DESPERATE PASSAGE: THE DONNER PARTYS PERILOUS JOURNEY WEST PDF, EPUB, EBOOK

Ethan Rarick | 304 pages | 30 Jul 2009 | Oxford University Press Inc | 9780195383317 | English | New York, United States Desperate Passage - Paperback - Ethan Rarick - Oxford University Press

Often, the emigrants displayed a more realistic and typically human mixture of generosity and selfishness, an alloy born of necessity. In late October , the last wagon train of that year's westward migration stopped overnight before resuming its arduous climb over the Sierra Nevada Mountains, unaware that a fearsome storm was gathering force. After months of grueling travel, the 81 men, women and children would be trapped for a brutal winter with little food and only primitive shelter. The conclusion is known: by spring of the next year, the Donner Party was synonymous with the most harrowing extremes of human survival. But until now, the full story of what happened, what it tells us about human nature and about America's westward expansion, remained shrouded in myth. Ethan Rarick has written about politics, crime, business and sports throughout the West. He lives in Berkeley, California. Rarick's account is not really about science; it's about humanity Rarick has done his homework. Rarick scythes away the myths of one of the nation's better-known sagas, and offers up this horrific but ennobling tale in all its freshly researched detail. Readers take heed: this is a tough book, but a gripping one. His telling is evocative and easy to read. General readers, especially those who know of the Donner party only as the cannibal wagon train, will undoubtedly find it a fascinating read. With personal details Desperate Passage makes a gripping tale, and Rarick makes a scrupulous guide. Rarick makes this compelling frontier drama all the more so. Rarick deals with this most extreme of issues [cannibalism] with the evenhandedness and lack of melodrama that characterize the book throughout. Fradkin, author of Wallace Stegner and the American West. In this meticulously detailed narrative, Ethan Rarick presents the full horror and bravery of a dystopian episode that would forever qualify the California experience. It's a remarkable story for all generations, and with the advantage of updated research and a keen eye for detail, Ethan Rarick builds a quick-moving narrative. Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide. Academic Skip to main content. Search Start Search. Choose your country or region Close. Dear Customer, As a global organization, we, like many others, recognize the significant threat posed by the coronavirus. Please contact our Customer Service Team if you have any questions. Aug 31, GoldGato rated it liked it Shelves: catastrophe , winter , history , exploration , california. Did they live nearby? Why were they supposed to be a lesson for us? This book does a pretty decent job of explaining the entire disaster to the reader, although some of it ended up being a bit grisly for me. This is a very comprehensive review of the Donner Party, stretching back to when they first s "If you take shortcuts, you'll end up like the Donners! This is a very comprehensive review of the Donner Party, stretching back to when they first started West. It's simply amazing how treacherous it was for the American West pioneers, especially for those who made the journey before the vast nationwide train system was developed. Looking for a better life and leaving places that only a few decades before were considered 'the West' but were now 'the Midwest', people just got up and got to it. Their wagons, if they had any, would be full of their life's accumulations, much as we have now when we make a move. Imagine having to lose everything, and also your family's lives, because someone suggested a shortcut that had never been fully checked out beforehand. The writing here is clear and chronological, so I very quickly understood who the parties were and why they undertook such a dangerous trip. The rescue attempts were devastating and that is when I really started becoming involved in the book. I must say that after finishing this volume, I have a much better respect for the relative ease with which we live our 21st-century lives. At least I don't think I'll be munching on my neighbours' bones too soon. It's also why I always take the long route. Shortcuts are killers. View 1 comment. Mar 01, Chrissie rated it really liked it Recommended to Chrissie by: Lynne. Shelves: audible , usa , bad-trip , bio. An excellent reportage of the travail of this doomed trek. All the where, when, who, why and how questions are, if not definitively answered, thoroughly analyzed. Some questions still today cannot be conclusively answered. Over the years opposing views have been voiced. Who were the real heroes, who the villains and who the cowards? Why did this expedition go so tragically wrong? The push westward to Oregon and California over the plains and the mountains during the years of the ss, a 2 An excellent reportage of the travail of this doomed trek. The push westward to Oregon and California over the plains and the mountains during the years of the ss, a mile trek most often starting from Independence, Missouri, did not always end so disastrously. What went wrong here? That is the theme of this book. Cannibalism did occur but the exact details are contradictory. These contradictions, they too