.
The main subject of the book is John MacKay and how he became one of the wealthiest men in America through persistent hard work and wise business decisions. The book also covers in details the early history of mining in the western United States starting with the California Golf Rush. Significant time is also dedicated to MacKay's involvement in the early communications infrastructure. The book ends with what happens to the main characters in the book and to the empire that MacKay built.
The book really resonated wth me as I am very familiar with the area around Downieville, California (my in-laws lived there for several years) and MacKay spent some significant time in the area.
I recommend this book to those who are interested in American hisotry and to those who have an interest as to how mining developed in the western United States.
I requested this book as I am an avid reader of American history and the description of the book sounded interesting and covered a subject about which I have not previously read. This is the first book by Gregory Crouch that I have read.
I found this book to be well researched, written and an very interesting read. The author's writing style makes it more like you are reading a novel versus a piece of history.
The main subject of the book is John MacKay and how he became one of the wealthiest men in America through persistent hard work and wise business decisions. The book also covers in details the early history of mining in the western United States starting with the California Golf Rush. Significant time is also dedicated to MacKay's involvement in the early communications infrastructure. The book ends with what happens to the main characters in the book and to the empire that MacKay built.
The book really resonated wth me as I am very familiar with the area around Downieville, California (my in-laws lived there for several years) and MacKay spent some significant time in the area.
I recommend this book to those who are interested in American hisotry and to those who have an interest as to how mining developed in the western United States.
June 30, 2018
This is exemplary in research and information. I found this book fascinating as I have a love of California history. The author has written a fascinating story of one of the primary individuals involved in the Gold Rush.
Nearly 150 years ago John Mackay came to America from Ireland with a work ethic and the courage to stand above the rest. He had one goal. to amass wealth. He first worked as a newspaper boy , shipbuilder . then miner and became one of the richest men in the world by the his early 40s.
This is a fascinating detailed history of John Mackay’s rise in the American West. He sees opportunity as San Francisco becomes a major financial and cultural center on the back of the Gold Rush. John Mackay made the most of it amassing a huge fortune .yet he was not content to rest until he owned it all. He was extraordinary in his vision and his drive.
During the 20-year period of the Gold Rush boom, production was estimated at $306 million of Mackay’s Virginia City and California mines, Much of his wealth was found in mines under today's Virginia City. I found him a fascinating historical character and loved reading about this time of history so very well documented. This is one of my favorite books on California history. Very well done to the author. I highly recommend this book A great book to buy to add to your personal collection.
Nearly 150 years ago John Mackay came to America from Ireland with a work ethic and the courage to stand above the rest. He had one goal. to amass wealth. He first worked as a newspaper boy , shipbuilder . then miner and became one of the richest men in the world by the his early 40s.
This is a fascinating detailed history of John Mackay’s rise in the American West. He sees opportunity as San Francisco becomes a major financial and cultural center on the back of the Gold Rush. John Mackay made the most of it amassing a huge fortune .yet he was not content to rest until he owned it all. He was extraordinary in his vision and his drive.
During the 20-year period of the Gold Rush boom, production was estimated at $306 million of Mackay’s Virginia City and California mines, Much of his wealth was found in mines under today's Virginia City. I found him a fascinating historical character and loved reading about this time of history so very well documented. This is one of my favorite books on California history. Very well done to the author. I highly recommend this book A great book to buy to add to your personal collection.
November 1, 2018
This really deserves 4.75 stars. Nicely researched, well-written, informative, with only a few digressions. The author closes with the observation we only know about the liars, thieves, and scoundrels. The good-guys fade from history. John Mackay is one of the good guys. You will probably learn more about mining than you might want, but along the way you will find out about the potato famine, 1830s New York Five-Points (hell hole), and early stock manipulators. Good read for fans of American History, a good read for lovers of biography. It's a big book (481 pages), but worth your time. Not getting the reviews it should. Recommended.
October 23, 2022
I picked this up at the Library because I like Western history and also because I know nothing about mining. Well, I can't say the second part anymore. After reading this, I feel like I know SOMETHING about mining now. The story is classic rags-to-riches and is told very well by Mr. Crouch. It's one of the more entertaining non-fiction books I've read in a while. Recommend highly!
