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The International Writers Magazine: American
West
Diamonds
- The Rush of '72 by Sam North
Click
to buy a copy here
Product Details: Printed: 289 pages, 6" x 9", perfect
binding, black and white interior ink
ISBN: 978-1-4116-1088-0 Copyright: © 2004
When two Kentucky prospectors, John Slack and Philip Arnold arrived penniless
and near starving in San Francisco to deposit raw 'American' diamonds
in the Bank of California, it caused quite a stir. Rumors flew across
the city. This was going to be bigger than Kimberley and everyone wanted
a piece of the action. But Slack and Arnold would be hard men to woo.
This is a true story. What begins as a trickle in the Colorado mountains
would grow into the great rush of 1872 and ruin the lives of almost everyone
it touched.
REVIEWS
"Diamonds -- The Rush of '72" by Sam North by Johnny
Frem Dixon
What a story! An intriguing tale that had me wondering all the way through
about which of these vivid characters, each with so much at stake, would
outwit the others, to make their fortune during the Diamond Rush that
got everyone in California and as far away as New York, London and South
Africa all fired up again with more of the same fever that heated up the
Gold Rush. I read it this summer as I was heading by car with my business
partner up into the Northwest Territories of Canada to visit with an old
flame of his, whose husband works as an engineer at the huge diamond mine
in the middle of Great Bear Lake. There were a myriad of synchronicities
between Sam North's book and our own adventure, so I can't be sure without
prejudice if my rave review is a reflection of my incredulity with those
co-incidences or simply an admiration for the writing. The research must
have been monumental. So many details to verify. No doubt there's a lot
of room to lie. There are many detailed portraits of characters we allow
Sam to invent since thier only purpose is to color the story. But there's
also so much that had to be factual, since it's all based in a true episode
of that rugged history. I understood so much more about the past I've
come from and the aspirations of the wave of immigration to the West Coast
of North America, because "Diamonds" took me right inside the people and
their dreams. The book moves smoothly and segues seamlessly from one character's
point-of-view to another's. Just when you think you know what's going
to happen next, there's another surprise. This book is a marvel.
© Johnny Frem Dixon Nov 2006
'A terrific piece of storytelling' - Chris Lean by Sam North
DIAMONDS - The Rush of 72 by Sam North
If the intention of a historical novel is to transport the reader into
a time and place far flung from their own, and immerse them fully in the
sights, smells and experiences of the people who lived there, then Sam
North¹s new novel, Diamonds - The Rush of 72¹ is great historical fiction
in the truest sense of the word. This is a Western with a twist, taking
the familiar concept of fortune-seeking on the new frontier and placing
it within a context that, until now, has not been attempted. Set in the
1870¹s, Diamonds - The Rush of 72¹ tells the story of Philip Arnold
and John Slack, two prospectors who, despite ridicule, are determined
to get rich by finding diamonds on American soil. When they turn up at
the Bank of California to deposit a stash of precious stones they set
in motion a diamond rush, fuelled by the greed and ambition of men more
powerful than themselves, and their lives are changed for ever - though
not in the way they intended. This is a great tale of adventure and intrigue
that, with its fast-paced action and surprising plot turns, will be enjoyed
even by readers who (like myself) are usually turned off by tales of the
Old West. Its characters, particularly the grizzled adventurers Arnold
and Slack, the unscrupulous banker William Ralston and the pompous General
Colton, are all entirely believable and give the story human interest
as well as a broad historical sweep. However, it is Sam North¹s grasp
of the period setting that impresses above all. His recreation of an age
of opportunity and danger, in which men can rise or fall in less time
than it takes to load a gun or finish a game of poker, is vivid and compelling.
It is a time in which places like San Francisco are changing from wild
outposts into great cities but in which catching a train still means taking
your life into your own hands. Sam North clearly has a passion for the
Old West and his knowledge of the period is evident on every page. This
is a terrific piece of storytelling that, despite checking in at under
300 pages, still has epic proportions. It is highly recommended for lovers
of the Old West and, more importantly, for all those who enjoy a good
adventure story well told.
© Chris Lean Historical Novel Society Reviewer 2005
Diamonds - The Rush of '72 is available
also. $19.95 from Amazon.com in the USA
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Diamonds
- The Rush of '72
By Sam North
ISBN: 1-4116-1088-1
Buy now from Amazon.com
'a
terrific piece of storytelling' Historical Novel Society Review
Now printed in the UK and available from
Amazon.co.uk
& Waterstones
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