are analyzed, and the death tolls are studied: by sex, by age and by social ties. Please note that the individuals studied,both those of the journey and those in the relief efforts, were numerous. In this book you do not get "inside the individuals' heads". The book is too serious a study for that. Instead possible motivations and fears are listed. Previous life events of the individuals are given so we can understand their temperaments. There is no need for fiction. Real life events are startling and painful. When you think you have reached the end, you think the problems must end now, you will find only more problems await: another blizzard another moral decision to be tackled. These poor people! I listened to the audiobook. There is nothing much to say about the narration. It was just fine, although in my ears I heard a reflection of pity which sometimes annoyed me. Just give us the facts, buddy. Don't get me wrong; this is no big problem. View all 4 comments. Dec 19, Sabrina Resendiz rated it really liked it. Ethan Rarick's Desperate Passage, tells us, with much detail and historical evidence, the story of the Donner Party, a large group of families including the Donner and Reed families who take upon the perilous journey to have a better life. This book is set America, late s, when many families sought to travel to the recently acquired land of California. Traveling West for a better shot at life is not easy for the Donner Party since the land hasn't been thoroughly explored and the Natives with Ethan Rarick's Desperate Passage, tells us, with much detail and historical evidence, the story of the Donner Party, a large group of families including the Donner and Reed families who take upon the perilous journey to have a better life. Traveling West for a better shot at life is not easy for the Donner Party since the land hasn't been thoroughly explored and the Natives within the land aren't always amiable. The families are faced with tough decisions and obstacles, a journey they believe will be worth the sacrifice. The book reflects upon the true journey of the Donner Party's journey, for a better life, becoming a memorable, relatable in a sense, story in American history. In an early part of the book, the focus is set on Tamzene, who loses her children, and her husband in the span of four months; she becomes severely depressed. Attempting to take her life away on several occasions, her only comfort is writing letters to her sister in another state. Struggling to move on with life, she became a schoolteacher in Illinois, where her health and optimism slowly improved. Ten years after becoming a widow, she met George Donner, a people-person, who she later married and created a new family. They were quite prosperous but like many other families, the pressure of going west was too great so they joined the migration towards a new, better life. Ultimately, the story of the Donner Party is the story of pioneers traveling up to 12 miles a day, arguing about a decision to make that could mean life or death, attempting to get a better life even if that means risking their current one. It all adds up to a tale of unexperienced travelers going through new lands, which have varying climates, and the important decisions they have to make for the sake of the other members, a long, hard journey that unfortunately took the lives of many of the hopeful pioneers. Desperate Passage relates the story thoroughly, giving us a blast to the past with current historical evidence, which puts us in the position of asking ourselves, "What would I have done? Although the hardships faced on the journey would drive anyone to the brink of insanity, most of the party retained their morals and dignity. One was even brave enough to risk his own life for the sake of the other members. Yes, the Donner party is mainly known for the pioneers who ate the deceased, a desperate measure, but they didn't enjoy it at all. Feeling remorse, most of the party didn't even resort to cannibalism. I don't think I could ever fully understand the desperation these brave pioneers felt, or would I ever want to but reading about their journey made me realize even though the ultimate goal is survival, people would still rather keep their morals and protect others. Thinking I knew what I was going to expect, I thought, "this is just a survival story, they'll do anything to survive" but after reading the whole story, I was surprised with their brave decisions. Not that the Donner story is anything to be happy about but I did end up with a fuzzy feeling inside. I felt hopeful and after I saw the pioneers not like cannibalistic fools but as morally upright, genuine, interesting personalities, courageously, ambitiously trying to achieve a better life although, like all human beings, they made mistakes, which sadly took the lives of many. The pioneers, many of whom never traveled before, had to be courageous and make sacrifices, such as leave someone behind because they were slowing the group down. A single wrong decision led them to face the harsh cold winter, a season they were hoping to avoid. Losing hope, energy and food, some resort to cannibalism. The detailed description of the journey backed up by recent historical findings, something history lovers would appreciate, gives us a look into the pioneer life, leaving a hometown to head towards a "better life", something many who have traveled