Books about gold: learn about gold mining

Hello!

Do you remember how in childhood, snoring in concentration, we diligently dug the ground, firmly believing that it was in our, or at least in the neighbor’s, yard that the pirates hid their treasures?.. Childhood dreams gave way to adult reality, but sometimes the teenager in me wakes up dreaming of digging up a treasure. And then I go to my favorite shelf, on which books about gold miners are nestled. From left to right, as my love for them grows. You didn't make such a rating? Then I'll share mine!

Biometallurgy of gold

Author : Mineev G.G. ISBN : 5-229-00297-2 Year of publication : 1989

The theoretical foundations of the biochemical and microbiological processes of dissolution and precipitation of gold, which constitute a new area of development of difficult-to-process mineral raw materials, are outlined.

The results of testing methods for extracting gold from true and colloidal solutions using active strains of microorganisms are presented. The geotechnological processes of heap and underground leaching of gold from ores and sands, technical and economic indicators, areas of application and prospects for the development of these methods are considered.

Industrial geology of gold

Author : Narseev V.A ISBN : 5-891-76006-1 Year of publication : 1996

The book examines various problems of the geology of gold and its practical application. The work includes a historical outline of gold mining in the world and in Russia - in particular, information about the trade and consumption of this metal.

The main part of the book is devoted to the geology of gold deposits of the world, with special attention paid to zoning, which is fundamental for the scientific analysis and forecast of mineralization on the flanks and deep horizons. A method for accelerated geological and economic assessment of deposits is given. Problems of industrial gold geology are discussed. The publication offered to the reader does not pretend to comprehensively cover all problems of gold, but rather reflects the scientific predilections of the author.

Other books and publications about gold

I can’t resist a couple of comments about several other works of fiction about gold miners that I read relatively recently.

"The Luminaries" by Elinor Catton is a book that was awarded the Booker Prize in 2013, a double record holder. Firstly, this is the largest work in the entire history of the award. And secondly, the author turned out to be the youngest laureate.

The novel describes New Zealand at the peak of the gold rush. I’ll be honest: this book is not one that I would re-read, but I don’t regret reading it. There is something addictive and fresh about it for me - the plot is diluted with mysticism and relies on astrological symbols. And here's one more thing: unlike many novels in which gold diggers have to bitterly pay for their find, in The Luminaries the treasure helps people turn onto the right path.

Have you heard the legend about the treasures of the punished Hetman Pavel Polubotok, which gold miners have not been able to find for the third century? The Ukrainian authorities even considered the option of distributing money to Ukrainians if wealth was found. Vitaly Gladky is one of the authors who wrapped this story about gold miners into an entertaining novel. The book is called "The Hetman's Gold." The author's easy style attracts attention, the outcome is very unexpected.

And some more scientific and documentary literature on the topic of gold and gold miners.

In Russian

S.V. Potemkin, “Noble 79th” - an essay about the precious metal, the history of its mining in the past and present, discussions about its future and role in international payments.

O.L. Almazova, L.A. Dubonosov, “Gold and currency: past and present.” An interesting book, although there are no actual adventures or brave gold diggers. Its goal is to popularize monetary and economic topics. The authors also share their knowledge base in this area and try to save the reader from cliched terms and reasoning.

V.A. Narseev, “Industrial geology of gold.” The book examines the problems of the geology of the precious metal and provides a scientific analysis of its deposits for a wide range of readers.

In Ukrainian

One of the “50 famous mysteries of the history of Ukraine” described by Vladimir Syadro concerns the treasure of Hetman Polubotok that I have already mentioned. The book is documentary, based not only on the author’s most interesting guesses, but also on official certificates from the archives.

And here is another documentary novel about gold: “Anarсhy in the Ukr. Lugansk schodennik.” Author Sergiy Zhadan. The book tells about another gold keeper - Nestor Makhno, and also provides guesses about the possible burial places of the treasure. So, gold diggers, you can try your luck!

“Golden farming in Ukraine” (Nikolai Nazimok) is not the last book for lovers of “golden” adventures. It tells about products made of precious metal by jewelers of the 16th-18th centuries.

