In this richly detailed, panoramic saga, the acclaimed author of "The First American" brings to life the human dramas and commercial imperatives that spurred the California gold rush, and illuminates their lasting impact on the American landscape.

Prologue: The Baron and the Carpenter (Coloma: January 1848) -- pt. 1. The Gathering of Peoples (From the World to California: 1848-1849). 1. In the Footsteps of Father Serra. 2. Across the Pacific. 3. The Peaks of Darien. 4. To the Bottom of the World and Back. 5. To See the Elephant. 6. Where Rivers Die -- pt. 2. From Vulcan's Forge (The Goldfields: 1848-1850s). 7. With a Washbowl on My Knee. 8. A Millennium in a Day -- pt. 3. American Athena (California: 1849-1856). 9. The Miracle of St. Francis. 10. Sutter's Last Stand. 11. Shaking the Temple. 12. Children of the Mother Lode. 13. Reflections in an All-Seeing Eye -- pt. 4. The Gordian Knot and the Pacific Connection (California and the Union: 1856-1869). 14. The Pathfinder's Return. 15. South by West. 16. From Sea to Shining Sea -- pt. 5. The New El Dorado (America in the Age of Gold). 17. Prometheus Unbound. 18. American Dreamers.