to another country with the same reason, along with the hardships that came with it, can probably relate to. Jun 30, Deirdre rated it it was amazing. When we think about the Donner Party, most of us think about just one thing -- the horrible tragedy that resulted in cannibalism. In this beautifully written, and quite emotionally engaging account, so much more is revealed -- the range of personalities involved in this story, the complex motives that propelled them forward, the role of fate and the difference a single action or decision might make. The Donner Party episode is also so much more complex than I imagined -- we think today that if w When we think about the Donner Party, most of us think about just one thing -- the horrible tragedy that resulted in cannibalism. The Donner Party episode is also so much more complex than I imagined -- we think today that if we are lost, and someone knows where we are, rescue will be on the way. But at the time, even knowledge of where the remnants of the Donner Party were located didn't ensure their survival -- extraordinary efforts still needed to be made to find them and return them to safety. Above all, the book highlights the remarkable choices that this doomed group of people were forced to make -- some of them callous and horrific, but many of them generous, self-less, and heroic beyond measure. The story of the Donner Party has an iconic place in American history and receives an insightful and intelligent retelling here. An interesting and well researched book on the Donner Party. I guess my only qualm with the Donner Party is that these people were duped by a man who claimed going through Utah through the Salt Lake and then heading through a thin pass over the Sierras would get them to California quicker. They lost so much marching through the vast salt lake desert that by the time they reached the Sierra Mountain "pass" they had virtually nothing left. I don't really know what I would have done given that si An interesting and well researched book on the Donner Party. I don't really know what I would have done given that situation. I can say that I appreciated the research the author did and went into concerning cannibalism. And the lengths the party went through before eating the dead. I know I would have started eating people before my shoelaces I also found the statistics on the dead interesting: 28 men died compared to only 8 women and that there are several theories as to why that is but the one I liked best was the fat theory. Mar 24, Gale rated it really liked it. A cautionary tale indeed, it chronicles their anti-heroic behavior, serving as a study in human interaction, resilience and emotional breakdown when social mores gradually eroded under prolonged starvation. Not all the rescuers demonstrated honor or decency; not all the survivors merited praise or even exoneration. Diaries, journals, third-person newspaper accounts, subsequent memories, many of which contradicted each other. Presenting the viewpoints of multiple characters the author deftly interweaves the struggle of survivors at both the Lake Camps and at Alder Creek, with the trials of various rescue parties. Their story, quite simply, became a pioneering Blame Game. After the final departure of the last survivor this non-fiction novel includes the fate of each of the survivors and their rescuers. It concludes with the dedication of the Donner Memorial, attended by three elderly female survivors. Nov 05, Cindy rated it it was amazing. This is one of the best books I've ever read! I couldn't put it down. It truly brought history to life. And I found a couple of wonderful heroes to look up to. The first half of the book takes you into the lives of people on the westward trail. You learn about individuals who were drawn to take their families to a new land out west. Then you see what life was like upon the wagon trail and the decisions they had to make along the way. It's a very engaging account. Hastings' promises and his level of follow-through. It was compelling. The last half of the book detailed their travails in their wintering location -- the depths of cold and starvation, the ravaging storms, the meager shelters The mothers, seeking comfort for their children. And the multiple attempts at both escape and rescue. If a person wanted to get a historical feel for the westward expansion movement, major landmarks, and life upon the trail, yet was leery of Donner Party details, they could read just the first half and get much out of it! The entire book was excellent, taking me into the lives and experiences of these regular people enduring extraordinary challenges. I highly recommend it. Oct 26, Kelsey Hanson rated it really liked it Shelves: nonfiction. This book provides a more in-depth look at the Donner Party and all that the settlers had to go through. Before reading this book, my knowledge of the Donner Party was basically that they were a group of settlers who after a series of poor choices wound up stuck in the winter and had to resort to cannibalism in order to survive. While that is an accurate summary, it's hardly the whole story. This book offers some insight about why they made the choices they made and how they survived. The most i This book provides a more in-depth look at the Donner Party and all that the settlers had to go through. The most interesting aspect of this book for me was the story