And V. Kvasnytsia and I. Latish in the album “Native Gold of Ukraine” talk about gold as an element of the periodic table and a mineral, about the attitude towards it, its extraction, including by gold miners, and the main deposits. In addition, the book describes in detail the history of precious metal finds in Ukraine - Donbass and the Carpathians.

In English

"The Welcome Stranger" by TF Potter.
"Spreading the world: A history of information in the California Gold Rush" by RT Stillson.
"Welcome to the World's Largest Gold Vault" by S. Mayerowitz.
"Money Mountain" by M. Sprague
"Gold: from Greek Myth to Computer Chips" by R. Kassinger.
"The age of gold" by HW Brands.
"Gold: Its Beauty, Power and Allure" by CHV Sutherland.
"Gold dust and Gunsmoke" by J. Boessenecker.
"The Gold Crusades" by D. Fetherling.
"The Klondike fever" by P. Berton.

Publications in periodicals

V. Sedelnikov, Associate Professor of the Department of History of Russia, “The Mystery and Historical Role of Gold.”
V. Rudovskaya, journalist, “The first oligarchs were gold miners.”
Z. Atlas, G. Matyukhin, Soviet economists, “World money: gold or dollar?”
L. Kiselev, local historian, “The Klondike Burning with Fire.”
S. Borisov, Doctor of Economics, “Gold reserves of foreign countries.”

Pre-revolutionary books about gold

N. Tarasenko-Otreshkov “About gold and silver” (1856).
A. Philipps “Methods of extraction and statistics of gold and silver” (1869).
A. Andryushchenko “Guide to gold and silver craftsmanship” (1904).

Chemistry of gold

Author : Paddefet R. ISBN : 978-7944-0939-8 Year of publication : 1982

The relevance of the translation of R. Paddefet's monograph “The Chemistry of Gold” was determined primarily by the fact that before its publication there was no such complete review of the chemistry of gold, a chemical element in connection with which one can speak of a kind of paradox. On the one hand, there is hardly a person who has not heard of this metal, and on the other hand, it is safe to say that even most chemists, when asked about the properties of this element, limit themselves to only a general description of it as a noble metal.

Currently the only complete monograph devoted to the chemistry of gold. Interest in this element has grown sharply in recent years, as the prospects for its use in biology, medicine and various industries have become clear. Written by a well-known English specialist in the field of organogold compounds, it contains a large amount of reference data, and the material presented is clearly classified.

Gold and currency: past and present

Author : Potemkin S.V. ISBN : 5-279-00014-0 Year of publication : 1988

Gold and money have been disturbing the quiet life of man since ancient times. And today, when it is known for certain that these are two well-defined, seemingly economic categories, the history of monetary relations has not eliminated all the “blank spots” and not all of its events have received a uniform assessment by scientists.

The purpose of the book is to popularize monetary and economic topics, an attempt to interest the widest range of readers in the hope of revealing the “secrets” for them, helping them to perceive reality with interest, getting rid of stereotyped labels both in terminology and concepts, and equipping the most diligent readers with a certain theoretical basis , share your thoughts with them, and maybe even involve them in a discussion.

Noble 79th. Essay on gold

Authors : Almazova O.L., Dubonosov L.A. ISBN : 2-0000-161577-3 Year of publication : 1988

For many peoples of the world, gold is a symbol of high dignity and value (white, soft, blue, black gold, “golden hands”). As a symbol, this word has become firmly established in proverbs and sayings. It is customary to celebrate the highest achievements in science, art, and sports with gold awards. Gold is directly related to many events in world history - good and bad, serious and insignificant, sometimes even funny. Having become a means of commodity exchange (money), a symbol of wealth and power, gold found itself at the center of serious contradictions between people, entire nations and states.

Information about gold is presented in a popular form: its properties, distribution in nature, conditions and features of the formation of deposits, the history of their discovery and methods of development. The history of gold mining from ancient times to the present day, its use in the past and present, as well as the role of gold in international payments between countries are considered. Problems related to possible sources of gold in the future are touched upon.

Books about gold and its mining

Books about gold and gold miners have always captured the spirit of lovers of adventure stories. Difficult trials, insurmountable obstacles, unrequited love - all this can be found in books about gold.

One can only guess whether this actually happened or whether these are the fruits of the authors’ vivid imagination. The most popular and exciting stories can be found in the list below.

