The Forty-Niners: A Novel of the Gold Rush

William W. Johnstone · J.A. Johnstone

Feb 2024 · RB Media · Narrated by George Guidall

About this audiobook

JOHNSTONE’S AMERICA.
THE GOLD STANDARD.

From the acclaimed chroniclers of the Old West comes a blazing new saga of the great American Gold Rush—and the boldhearted dreamers who made it all happen ...

THEY CALLED THEM THE FORTY-NINERS.

In January of 1848, the discovery of gold at Sutters Mill in California sparked a nationwide frenzy, fueling the dreams of Americans from coast to coast. By 1849, hundreds of thousands of fortune hunters from across the globe headed west to stake their claim. Armed with pan or pickaxe, driven
by greed or glory, every last one of them was determined to strike it rich—or die trying ...

For Cord Bennett, it is more than a dream. California is his destiny—even if he doesn’t know it yet. Forced to leave his family farm in the Ozarks, he reluctantly joins his two older brothers on the treacherous journey west. Together, they endure harsh weather, fierce tribal attacks, and roving outlaws.
But their biggest challenge comes when they reach the gold-rich canyon of Rio Oro. This small makeshift town is barely more than a campsite for prospectors—but the men who control it are as ruthless as any big-city crime boss. And twice as deadly ...

This is the story of the men and women who risked their lives to make their fortunes in a boundless land of opportunity. But sometimes, all that glitters is not gold. And where there’s gold, there’s gunfire ...

About the author

George Guidall is one of the most prolific narrators of audiobooks in the world. He has recorded nearly 650 unabridged novels, everything from "Crime and Punishment" and "The Iliad" to "Snow Falling on Cedars." He began his career as an actor, appearing on Broadway and touring Europe with Helen Hayes in the "Glass Menagerie," " Miracle Worker" and "The Skin of Our Teeth." He received an Obie Award for Best Performance Off-Broadway, and has continued his performances in theater for over 40 years. Guidall has also appeared on television, with roles on the soap "One Life to Live" and "Law and Order," and in movies such as "Malcolm X" and "Tales from the Darkside." His first job reading audiobooks was for the Library of Congress' American Foundation for the Blinds' Talking Books. Since then he has won the most prestigious Audiobook Award, the Audie Award, for Best Unabridged Narration of a novel for his recording of John Irving's "A Widow for One Year." He won the Audie again in 2000 for Wally Lamb's "I Know This Much is True."