Also, I love how Mr. Crouch handled citations. He has an entire web-site devoted to them which included digital copies of many of the primary sources. Kinda hope that idea catches on.
Also, I love how Mr. Crouch handled citations. He has an entire web-site devoted to them which included digital copies of many of the primary sources. Kinda hope that idea catches on.
October 22, 2018
Why have I never heard of John Mackay? One of the richest Americans ever? A true rags-to-riches story.
April 4, 2019
A meticulously researched and very thorough accounting of a man, a time, and a place. Having grown up in Northern Nevada, I was familiar with the names and general outline of the story: John Mackay and a bunch of other miners hit it rich in Virginia City's Comstock Lode around the time of the Civil War after a bunch of previous miners failed to recognize the true value of the bluish clay they were tossing aside while searching for gold. As a result, John Mackay is remembered in the form of a mining school at the University and his name graces the college football stadium. Turns out, that barely scratches the surface.
John Mackay rose from a mud hut in Ireland where he shared rooms with the family pig to mansions in Paris and London, all on the back of his own tireless hard work and good fortune. Mackay rose from slinging newspapers in New York's Five Points slum, to building ships, to rushing California searching for gold, to developing the Comstock Lode into the most productive mining area of its day. After he finished with the Lode, he turned his eye towards modernizing and reducing the costs of transcontinental telegraph service. Mackay's rise was accompanied by his wife's climb from a seamstress and tutor clinging to existence in Virginia City to hosting fetes for former presidents in her mansion near the Arc de Triomphe.
The immense wealth contained in the Comstock Lode and collected by Mackay (and, to his credit, disbursed to his shareholders) is almost unfathomable. Crouch does a great job providing regular running tallies of the amounts of cash being disgorged from the mines and translating those figures into modern-day numbers. Mackay's wealth would put him into the same stratosphere as today's tech billionaires. The research put into this book really shines in the small details of Mackay's life, including how he spent his money. During performances at Piper's Opera House (a building he once dynamited in an attempt to stop a fire from gutting the entire city), he would poke his head out of the front door minutes before show time, see the street urchins hanging around outside, and ask the proprietor "how much for the bunch?" to get them into the show, and then pay their way. While driving his horse and buggy through Virginia City's snows, he'd allow the kids to tie their sleds to the back of his buggy to get a free tow to the top of the town's hills.
Even as someone who grew up in the shadow of Mackay and the Comstock Lode, it's amazing to me how little well-remembered Mackay and his cohorts are today. His wealth stacked up with all of the great fortunes of his time and he was highly respected by the general public throughout his life. Mackay recognized the value that his name carried as a sign of reliability when he put it on the line to drive down the costs of transatlantic cables in the late 1800s. His company couldn't financially keep up with the slash and burn prices of Western Union so he issued press releases making his case directly to the press and the people to ensure their ongoing support in his attempt to break Western Union's unfair monopoly. And it worked. His name became so synonymous with things of high quality that the phrase "That's a John Mackay" became short-hand. Crouch suggests that Mackay is not remembered today for exactly that reason. Scandals get remembered and quiet reliability gets forgotten. That's unfortunate because Mackay's story is a truly American story: an immigrant able to raise himself from astonishing poverty to the heights of industry who did it through his own hard work and honest dealings and who then turned his wealth towards benefiting the country that made it all possible.
John Mackay rose from a mud hut in Ireland where he shared rooms with the family pig to mansions in Paris and London, all on the back of his own tireless hard work and good fortune. Mackay rose from slinging newspapers in New York's Five Points slum, to building ships, to rushing California searching for gold, to developing the Comstock Lode into the most productive mining area of its day. After he finished with the Lode, he turned his eye towards modernizing and reducing the costs of transcontinental telegraph service. Mackay's rise was accompanied by his wife's climb from a seamstress and tutor clinging to existence in Virginia City to hosting fetes for former presidents in her mansion near the Arc de Triomphe.