1. Jack London “Hearts of Three.”

The novel “The Hearts of Three” was written in 1915 and was based on the script for the film by Charles Goddard. The author considered the work his pride. The plot centers on Francis Morgan.

He was the son of a deceased millionaire and a distant descendant of Henry Morgan, a famous pirate of the seventeenth century. A young guy goes to Panama to find pirate treasure. Arriving at the place, he meets his distant relative Henry Morgan, who soon becomes his faithful companion in all adventures and a serious rival in love relationships.

A journey to the Cordillera to find the treasures of the Mayan tribe, confrontation with the treacherous Alvarez Torres and the inhabitants of the Valley of Lost Souls, unknown lands, chases, amazing rescues, love affairs constantly change each other. As such, The Hearts of Three is a truly gripping read.

2. Jack London “Daughter of the Snows.”

“Daughter of the Snows” (1902), Jack London’s first work, tells the story of the rather interesting adventures of a young American woman in the Klondike during the Gold Rush.

Fronte Welz was only twenty, the daughter of wealthy businessman and Yukon old-timer Jacob Welz. The girl returns to the North to her father after three years of study in Europe. As a real daughter of this harsh climate, the Front had a strong, intelligent, strong-willed, courageous and purposeful character.

She was able to overcome any obstacle in her path no worse than any man. But the North prepared a completely different test for her - it was a love relationship and rivalry that tested the strength of herself and the suitors running after her.

3. Jack London "Smoke Bellew"

The main character is a writer from San Francisco, who exchanged the rather boring and dull life of a clerk in one of the newspapers for the exciting fate of a gold miner. The daredevil faced various hardships and dangers, but this did not stop him from becoming famous in the northern lands of Alaska under the name Smoke Bellew.

Among the other gold miners, the former newspaper clerk found a friend with the nickname Baby and went through ups and downs with him. However, Smoke manages to develop a whole system of playing roulette, which allows him to make a fortune.

Bellew almost dies in search of Two Log Houses and the Unexpected Lake, the bottom of which, according to stories, is covered with gold nuggets; takes part in a sled dog race, for which victory was promised a large area on Mono Creek; falls into a cunning scam with chicken eggs, which was started by singer Lucille Erol, without even knowing anything about the true goals of the event; starts a counter-scam with the mythical settlement of Tru-la-la; manages to be captured by the Indians, where the leader's daughter falls in love with him...

4. Bret Harte "Gabriel Conroy".

The life of gold miners in the American West is full of difficult and brutal challenges. The heroes of this book about the search for gold are full of severity and courage, but nevertheless they know how to show human kindness and loyalty.

The adventurous plot and colorful images, described by the author, tell about the triumph of justice during the strong surge of the gold rush in California. Gold miners overcome many obstacles, while managing not to lose the most important human qualities.

5. Vyacheslav Shishkov “Sullen River”.

The story is about three generations of the Gromov family, who were merchants. It is based on real evidence and personal experience of the author, who worked in Siberia for twenty years as a research engineer.

While reading, the harsh beauty and violent nature of the taiga come to life, where without much effort you can hide any atrocity, where power and wealth are obtained easily and simply at arm's length. But everything done does not pass without a trace, sometimes future generations pay for the crimes... However, evil deeds never pass without a trace, and sometimes future generations have to pay for the crimes...

6. Daniil Gorbunov “A grain of gold in the fog.”

1849... The height of the gold rush. Thousands of Americans go in search of iron metal in California. Among them is a young guy named Edwin, who left his family for the search. What awaits him on his dangerous journey? Will the newly made friends be able to find gold and get rich? Will gold miners return safe and invisible to their families?

7. Robert Louis Stevenson "Treasure Island".

A fascinating story about the search for a mysterious island where Captain Flint hid his untold riches. The map of the island miraculously ends up in the hands of a guy named Jim.

He tells the doctor about her. The friends decide to gather a ship's crew and go in search of treasure. The crew consists of only pirates who got onto the ship by deception. Exciting adventures and difficult trials await the ship's crew ahead... Will they be able to find the treasure? Will Jim be able to expose the pirates without getting hurt?

8. G.R. Haggard "King Solomon's Mines".

Boundless imagination, passion for travel and extraordinary erudition allowed G.R. Haggard to create several dozen exciting novels and brought worldwide readership.

