What is the best book youve read about the donner party. No work of fiction has rendered this remarkable epic of ordeal with more vividness and power than richard rhodess novel of the donner party, the ungodly. George keithleys restrained and vivid narrative poem is a harrowing portrait of a group that was pushed to extreme measures in order to. The best land under heaven is incredibly i picked it up in a bookstore in truckee in part because it was the staff pickif youre looking for a book on the donner party, the locals in an indie bookstore ought to know the contendersand because of those two, selfproclaimed selling points. In july of that year, following the advice of a guide book written by a persuasive promoter named lansford w. Needing a book to read, i decided to look it up on amazon. Arriving at the sierra nevada as the early winter snows were falling, the party was marooned. Late october found the donner party in truckee meadows, near presentday reno, nevada.
As a description of what happened, the book stands alone. By the time they got to fort bridger, they were determined to take the new route. If you have no intention of reading any other book on the donner party, then by all means, get this book. Keseberg was the last member of the donner party to arrive at sutters fort on april 29th. The best land under heaven the donner party in the age of manifest destiny.
The story of the donner party, the illfated wagon train that faced horrific circumstances on its way to california, is the subject of books, videos, and, now, web sites. The donner party was a wagon expedition from illinois to california in 18467 it was also perhaps the most dreadful case ever of mass human cannibalism of the 87 people. Donner dinner party is a part of the nathan hales hazardous tales series, which are graphic novels based on various events in history, usually ones that are a bit weird or gruesome. It was widely circulated that members of the party resorted to cannibalism after their food ran out, giving the party its lasting notoriety. I first heard about the hunger from max booth iiis 15 most anticipated horror books of 2018 list on litreactor, and maxs blurb had me hooked right away.
Unfortunately, this particular wagon train of pioneers would go down in history due to the horror and tragedy that it was to meet along its way. Upon its initial printing in 1973, rhodess masterful tale was praised for its realistic and gripping depiction of the struggles faced by that illfated group of men, women, and children. The donner party is almost inextricably linked with cannibalism. A daybyday account of a doomed wagon train, 18461847 by. The story of the illfated donner partys trek across the country is the reverse image of lewis and clarks. The donner party was a group of californiabound american settlers caught up in the western expansion of the 1840s. A daybyday account of a doomed wagon train, 184647 paperback september 1, 1997 by frank mullen jr. Donner dinner party is another one of nathan hales hazardous tales, the series of graphic novels about american historys most dangerous and arduous moments. Hastings, the donner party split off from the main body of emigrants heading for. After becoming snowbound in the sierra nevada in the winter of 1846. Donner and her surviving sisters raised each other in the san francisco bay area until 1861 when she married sherman otis houghton, the widower of another donner party survivor. From independence, missouri to sutters fort, california, the party endured almost unimaginable hardship and suffering. The saga of the donner party is one of the most horrific and fascinating events in the history of the american west. However, if youve read any other book on the donner party, this authors narrative is nothing but a repetition of others material, with very little insight i.
On april 17th, the relief party reached the camps to find only louis keseberg alive among the mutilated remains of his former companions. George donner was elected captain of the party at the little sandy river on july 20, 1846, but several people joined the party later, at fort bridger and in the wasatch. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Donner party, group of emigrants to california who in the winter of 184647 met with one of the most famous tragedies in western history. The group was named for the expeditions captain, george donner. The expedition of the donner party and its tragic fate. The hunger is inspired by the donner party, in which american pioneers resorted to cannibalism to avoid starvation. The party started too late in the season, was burdened with overloaded wagons, possessed inadequate or inaccurate route information, and was hampered by bickering participants. Donner party pioneers of 1846 forced into cannibalism. I have always loved history and im a big fan of horror novels that. After becoming snowbound in the sierra nevada during the winter of 18461847, a number of the trapped settlers joined together in a final effort to reach california and organize a rescue party.
The donner party last podcast on the left reading list. Led by brothers jacob and george donner, the group attempted to take a new and. The donnerreed party was a pioneer wagon train which set out for california in may of 1846 and became snowbound in the sierra nevada mountain range in the winter of 1846. The author recounts the story of the donner party from when they set out for california from illinois, through their horrible sufferings and ultimately to the arrival of the survivors at their original destination. Calabros offering is a fine addition to the donner party canon and particularly well suited to its young audience, for whom the story of hardship and survival will be nothing. The donner party was a group of 89 emigrants from illinois who purportedly turned to cannibalism to survive after getting trapped by snowfall while on. The history of the donner party is a splendid piece of work. How the donner party was doomed by a disastrous shortcut. First published in 1970, the donner party is the story of a wagon train, led by george donner, which set out from springfield, illinois, in 1846, headed for california. This is an excellent documentary that tells the story of the donner party using traditional sources and the thennew research of prof. Alma katsus latest supernatural thriller is the hunger, based on the donner party incident of 18467, when a group of pioneers stranded in the sierra nevada resorted to cannibalism to survive a harsh winter. The tragic story of the donner party legends of america. The local paiute indians were harassing them, and they were exhausted, demoralized, bitter and completely out of food.
