This morning, a collection of handwritten notes from 1892 officially became a national best seller. Before the Klondike: The 1892–1893 Journals of Thomas R. Bennington has reached #42 in U.S. State & Local History on Amazon.
Seeing my 3rd great-grandfather’s raw, sub-arctic survival logs charting in the Top 50 alongside massive historical heavyweights is a surreal and deeply humbling milestone.
Surpassing the Legends of Western History
If you look at the Amazon Best Sellers list for this category, it is dominated by Pulitzer Prize winners and publishing giants. David Herbert Donald’s Lincoln is sitting at #1. Erik Larson’s The Devil in the White City is at #4.
But the most mind-blowing detail on the chart is what sits just two spots below our book.
Currently, Before the Klondike (#42) is charting higher than Hampton Sides’ legendary frontier epic, Blood and Thunder (#44). Having recently recommended Blood and Thunder on this very blog as one of the greatest books on the American West, seeing my ancestor’s journal sharing the exact same digital shelf space is the ultimate validation of its historical value.
A Win for Independent Publishing and True History
When you independently publish a piece of niche micro-history, you never know if it will resonate beyond your immediate family and academic circles. I spent countless hours recovering, transcribing, and formatting these journals because I believed that Thomas R. Bennington’s firsthand account of the Alaskan and Canadian frontier—written three full years before the 1897 Klondike Gold Rush—was a missing puzzle piece of American westward expansion.
This ranking proves that the hunger for true, unfiltered history is stronger than ever. It shows that readers still crave authentic, primary sources over Hollywood romanticism.
For the Hitched4fun community—our modern-day roadway pioneers and RVers—this is a shared victory. Your passion for exploration, boondocking, and discovering the untamed corners of the country is exactly what keeps this pioneer spirit alive today.
Keep the Momentum Going
Amazon’s algorithm runs on momentum. If you want to help keep this independent piece of history climbing the charts, here is how you can support the journey:
- Grab a Signed Copy: You can purchase a personally signed paperback edition directly from the Hitched4fun store.
- Shop on Amazon: If you prefer digital reading, the Kindle edition is available right now on Amazon, alongside standard paperback and hardcover options.
- Leave a Review: If you have already picked up a copy, leaving a quick star rating or written review on Amazon or Goodreads is the single most powerful way to help this book reach new readers. We currently have a perfect 5.0 rating, and every new review acts as a beacon for other history buffs.
Thank you to everyone who has purchased a copy, shared a post, or entered our recent Goodreads giveaway. We are putting the true story of the pre-Klondike frontier back on the map, right where it belongs.