The circulation of Haggard's books exceeded even the circulation of publications by such masters of adventure prose as R. L. Stevenson and A. K. Doyle. His historical adventure novels are always a fascinating journey through the labyrinths of centuries, breathtaking landscapes of exotic countries, unrelenting tension of intrigue, acute conflicts, and most importantly - the element of real adventure with unexpected turns of changeable fortune.

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Noble metals. Gold

Author : Sobolevsky V.I. ISBN : 978-5-458-47371-2 Year of publication : 1971

Gold...How many symbols, comparisons of good and evil are born in our thoughts when we hear this word! “My little gold”, “heart of gold”, “talented nugget”... And along with this: “despicable metal”, “cursed metal”, “yellow devil”... And why has it never occurred to anyone to compare a loved one or a particularly sympathetic person with copper? But copper, and somewhat later iron, were known at the dawn of mankind, and were immeasurably more useful for the people of those times, as well as for us, than gold!

For over 6 thousand years now, it has still been a particularly valuable metal for humanity, on the presence of which the wealth of the state, its defense power, cultural and economic development largely depend. These days, the fighting on the “gold front” has by no means subsided. The only difference is that the “line of fire” from the fields and mountains has been moved to the quiet offices of stock exchanges and banks.

A Guide to Investing in Gold and Silver

Author : Michael Maloney ISBN : 978-985-15-0720-3, 978-0-446-51099-8 Year of publication : 2009

The author of The Guide to Investing in Gold and Silver, Michael Maloney, is a member of Robert Kiyosaki's team, so this guide was included in the Rich Dad Recommends series.

According to Maloney, the best investment options are silver and gold. Although they are not a source of passive income, they can be used as a means of accumulating financial resources for the purchase of real estate, which can later be rented out to generate passive income.

This is the investment plan that forms the basis of The Guide to Investing in Gold and Silver. Maloney recommends investing in silver and gold, and then, waiting for their prices to rise, which will definitely happen, according to the author, to sell and use the proceeds to purchase real estate, which can be used for passive income.

Review: Books on gold trading and investing in precious metals

It would seem that investing in gold is very simple - it is not subject to inflation, it rises in price quite quickly (just as it falls), and in general everyone says that gold is a kind of universal alternative asset that will allow you to save money in any conditions. Gold is especially popular for long-term investments. However, is it really that easy to trade gold?

If you start studying the topic more carefully, you will understand: gold is not an immutable currency, and in order to get a good income from it, you need to have a solid theoretical basis. To do this, in fact, you can read several good books. For example, first try studying these popular publications.

1. John Jagerson and Wade Hansen "All About Investing in Gold"

Once you realize that the gold market is not that simple, it's time to understand its features. This is where a book by recognized experts and authors of several books on investments by Jagerson and Hansen may be useful. What distinguishes this book from other similar books is its rare clarity and consistency of presentation. The authors talk in some detail about possible ways to enter the market, about the pros and pitfalls of investing in gold. In the end, you will be able to confidently include a very attractive asset in your investment portfolio.

It will be very useful for those entering Western markets. Plus, it tells you what determines the price of gold and how to invest in the short and long term. This book is a kind of “transitional” stage from information for beginners to serious works and monographs on this topic.

2. Michael Maloney's Guide to Investing in Gold and Silver

According to investors, this is a good book for beginners. Maloney says the best investment options are gold and silver. Of course, they are not suitable as sources of passive income, but they are usually used as a means of savings - for example, if you are planning to buy real estate in the future. This is the investment plan that is at the heart of The Guide to Investing in Gold and Silver. Maloney has an interesting idea - he proposed calculating the value of shares and real estate not in monetary terms, but in ounces of silver or gold. Then it turns out that the price for the same shares in precious metals constantly falls if gold rises in price.

The book is divided into four parts: yesterday, today, tomorrow and the last part on how to invest in precious metals. In fact, useful tips and warnings against dangers and traps are located in the last chapter. The book is recommended to be read not only by future investors; it will be of interest to anyone who understands at least a little about investments.