The immense wealth contained in the Comstock Lode and collected by Mackay (and, to his credit, disbursed to his shareholders) is almost unfathomable. Crouch does a great job providing regular running tallies of the amounts of cash being disgorged from the mines and translating those figures into modern-day numbers. Mackay's wealth would put him into the same stratosphere as today's tech billionaires. The research put into this book really shines in the small details of Mackay's life, including how he spent his money. During performances at Piper's Opera House (a building he once dynamited in an attempt to stop a fire from gutting the entire city), he would poke his head out of the front door minutes before show time, see the street urchins hanging around outside, and ask the proprietor "how much for the bunch?" to get them into the show, and then pay their way. While driving his horse and buggy through Virginia City's snows, he'd allow the kids to tie their sleds to the back of his buggy to get a free tow to the top of the town's hills.
Even as someone who grew up in the shadow of Mackay and the Comstock Lode, it's amazing to me how little well-remembered Mackay and his cohorts are today. His wealth stacked up with all of the great fortunes of his time and he was highly respected by the general public throughout his life. Mackay recognized the value that his name carried as a sign of reliability when he put it on the line to drive down the costs of transatlantic cables in the late 1800s. His company couldn't financially keep up with the slash and burn prices of Western Union so he issued press releases making his case directly to the press and the people to ensure their ongoing support in his attempt to break Western Union's unfair monopoly. And it worked. His name became so synonymous with things of high quality that the phrase "That's a John Mackay" became short-hand. Crouch suggests that Mackay is not remembered today for exactly that reason. Scandals get remembered and quiet reliability gets forgotten. That's unfortunate because Mackay's story is a truly American story: an immigrant able to raise himself from astonishing poverty to the heights of industry who did it through his own hard work and honest dealings and who then turned his wealth towards benefiting the country that made it all possible.
August 24, 2018
History books should all be written like this one – and the best ones are. When I first began reading the book I was immediately struck by Greg Crouch’s writing style. At the very beginning I was hooked and knew I was in for a great learning experience. I made a comment to that effect in communicating with the editorial and promotional people at Simon & Schuster and they agreed, adding: “Greg’s writing style really builds to a crescendo -- I found myself almost racing when I got the last few chapters. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did, especially about Mackay’s battle with Jay Gould!”
Indeed they were correct in their analysis! The book begins with a bit of Irish history, specifically the plight of so many Irish families forced to leave their homeland during the great potato famine. To understand the man John Mackay, one needs to understand his childhood and what his family endured, and just as importantly how they lived after arriving in America. It wasn’t easy and even though they were better off, they remained poor and struggling as did many other Irish immigrants.
However, John Mackay eventually worked his way to success the old fashioned way – he worked hard and earned it. Along the way, he had many friends and more than a few enemies who would try and stand in his way. The style in which Greg Crouch relates the story, which by the way includes a thorough and well-researched narrative of the gold and silver rushes of the nineteenth century, makes the book a compelling read. If you’re interested in learning more about those heady days, don’t miss it.
Indeed they were correct in their analysis! The book begins with a bit of Irish history, specifically the plight of so many Irish families forced to leave their homeland during the great potato famine. To understand the man John Mackay, one needs to understand his childhood and what his family endured, and just as importantly how they lived after arriving in America. It wasn’t easy and even though they were better off, they remained poor and struggling as did many other Irish immigrants.
However, John Mackay eventually worked his way to success the old fashioned way – he worked hard and earned it. Along the way, he had many friends and more than a few enemies who would try and stand in his way. The style in which Greg Crouch relates the story, which by the way includes a thorough and well-researched narrative of the gold and silver rushes of the nineteenth century, makes the book a compelling read. If you’re interested in learning more about those heady days, don’t miss it.
December 6, 2018
I give The Bonanza King five out of five stars for the compelling story of John W. Mackay’s rags to riches life. Included is a great narrative on the expansion of the United States and the evolution of California and Nevada, as they became states. The old West is vividly brought to life and strengthened my appreciation for the hardships many of the first settlers faced. The dangers of being a miner and living in the early west are well portrayed and often heart wrenching.