The harrowing saga of the donner party kindle edition by brown, daniel james. Donner party in the spring of 1846, a group of nearly 90 emigrants left springfield, illinois, and headed west. A fourth rescue party set out in late march but were soon stranded in a blinding snowstorm for several days. The short answer was a book about the donner party. The donner party by george keithley, paperback barnes. List of books and articles about donner party online research.
In the donner party story there are a few heroes among those families looking out only for themselves. The donner party has become a tragic icon of the american march west. Thorntons journal of his crossing with the russell party in 1846 provides details of the trail and the donners and reed up to the parting of the ways at the little sandy. Donner party timeline provides an almost daytoday basic description of events directly associated with the 1840s donner party pioneers, covering the journey from illinois to california2,500 miles 4,023 kilometers, over the great plains, two mountain ranges, and the deserts of the great basin following the timeline is a chronological list of deaths.
A new history of the donner party and the dark side of. Combining the approaches of history, ethnohistory, archaeology. Named best book of 2017 by the wild west history association. Donner party, group of american pioneers stranded en route to california in 1846. For years ive waited for a book that delivers an indepth information on a 19 th century tragedy so great, its memory still dominates californias pregold rush era history that event was the winter stranding of the reed donner party high in the sierra nevada, the year before gold was discovered by millwright james marshall on the south fork of the american river in columa, ca. The three principal leaders of what came to be commonly called the donnerreed party were the two donner brothers, george and jacob donner, and james reed, an irish immigrant who struck it. The party did not exist when its members crossed the missouri river in may, 1846. Free download of history of the donner party by cf mcglashan. Cutting through 160 years of mythmaking, bestselling historian michael wallis presents the. The perilous journey of the donner party 0046442866101.
Heres what happened to the survivors of the donner party. The firsthand information endowed his writing with immediacy and vitality. Then i saw a different donner party book, then another then another, and now my afternoon is consumed by finding the very best one, because i just cannot cope with the idea of wasting my time on a sub par donner party book. A cautionary tale at the time, it becomes in michael walliss thorough and persuasive new telling, the best land under heaven, emblematic of the more shadowy aspects of manifest destiny. The donner party was a group of american pioneers who migrated to california in a wagon. You will enjoy it and the story of their travels and travails will give you a good background. This book presents an account of the donner party, a wagon train of about eightyseven people who in july 1846 started off for california via a new, untried route through the sierras. This volume is about a wagon train traveling to california in 1846.
Discover librarianselected research resources on donner party from the questia online library, including fulltext online books, academic. Mcglashan in his 1879 book history of the donner party declined to include some of the more morbid detailssuch as the suffering of the children. A former us senior intelligence analyst, katsus known for her hybrid literaryhistorical bestsellers like the taker, the reckoning, and the descent. One of the three or four finest book length american poems everwritten. Lansford was born in ohio to wealthy parents who could trace their american origins back to. Author wants to stop sensationalizing the donner party npr. The hunger by alma katsu meet your next favorite book. But now, alma katsu has added a paranormal tint to the story which only adds yet another horrifying possibility into the mix. But if youve read anything on the donner party, this book is not worth the money. The harrowing saga of a donner party bride by daniel james brown, ordeal by. A new history of the donner party and the dark side of manifest. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the indifferent stars above. Calabros offering is a fine addition to the donner party canon and particularly well suited to its young audience, for whom the story of hardship and survival will be nothing short of riveting.
Todays post on the horror bookshelf comes from alma katsu, the author of the hunger and the taker trilogy. The donner partys perilous journey west by ethan rarick. Watch the donner party american experience official. In truth, we know remarkably little about what actually happened to the starving travelers stranded in the sierra nevada in the winter of 184647. The long answer was, a book about the folly and arrogance of manifest destiny, as told through the eyes of its foot soldiers. The donner party was a group of californiabound american settlers caught up in the westering fever of the 1840s. List of books and articles about donner party online. The book was written in 1936 when one of the donner party was still alive but author stewart apparently had also researched in great detail the diaries and the journals of the settlers involved in this tragic event. The hunger is a supernatural spin on the donner party. Fiftynine people in the vanguard were forced to take refuge near truckee lake now donner lake, while the rest of the party, consisting of 22, was snowbound in a meadow six miles back. An exact accounting of the donner party is made difficult by deciding exactly when the donner party actually formed. In the summer of 1846, the donner party left missouri headed to california. Seriously, thats how difficult ive made this decision. The harrowing saga of the donner party by daniel james brown.