3. John J. Murphy “Intermarket Analysis: Principles of Interaction of Financial Markets”

This book is an updated version of Murphy's best-selling Intermarket Technical Analysis and is a sequel of sorts, with greater emphasis on the significant intermarket changes that launched the greatest bull market in history. The main part that will be of interest to investors and traders trading gold is Chapter 10 - “The transition from paper assets to physical ones”, in which the author talks about how gold is becoming attractive again and how it behaves during rising/falling stock prices , as well as the use of futures markets. In principle, the idea of the book is that for intermarket analysis you do not need to be a specialist - you just need to learn how to distinguish an upward movement from a downward movement, and, of course, have common sense.

The book is addressed to specialists in the field of investing and trading, as well as individual investors who are going to learn how to competently analyze the market.

4. Nathan Lewis “Gold: Money Past and Present”

The author of the book, Nathan Lewis, loves to talk about the funeral of the dollar and loves to give his recipes for such cases. And the difference between his approach is that he backs up his call to return the whole world to hard currency with a huge amount of statistics, figures and facts. For example, he takes great pleasure in talking about the greed of Roman emperors, the mistakes of the Federal Reserve System, the tricks of central banks and governments that devalue their currencies. On the other hand, it is precisely this confident and categorical tone of the author that provokes the desire to argue with him from the very first pages.

Nathan explains economic theory very clearly, translating complex classical explanations into more understandable “family” examples. Spouses, for example, become shareholders, and children become bonds. In general, you will find a lot of interesting things on the pages of this book and will get great pleasure if you are ready to think, argue and disagree with the author.

5. Ashraf Laidi “Currency trading and intermarket analysis: How to make money on changes in global markets”

And finally, the last book in the collection is practically a collection of brief theory and succinct advice for those who want to gain an advantage in the foreign exchange markets. Essentially the book itself is about currency trading, but the first chapter in it is entirely devoted to gold and the dollar. Here you can learn what the inverse relationship is between the dollar and gold, how to use gold to determine leading and lagging currencies, how to value them through the precious metal, as well as the specifics of the relationship between stocks and gold.

In general, the book will be useful in that it gives clear advice specifically on intermarket analysis - you will learn to transfer news from one market to another in order to predict the behavior of assets in the future, you will better understand changes in the economy and markets, and also make more profitable trading decisions .

The collapse of the dollar and how to profit from it

Authors : James Turk, John Rubino ISBN : 5-17-038809-8 Year of publication : 2006

Since understanding the previous relationship between the dollar and gold is of great importance for understanding current developments, the book touches on some important points regarding the history of money. The book talks about how, by investing in gold, you can save your savings from complete depreciation during the global financial crisis.

James Turk is a well-known American expert who worked for ten years as director of the international department of Chase Manhattan Bank. Founder and owner of the British precious metals trading service GoldMoney. James Turk's articles appear in numerous financial publications. He speaks extensively at investment conferences on gold, money and the international banking system, and is a frequent guest on radio and television.

John Rubino is a famous financial analyst, author of two world bestsellers - “How to Play Successfully in the Real Estate Market” and “Wall Street Isn’t All America.”

Books about gold miners

The times of the gold rush are in the past, but even now there are romantics and seekers of easy money who devote themselves to searching for the precious metal. Books about gold miners will tell you about the world of gold miners, about fierce competition and the flourishing of this industry. You will learn about the times of the gold rush, about the search for gold in South America, about bloody showdowns in the Wild West, about methods of mining coveted nuggets and the struggle for plots of land with gold veins. “Gold” by Dmitry Mamin-Sibiryak. The book talks about the life of gold miners in the Urals in the second half of the nineteenth century, about their enrichment, and also about how this precious metal cripples people’s destinies. About how the hope of quick enrichment forced them to leave their native places and go to Siberia.

"The Luminaries" by Eleanor Catton. The action takes place in New Zealand during the height of the gold rush. Twelve people gathered in a hotel in the city of Hokitika and were involved in a series of mysterious incidents: the death of a lone prospector in whose hut a treasure was found.

"Time Can't Wait" by Jack London. Gold miner Elam Harnish, who received the nickname Time-cannot-wait, took a rather cynical and prudent approach to the issue of searching for gold. Therefore, he soon became a millionaire. But his meeting with a stenographer named Deed Mason completely turned his life upside down.