I like how the author not only illustrates the rise of John Mackey from the condition he was born into, but also that of his wife Louise. They are a harrowing pair who persevered, worked hard, and lived fascinating lives. What a wonderful pair to research and feature in a book. I think my favorite observations of the couple and their personal qualities were from General Ulysses S. Grant during his world tour as President of the United States. I agree with the former presidents opinions of John Mackay after learning about his actions to save the mines and livelihood of so many during the disastrous fire that swept through Virginia City.
I’m from Minnesota, but I’ve had the good fortune of traveling to some of the places featured in the book, including: San Francisco, Reno, and Virginia City. I liked connecting my memories of the rugged Sierra Desert Mountains and historic city areas to the history outlined in the book. I enjoyed learning how gold mining claims were made and worked at the beginning of the gold rush. Also how the engineering and trade of mining evolved, and how this influenced United States culture and politics in the 19th century.
I like how the author not only illustrates the rise of John Mackey from the condition he was born into, but also that of his wife Louise. They are a harrowing pair who persevered, worked hard, and lived fascinating lives. What a wonderful pair to research and feature in a book. I think my favorite observations of the couple and their personal qualities were from General Ulysses S. Grant during his world tour as President of the United States. I agree with the former presidents opinions of John Mackay after learning about his actions to save the mines and livelihood of so many during the disastrous fire that swept through Virginia City.
I’m from Minnesota, but I’ve had the good fortune of traveling to some of the places featured in the book, including: San Francisco, Reno, and Virginia City. I liked connecting my memories of the rugged Sierra Desert Mountains and historic city areas to the history outlined in the book. I enjoyed learning how gold mining claims were made and worked at the beginning of the gold rush. Also how the engineering and trade of mining evolved, and how this influenced United States culture and politics in the 19th century.
November 7, 2018
A very good book about the history of old California and of the perseverance of men and women of the old west. John Mackay originally from Ireland, then five points New York and then made his way to California during the gold rush. Finding no luck he would walk 100 miles over the Sierra’s to what would become the Comstock mines and through hard work he would end up becoming many years later the 19th richest man according to Forbes. He would always continue to work in the mines even after his wealth, he would pay the workers top dollar. Some of the engineering ideas that they came up with back then for shoring up the tunnels for one are still used in today’s mines. He would fight with businessmen and bankers that would try to take over the mines with ways that they did not expect a simple miner to come up with, but he learned everything as he went along. Even when he married and years later moved his family to Europe he would still work inside the mine. He would be shot, accused of many falsehoods all for the sake of taking over the Comstock. The author goes into the history of not only the area at the time but also what was going on in the country. At one time the amount of bullion coming out of the Comstock was minting 42% of the money in the U.S. that is a large amount for just one place, so you can see how he became rich along with his partners. A good well-written book, full of information and if you like history a very good read. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com
March 16, 2019
A superb rags-to-riches that clearly explains the combination of know-how, alliances, and pure serendipity needed to amass ownership and control over emerging industries. I was enthralled with Mackay's story, and the writing was riveting. Crouch's book provided engaging character stories, while spending equal if not more time "drilling" into the details of how mines were built, and Mackay's personal contributions to progress in that highly technical and dangerous endeavor. Significant attention was paid to Mackay's influence (and that of his wife's) in society around them, whether it was the gritty towns in Nevada, his treatment of employees, the streets of San Francisco, far-flung Wall Street, or the society and salons of Paris and London. This book, like no other, points to the importance of established law in the assignment and disposition of property, because Mackay's seed capital was really established through his friend Mr. Walker, who was able - through his legal maneuevers and travels back East - to get clear claim to the asset that would get them both off and running. Similarly, his wealth was built through alliances in the financial sector. Without them, his story would simply not have happened. This book should be required reading to any budding entrepreneur and business school major. I can only hope that Crouch gets this book turned into a movie. What a thriller it would be!
July 11, 2018
The biography of one of America's wealthiest unsung business heroes, John Mackay. An honest, well regarded and hardworking man, Mackay lifted himself from poverty by working the mines of the Comstock Lode. This book chronicles his rise and the heady times of the original California associated gold and silver rushes.