of the rescuers. In this modern age, it's really easy to assume that rescue was fairly simple, just head down with enough food to get them out. This book shows just how dangerous it could be for the rescuers in this remote area and how many of them found themselves stuck in the same boat as the Donner party members. This book tells the story of many of the heroes and villains associated with the Donner Party and showcases the strength of the human spirit. Oct 10, Keely rated it really liked it. Desperate Passage offers a straightforward account of the Donner Party's disastrous trek west in Rarick keeps the narrative going with engaging storytelling, and throughout the sad tale, emphasizes its thoroughly human elements--the miscalculations, pride, and risk taking that puts us all in bad situations from time to time. Unfortunately, for the Donner party, their mistakes happened to collide with perfect storm of external circumstances that ended up stranding them in early Sierra Nevad Desperate Passage offers a straightforward account of the Donner Party's disastrous trek west in Unfortunately, for the Donner party, their mistakes happened to collide with perfect storm of external circumstances that ended up stranding them in early Sierra Nevada snows before they could make the crossing into safety in California. I picked up Desperate Passage to get a little more context after reading Alma Katsu's supernatural reimagining of the Donner party's ordeal in her novel The Hunger. I came away with the background I'd been looking for, plus some interesting surprises about what actually happened. For instance, I never knew that more than half of the 81 people trapped in the mountains were under the age of In addition, the survival cannibalism some of the group engaged in wasn't as widespread, lengthy, or gruesome as more mythic accounts had led me to believe. The book also offers some compelling insights about who survived and who didn't. The highest death rate was among young unattached men--the teamsters and employees working their way west along with the family groups. Apparently, strong social ties, the encouragement to keep going and live for each other, must have been a factor in the higher survival rate of close-knit family groups. Good history book. I especially appreciated how streamlined it was. Desperate Passage delivers a well-rounded picture without many detours. Just what I was looking for. May 07, Terry Tyler rated it it was amazing. I was gripped by this book all the way through. It tells the story of a party of pioneers travelling from Illinois to California in , to start a new life. But they made 3 fatal mistakes: they set off too late, they travelled too slowly, and, instead of taking the traditional route up into Oregon and down into California, they took a short cut, the 'Hastings Cut-Off', little knowing that Lansford Hastings, who was trying to lure more Americans into Mexico-owned California, had never actually I was gripped by this book all the way through. But they made 3 fatal mistakes: they set off too late, they travelled too slowly, and, instead of taking the traditional route up into Oregon and down into California, they took a short cut, the 'Hastings Cut-Off', little knowing that Lansford Hastings, who was trying to lure more Americans into Mexico-owned California, had never actually tested the route himself. Somewhere between a third and a half of the pioneers perished en route. The account is fascinating on so many levels: Rarick gives a great insight into the characters of the travellers, and I actually found it easier to follow the large cast in this non-fiction account than in the novel. I like that he dispelled many of the myths about the relationship between the travellers and the native Americans; for the most part, the latter were helpful, and friendly. The already difficult journey becomes tragic in the extreme once the party realises that they have hit the mountains at the onset of winter; a large section of the book is concerned with this part of the journey, with all its horrors; starvation, divisions in the group, failed attempts to cross the high peaks, many deaths, and cannibalism. Rarick has given all viewpoints, taken from those who survived it, the rescuers, and the accounts in the newspapers afterwards. The last part of the book is spent discussing what was true, what was exaggerated, and the downright lies that were conjured up for the purpose of selling books and newspapers. Also, he tells what happened to the survivors after their ordeal was over. Most tragic of all is the thought that within some of the survivors' lifetimes, new technology would have made their crossing so much easier, saving many lives. A terrific book that I recommend most highly. Oct 30, Paul rated it really liked it. I would not call Mr. Rarick a great writer, but he's a thorough and responsible historian and he handles the sensational subject matter of "Desperate Passage" as. Particularly valuable is his description of the climate conditions that stranded the Donner party just east of the Sierra Nevada mountains over the winter of , which reinforces the point he makes in the chapter about the startlingly common practice of cannibalism among stranded travelers, I would not call Mr. Particularly valuable is his description of the climate conditions that stranded the Donner party just east of the Sierra Nevada mountains