Fetherling argues that the gold rushes in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa shared the same causes and results, the same characters and characteristics.

Douglas Fetherling, D.Litt., is a poet, fiction writer, critic, and small-press publisher. He is the author or editor of 50 books, mostly in the fields of literature and culture. He has been the literary editor of two newspapers, the Toronto Star and the Kingston Whig-Standard, and writer-in-residence at Queen's University. He divides his time between Ontario and British Columbia and writes a column on books and ideas for the Ottawa Citizen.

'The gold rushes were among the most dynamic episodes in modern history, when people from many nations and every level of society converged, turning wilderness into colonies, crossroads into boom towns and boom towns into cities. The Gold Crusades conveys that excitement, while offering a broader perspective. Readers will find it meticulously researched, with a helpful and entertaining essays on sources appended for further reading. Anyone prospecting for a good book should find it a gem.'