This book was an inspiration to me. Tired of hearing more about the crafty and unscrupulous manipulator rising to dominate, here we have a person whose instinct was to simply work hard and deal fairly. And he succeeded. Mightily.
The author shows consummate skill in bringing the gold and silver bonanzas of the time back to life. From Sutter's Mill to the Comstock Lode, we are there. He seamlessly brings us the language of the day to the point I was hearing the voice of the time. I found this hugely enjoyable. Not at all a book of dry history. This is the people, and spirit, of an exciting and chaotic time.
Very highly recommend.
This book was an inspiration to me. Tired of hearing more about the crafty and unscrupulous manipulator rising to dominate, here we have a person whose instinct was to simply work hard and deal fairly. And he succeeded. Mightily.
The author shows consummate skill in bringing the gold and silver bonanzas of the time back to life. From Sutter's Mill to the Comstock Lode, we are there. He seamlessly brings us the language of the day to the point I was hearing the voice of the time. I found this hugely enjoyable. Not at all a book of dry history. This is the people, and spirit, of an exciting and chaotic time.
Very highly recommend.
August 11, 2018
A wonderfully written story about fascinating people (some despicable, and others, like Mackay, almost unbelievably enviable) and an amazing bit of Western lore - the Comstock lode. Filled with interesting bits of history about many aspects of the 1840s-1890s, especially in San Francisco and Nevada, the book taught me a ton and kept me thoroughly entertained throughout. The story of the Comstock itself seems almost apocryphal - immense wealth, Wild-West action, incredible ingenuity, financial manipulation and mayhem, and a few incredible tragedies. And Crouch's writing is getting better and better - many phrases are pure gems (I should have highlighted), and his vocabulary is incredible. My only wish was that there were more technical details about how the mines were developed and operated and how the bullion was obtained from the ore (I'm a geek). Highly recommended, especially if you like the West, interesting people, and/or rags-to-riches stories.
January 2, 2021
Exceptional. Packed full of interesting detail. I knew none of this. I appreciated, too, Crouch's clear pointers to references and maps.
> Before they walked the last few yards into the new camp, O'Brien asked Mackay if he had any money about his clothes. Mackay said that he didn't have a cent. Thinking they ought to walk into the new camp penniless, "like gentlemen," O'Brien fished his last fifty-cent piece from a pocket and heaved it down the hillside into the sagebrush
> Comstockers had feet on the brain. They talked feet, worked feet, traded feet, jumped feet, ate and drank feet, bought and sold feet, consolidated feet, thought feet, slept feet, and dreamed feet. "Centipedes" and "millipedes" roamed the streets of Virginia City
> the cable cars' roots reach back to the hoists that once served the Comstock mines.
> Before they walked the last few yards into the new camp, O'Brien asked Mackay if he had any money about his clothes. Mackay said that he didn't have a cent. Thinking they ought to walk into the new camp penniless, "like gentlemen," O'Brien fished his last fifty-cent piece from a pocket and heaved it down the hillside into the sagebrush
> Comstockers had feet on the brain. They talked feet, worked feet, traded feet, jumped feet, ate and drank feet, bought and sold feet, consolidated feet, thought feet, slept feet, and dreamed feet. "Centipedes" and "millipedes" roamed the streets of Virginia City
> the cable cars' roots reach back to the hoists that once served the Comstock mines.
June 24, 2022
Author Gregory Crouch has written a biographical masterpiece. This is the most well researched and complied book I have ever read. The narrative is so compelling, the characters so completely fleshed out, the saga so sweeping – the story so improbable – how could this story possible be true? John Mackay was a man of simple focus, work your best at everything you do, all the time and opportunity will come your way. An honest to goodness “rags to riches” story partially set in the burgeoning American West, the life of a poor Irish immigrant metamorphosizes into an enduring account of strife, struggle and smarts on the Comstock Lode in the 1800s. The world wasn’t ready for John Mackay. This man was EPIC. His life accomplishments changed the world in so many ways. His life took unexpected twists and turns, and he threw himself into danger, love and intrigue with careful and calculated planning and sometimes reckless abandon. A tough man of few words, he had a heart of gold (silver?), fists of iron and an Irish temper to match. I urge you to discover the rich and phenomenal chronical of John Mackay – The Bonanza King! This is one of my top three books of all time.