over the winter of , which reinforces the point he makes in the chapter about the startlingly common practice of cannibalism among stranded travelers, often sailors, during an era of bold and often reckless exploration: one day you, too, might be hungry enough to put the "family" in family dinner, so don't pass judgment. Rarick is also fairly evenhanded toward the hucksters whose desire to lure more white settlers to the West Coast drove them to publicize a non-existent shortcut to California through some of the harshest landscapes in the West, and the wagon-party leaders whose hubris drove them to believe such extravagant claims. After all, aren't we all only human, prone to the flaws that the flesh is heir to pride, greed, gaminess? View all 3 comments. Jun 07, Jen rated it really liked it. This was an engaging and interesting book about the travails of the Donner Party. Anyone who lives in or has been to California has likely heard of or driven across Donner Pass, which is of course near Donner Lake. There's even a roller derby team named The Donna Party. A lot of focus in other stories rests on the cannibalism and so forth, but to judge their decisions from our comfortable p " A lot of focus in other stories rests on the cannibalism and so forth, but to judge their decisions from our comfortable perspective is kind of silly. Like the author said, they did the best they could. They were ordinary people in search of an extraordinary life. I was interested to see the author touched on how more women survived than men, possibly due to higher body fat, the health effects of having social networks, etc. That theme was discussed in another recent read Annapurna. Fascinating stuff! Veryyy slow start. Interesting account of the depths that people go to survive. Nov 27, Alex rated it it was amazing. Nice info. Dec 22, Erin Kelly rated it it was amazing. Well-researched and well-written, with an objective POV that puts everything in context in a textured, respectful, practical way. Nov 13, Bita rated it liked it. If you want to know about the Donner party this book is a good one to read. May 31, Mimi Vo rated it really liked it. This book takes us back to , a time where there were no such things as smart phones and automobiles. It tells us about a group of nearly 90 emigrants who attempt to make a long journey westward to California with the hopes of acquiring a better future and easier living. Desperate Passage: The Donner Party's Perilous Journey West by Ethan Rarick

The desert is difficult to cross even with modern vehicles; in oxen drawn wagons it's agonizing. The emigrants lost many of their animals and their possessions, and had to waste valuable time heading back to pull things out of the desert — and still ended up abandoning food. And once across, they could not go back. This led to the next bad decision, to try to press on to California instead of wintering in the valley of what is now Reno. It wasn't, they argued, that late in the year yet; they would have to slaughter all of their animals if they wintered in what is now Reno; they would be safer wintering in California. And so they pressed on, only to find the snow falling and falling. Even then, as Rarick notes, had they turned back about 35 miles or so, back to now-Reno, they might well have wintered more or less comfortably. Instead, deciding that they could not turn back, and realizing that most of the group could not continue immediately, they built makeshift cabins in the falling snow. The Donner families, lingering a few miles behind, barely even had the makeshift cabins. The snow fell, and fell, covering their animals. And things got worse. I couldn't put the book down in the next chapters, as again and again various groups and individuals tried to break away to find help, food, rescue, as they tried to eat boiled ox skins and slowly turned to the horror of eating their dead companions, to the point of murdering two of them the Native Americans for that purpose. This is particularly awful since the two Native Americans had actually arrived to help rescue the party, and although some Native Americans stole some of the Donner group's animals, other Native Americans helped feed and succor the group along the way and were instrumental in saving some of them. The relationships between whites and Native Americans, at least in this book, were not particularly cut and dried. Rarick also takes a moment to discuss how the Donner Party story has been told and retold, as a tale of inspiration and heroism, as a cautionary tale, as a tale of laziness and poor choices this last often for financial reasons by people desperate to get people to head out to California and convince prospective emigrants that really, the trip wasn't that bad and no, most people heading to California did not end up getting eaten. But it's not in the end the cannibalism that leaves the greatest impression, but rather the other tragic details: the death of the boy who, offered food again, could not understand that a starving body must eat only limited amounts at first, and killed himself through overeating; the image of a woman who, probably disoriented from her ordeal and near starvation, sent her children off in the care of strangers while she returned to sit by her dying husband, a decision that cost her life, and more. Taking the Field Our Present Calamity Fellowbeings From California, or Heaven? Threshold