Perhaps never in the time-honored American tradition of frontiering did "civilization" appear to sink so low as in gold rush California. A mercurial economy swung from boom to bust, and back again, rendering everyone's fortunes ephemeral. Competition, jealousy, and racism fueled individual and mass violence. Yet, in the very midst of this turbulence, social and cultural forms emerged, gained strength, spread, and took hold. Rooted in Barbarous Soil, Volume 3 in the four-volume California History Sesquicentennial Series, is the only book of its kind to examine gold rush society and...

The District Officer (DO) was the pivot of Britain's Colonial Administration throughout the Empire. In the eyes of many, the DO was the government. But who were these men, called to serve in a position of such extraordinary breadth and endless generality? This is a fascinating look at this unique job through the eyes of those who undertook it. Written by a leading imperial scholar and former DO, Anthony Kirk-Greene, the book will be an essential reference for scholars of imperial history.

In this unique collection of writings culled from the Corona Club Bulletin, we see the governor in council and the DO in the field and a myriad of professional officers--agricultural, educational, medical, veterinary, engineering, nursing--at work. The contributions range from the political, constitutional, and the ""daily round"" of administration and service, to personal, family, sporting and service life. The writings, chosen and edited by Anthony Kirk-Greene, a distinguished historian of Empire who also served in the Nigerian Service, give vivid insight into a unique and vanished...