September 30, 2020
The Bonanza King is an engaging rag to riches story of the life of John Mackay an Irish immigrant who leaves NYC & travels west during the Gold Rush era. Woven throughout the story is the history of San Francisco California and Virginia City Nevada. The story includes such early American celebrities as Samuel Clemens aka Mark Twain, Dan de Quille aka William Wright, and President Grant. You will also learn how mining gold in Nevada led to the development of cable cars in San Francisco and many other American minutiae. The author provides a website containing all reference material that can be found at the following site:
http://gregcrouch.com/the-bonanza-kin...
http://gregcrouch.com/the-bonanza-kin...
February 12, 2021
An honest to goodness "rags to riches" American story, immigrant makes good. A story and subject I didn't know anything about. Oh, I heard of the Comstock Lode but not John Mackay and his rise from 49er to multimillionaire. And along the way mining on the Nevada frontier, Jay Gould, Levi Strauss, Sam Clemens (Mark Twain), Virginia City, San Francisco, U.S. Grant, "Mary Louise Simpson" (mule), transatlantic cables, Paris, "The Firm" and James Gordon Bennett, Jr.
A terrific narrative of the development of the American West centered around a vastly interesting personality who really did pull himself up by his "own bootstraps."
A terrific narrative of the development of the American West centered around a vastly interesting personality who really did pull himself up by his "own bootstraps."
July 30, 2018
I just finished Bonanza King, cover to cover in 3 days. Gregory Crouch has done it again…he's crafted a tale that has both captivated me and informed me about things I previously knew little about. The story came alive with the very likable, yet human, John Mackay. Just like with China's Wings, his previous book, once I started I could hardly put it down. Quite an accomplishment with nonfiction - yet thoroughly researched and believable.
The author has done a magnificent job of bringing history alive for me. Passed the book into my kids and plan to buy more.
The author has done a magnificent job of bringing history alive for me. Passed the book into my kids and plan to buy more.
July 16, 2018
The Bonanza King is a fascinating story of the rise of John Mackay, a tapped-out California Gold Rush miner who went to the diggings of Nevada without a penny in his pockets and became one of the richest men of the 19th Century. Author Gregory Crouch details this enigmatic figure with documents, maps, and eyewitness accounts of Mackay's life. I had lived in California's Mother Lode for a time, but was surprised how little I knew about Nevada's spectacular mining history.
August 19, 2018
With this book, Crouch instantly becomes a read-every-book-he-writes kind of an author for me. He takes history, and weaves into it strands of biography, economics, and technology in an ever-varying and always interesting approach. The result is fascinating. It shows us mining, fire fighting, prospecting, scaled production, financial skulduggery, immigration, the value of hard work, and the superiority of the Irish. Okay, that last one I made up, but you will forgive me. =)
Seriously, I am not prone to hyperbole, but this is an excellent work.
Seriously, I am not prone to hyperbole, but this is an excellent work.
October 1, 2023
I am intrigued by Virginia City and its history, so this book was just the ticket. I first saw it on display in the Mackay Mansion in VC (it was actually the office for Mackay’s mining business and the family likely never spent much time there). John Mackay was an inspiring “rags to riches” person who seemingly had the noble quality of never letting his extreme wealth go to his head. I enjoyed this book so much that I returned the copy to the library and bought a copy for myself:
July 4, 2018
Gregory Crouch has produced a can't put it down (I know, it's a cliche but I'm serious...I couldn't) history of the legendary Comstock Lode and the American rags to riches icon that made the Comstock Bonanza happen, Irish immigrant John Mackay. The Bonanza King is a fascinating biography, delivered as an engrossing tale of the settlement and industrialization of the American West and the rip roaring, risk taking, hugely rewarding economic environment of post Civil War America. Highly recommended!
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