of Desperation Weeping Gruesome Sights Terror, Terror A Broken Promise Alive Yet None for Tears The Last Man A Beautiful Country Rarick scythes away the myths of one of the nation's better-known sagas, and offers up this horrific but ennobling tale in all its freshly researched detail. Readers take heed: this is a tough book, but a gripping one. In this meticulously detailed narrative, Ethan Rarick presents the full horror and bravery of a dystopian episode that would forever qualify the California experience. Fradkin, author of Wallace Stegner and the American West "Rarick illuminates this classic America stage through a deftly told drama of courage and cowardice It's a remarkable story for all generations, and with the advantage of updated research and a keen eye for detail, Ethan Rarick builds a quick-moving narrative. Fradkin, author of Wallace Stegner and the American West, "The story of the ill-fated Donner Party's trek across the country is thereverse image of Lewis and Clark's: seemingly everything that could go wrong,did go wrong -- from bad leadership to disastrous choices, from fatal accidentsto murderous fights, and finally a ghastly ordeal in the Sierra snows. It's aremarkable story for all generations, and with the advantage of updated researchand a keen eye for detail, Ethan Rarick builds a quick-movingnarrative. Rarick''s account is not really about science; it''s about humanity Rarick has done his homework. Rarick scythes away the myths of one of the nation''s better-known sagas, and offers up this horrific but ennobling tale in all its freshly researched detail. His telling is evocative and easy to read. General readers, especially those who know of the Donner party only as the cannibal wagon train, will undoubtedly find it a fascinating read. With personal details Desperate Passage makes a gripping tale, and Rarick makes a scrupulous guide. Rarick makes this compelling frontier drama all the more so. Rarick deals with this most extreme of issues [cannibalism] with the evenhandedness and lack of melodrama that characterize the book throughout. It''s a remarkable story for all generations, and with the advantage of updated research and a keen eye for detail, Ethan Rarick builds a quick-moving narrative. Desperate Passagemakes a gripping tale, and Rarick makes a scrupulous guide. Fradkin, author ofWallace Stegner and the American West "Rarick illuminates this classic America stage through a deftly told drama of courage and cowardice It''s a remarkable story for all generations, and with the advantage of updated research and a keen eye for detail, Ethan Rarick builds a quick-moving narrative, "His is the first significant book, written, like Stewart''s, in a novelistic mode and likely to gain popular readership, to incorporate this new data In late October , the last wagon train of that year's westward migration stopped overnight before resuming its arduous climb over the Sierra Nevada Mountains, unaware that a fearsome storm was gathering force. After months of grueling travel, the 81 men, women and children would be trapped for a brutal winter with little food and only primitive shelter. The conclusion is known: by spring of the next year, the Donner Party was synonymous with the most harrowing extremes of human survival. But until now, the full story of what happened, what it tells us about human nature and about America's westward expansion, remained shrouded in myth. Ethan Rarick has written about politics, crime, business and sports throughout the West. He lives in Berkeley, California. Rarick's account is not really about science; it's about humanity Rarick has done his homework. Rarick scythes away the myths of one of the nation's better-known sagas, and offers up this horrific but ennobling tale in all its freshly researched detail. Readers take heed: this is a tough book, but a gripping one. His telling is evocative and easy to read. General readers, especially those who know of the Donner party only as the cannibal wagon train, will undoubtedly find it a fascinating read. With personal details Desperate Passage makes a gripping tale, and Rarick makes a scrupulous guide. Rarick makes this compelling frontier drama all the more so. Rarick deals with this most extreme of issues [cannibalism] with the evenhandedness and lack of melodrama that characterize the book throughout. Fradkin, author of Wallace Stegner and the American West. In this meticulously detailed narrative, Ethan Rarick presents the full horror and bravery of a dystopian episode that would forever qualify the California experience. Desperate Passage: the Donner Party's Perilous Journey West: mariness — LiveJournal