“Smoke Bellew. Smoke and the Kid" by Jack London. Two different stories that are connected only by the main character. The young poet exchanged the boring life of a journalist for the exciting life of a gold miner, full of dangers. He went to Alaska, where many dangerous, but interesting adventures take place in his life.

“In Search of Eldorado” by Ivan Medvedev. The collection contains fascinating essays written about travel, from the ancient era to the end of the twentieth century. All essays have something in common: the end point of the journey is the legendary golden country of Eldorado.

"Sunken Treasures" by Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Philippe Diolet. The work tells the story of the expedition of a ship called the Calypso to the Silver Bank coral reefs, led by Cousteau. During the discovery and exploitation of the riches of the New World, many ships were wrecked in this place, turning it into a dream for gold miners.

"Treasure Diggers" by Washington Irving. The book takes the reader back to the time of the gold rush. The collection was created according to the principle of a nesting doll: the plot of the first is embedded in the second, then in the third, and so on. Contain six short stories that tell about ups and downs, about successes and disappointments.

"Gold Digger" Jean-Marie Gustave Leclezio. The main character Alekis Letan dreams of finding the gold of the Unknown Corsair, which is located somewhere in the Rodrigues archipelago. He believes that only pirate gold can return to his family the once lost paradise where there was an ancient house, the sea and the tree of good and evil.

"Gabriel Conroy. Collection" by Bret Harte. The collection contains stories about the life of gold miners in the American West, full of trials and dangers. It depicts courageous and stern people who go to any lengths to achieve their cherished goal, and also talks about the manifestation of human loyalty and kindness.

"People of the Fog" by G.R. Haggard. The book belongs to the series of novels about the adventures of Haggard. The actions described in it take place on the African continent, where the main characters go in search of treasures from the “land of fog.” During the journey they have to go through many trials.

"Icarus" by Alberto Vazquez-Figueroa. The action takes place in one of the most mysterious places in the world - Venezuelan Guiana. It contains the ancient tepui mesas. It is there that the famous American pilot Jimmy Angel arrives in search of gold and diamonds that are located there.

"The Diamond Thieves" by Louis Boussenard. Three brave and purposeful Frenchmen go in search of a treasure of diamonds. To a country where even an insect or plant poses a mortal danger. In addition, they are threatened by a gang of scoundrels, but their courage and resilience allow the Europeans to get away with it.

"Treasure Island" by Robert Stevenson. The novel by a writer from Scotland tells about the adventures of people who went in search of treasure. Which were hidden by Captain Flint on a deserted island. The story is narrated by the main character, a young man named Jim Hawkins.

"King Solomon's Mines" by Henry Haggard. The famous adventurer and hunter Alan Quartermain is approached by Henry Curtis along with John Hood in the hope of finding his brother. After a long journey, they manage to get to the lost country, where the countless treasures of King Solomon are located.

"Argonauts '98" by Robert Service. The young man Etol leaves his native Scotland and goes to the New World. In order not to die hungry, he digs a tunnel. But imbued with the spirit of freedom, he, like the Argonauts who searched for the Golden Fleece, sets off with his comrades in search of gold.

"The Foundling of the Steppe" by Bret Harte. The book includes three works: “The Steppe Foundling”, “Clarence” and “Susie”. These works chronicle the life of Clarence Brant. The stories tell about the life of gold miners. They vividly describe how gold clouds the eyes. And only a few can fight it.

"Golden Canyon" by Jack London. The collection contains many works that are dedicated to the life of miners during the gold rush. The peculiarity of this book is that it can be read in the original without a dictionary. After each English paragraph there are comments to it in Russian.

"Love of Life" by Jack London. The main character was abandoned by his comrade Bill, with whom they went in search of gold. He heads south with a broken leg, where he is picked up by a whaling ship and returned to San Francisco. During his journey, he is surrounded by many dangers, but he overcomes them.

"The Call of the Wild" by Jack London. The events of the work take place in Canada. During the gold rush, there is a strong demand for strong and large dogs. Beck plays the role of the main character. Beck is a dog. The book describes the difficulties that sled dogs experience in their owners' search for gold.

"Hearts of Three" by Jack London. A descendant of the pirate Morgan, who received a huge fortune from him, decided to go on a journey to find the treasures of his ancestor. During the journey, he finds his distant relative and, together with him, continues his dangerous journey into unknown lands.

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