The parents lived on berries, the babies on breast milk. The father, James Kim, died of hypothermia while trying to get help. A year later, Frederick Dominguez, of Paradise, Calif. After three days, they were rescued, more or less unharmed. These grim situations attracted relentless media attention: family plus snow plus stranded equals human-interest story nonpareil. The pioneers, some of whom resorted to cannibalism, have been both praised and maligned for the decisions they made on the way from Missouri to California. George R. But the greatest problem is a simple one, and the chief opponent is Time. Even if they are a month delayed, all may yet go well. But let it come late October, or November, and the snowstorms block the heights, when wagons are light of provisions and oxen lean, then will come a story. Archaeologists in the s dug for evidence at what is now called Donner Lake, near the Sierra town of Truckee, where a majority of the party camped. In the past few years, another team has extracted artifacts from the meadow, seven miles away, where the Donner family itself lived in makeshift tents. But Rarick resists both the gruesomely sensationalist accounts of the Donner party as well as later attempts to turn the survivors into archetypal pioneer heroes. Often, the emigrants displayed a more realistic and typically human mixture of generosity and selfishness, an alloy born of necessity. In late October , the last wagon train of that year's westward migration stopped overnight before resuming its arduous climb over the Sierra Nevada Mountains, unaware that a fearsome storm was gathering force. After months of grueling travel, the 81 men, women and children would be trapped for a brutal winter with little food and only primitive shelter. The conclusion is known: by spring of the next year, the Donner Party was synonymous with the most harrowing extremes of human survival. But until now, the full story of what happened, what it tells us about human nature and about America's westward expansion, remained shrouded in myth. Ethan Rarick has written about politics, crime, business and sports throughout the West. He lives in Berkeley, California. Rarick's account is not really about science; it's about humanity Rarick has done his homework. Rarick scythes away the myths of one of the nation's better-known sagas, and offers up this horrific but ennobling tale in all its freshly researched detail. Readers take heed: this is a tough book, but a gripping one. His telling is evocative and easy to read. General readers, especially those who know of the Donner party only as the cannibal wagon train, will undoubtedly find it a fascinating read. With personal details Desperate Passage makes a gripping tale, and Rarick makes a scrupulous guide. Rarick makes this compelling frontier drama all the more so. Rarick deals with this most extreme of issues [cannibalism] with the evenhandedness and lack of melodrama that characterize the book throughout. Fradkin, author of Wallace Stegner and the American West. In this meticulously detailed narrative, Ethan Rarick presents the full horror and bravery of a dystopian episode that would forever qualify the California experience. It's a remarkable story for all generations, and with the advantage of updated research and a keen eye for detail, Ethan Rarick builds a quick- moving narrative. Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide. Academic Skip to main content. Search Start Search. Choose your country or region Close. Dear Customer, As a global organization, we, like many others, recognize the significant threat posed by the coronavirus.

In late November , a San Francisco couple with two young children made a wrong turn and found themselves snowbound in their car in the Oregon wilderness, where they stayed for more than a week. The parents lived on berries, the babies on breast milk. The father, James Kim, died of hypothermia while trying to get help. A year later, Frederick Dominguez, of Paradise, Calif. After three days, they were rescued, more or less unharmed. These grim situations attracted relentless media attention: family plus snow plus stranded equals human-interest story nonpareil. The pioneers, some of whom resorted to cannibalism, have been both praised and maligned for the decisions they made on the way from Missouri to California. George R. This group, known as the Donner Party consisted of men, women, and many children. At this time, many Americans were traveling westward with the intentions of fulfilling their "Manifest Destiny" which is the philosophy that Am This book takes us back to , a time where there were no such things as smart phones and automobiles. At this time, many Americans were traveling westward with the intentions of fulfilling their "Manifest Destiny" which is the philosophy that America must expand and stretch from coast to coast. A journey like this usually took several months due to the fact that they had to travel the old-fashioned way - via ox drawn wagons and on foot. However, as the Donner Party starts its journey, the emigrants have no idea that their trek will take quite longer than usual. They will encounter many setbacks and ultimately, catastrophe. Rarick does an impressive job of narrating this grievous part of American history. He consistently quoted parts of the emigrants' dairies and journals, which gave great insight on how they were feeling. Although we never really go inside the minds of the Donner Party members, I was still able get a vivid idea of the mood and ambience of the journey. Rarick clearly expresses a major theme in this book - a human's desperate will to survive. However, there were flaws in Rarick's writing style. He often went back and forth, jumping from one scene to another without any warning to the reader. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It gives excellent insight on the Donner Party's treacherous trek westward to a better future in California. It is jam-packed with suspense and is a heartrending retelling of what is possibly one of the most tragic parts of American history. A beautifully written page turner, this book will compel you to ponder on the darker side of human nature and will leave you thinking about how extreme you would go to save your own life and the lives of those you love. Mar 12, Colleen rated it it was amazing Shelves: death , biography , non-fiction , history. Just about everyone has heard of the Donner Party, the ill-fated wagon train that got trapped in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in October , and the fact that many of the survivors had to resort to cannibalism in order live long enough to be rescued. However, their story is so much more than just their gruesome method of survival, and this book covers it all. The author does, of course, discuss the cannibalism that was necessary for survival, but he does so without any sensationalism or gory det Just about everyone has heard of the Donner Party, the ill-fated wagon train that got trapped in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in October , and the fact that many of the survivors had to resort to cannibalism in order live long enough to be rescued. The author does, of course, discuss the cannibalism that was necessary for survival, but he does so without any sensationalism or gory details. The first half of the book, which deals with the journey up to the point where they are trapped by snow, is an excellent study of what it was like for the pioneers to risk their lives in order to make better lives for themselves in the new land of California. The second half, which deals with their entrapment and their various attempts to escape, is heartbreaking to read. However, it does give testament to the human will to survive and perhaps I would fare longer than I think. It is absolutely unbelievable to me that so many survived, with virtually no food and barely any shelter, for over four months. The author also does a good job at describing the various members of the party. Mar 04, Damon Lively rated it it was amazing. Fantastic and captivating book. For a stab in the dark at picking a book to analyze and explain in detail the Donner Party tragedy - I could not have asked for much more. This book is a page turner and is written in a manner that makes it difficult to put down. With each page I was mesmerized by parts of this story I had not realized before, the scope of human endurance and ability fight to survive, and to another extent the heartfelt sickness at poor decisions that lead to loss of innocent li Fantastic and captivating book. With each page I was mesmerized by parts of this story I had not realized before, the scope of human endurance and ability fight to survive, and to another extent the heartfelt sickness at poor decisions that lead to loss of innocent life. It's is one event after another. For those unfamiliar - this story although a different time period and certainly set of circumstances has eery similarity to the story "Alive" and the Andes tragedy. For those who "think" they know the Donner story and might be like myself and simply have heard about the ordeal in the winter of the Sierra Nevada Mts - you will find so much more to this story and events all captivating and intriguing. I highly recommend this to anyone. A very tragic set of circumstances. Aug 08, Carolyn Klassen rated it really liked it Shelves: Desperate Passage was better than I expected. This was really engaging, not dull or plodding in its pacing, and, at times, even moving, emotionally rich, and well-written. I'm not a good gauge on public interest in history books; as a history major I probably like history books more than most people, so I can't say that anyone would like this or that it's a good choice for someone delving into books on American settler history for the first time. However, if you're already interested in the Donn Desperate Passage was better than I expected. However, if you're already interested in the Donner Party or American colonial history, survival narratives, or dark, grim tales, this is for you! Rarick gives a decent scope of American society in the mids, setting the tone for the Donner Party's misadventures. He doesn't blame any party for the consequential tragedies but he does point out several instances that led to the entrapment, starvation, desperation, and eventually cannibalism. One of the strongest portions of this study is his examination of historical cannibalism in a colonial perspective. He looks at Naval expeditions that led to cannibalism and how it was treated and seen by both the perpetrators and the empire. This is a gem of information on The Donner Party, California's invasion and settlement, and survival ethics and history. May 31, Linda rated it really liked it. I had read a book in high school about it, but forgot most of the facts. Searching on my nook later at the hotel, I came across Desperate Passage. I really like the way Ethan Rarick researched the whole story, the book starts at the beginning of the Donnor Party journey and tells the whole story. Many things lead to the end result, delays, poor advice followed, pride and lack of know After driving over Donnor Pass on my way to California, I was curious about the Donnor Party, what really happened? Many things lead to the end result, delays, poor advice followed, pride and lack of knowledge. Rarick also talks about cannabilism during ship wrecks and other survivals in the wilderness. I also liked how he researched what happened later in the lives of the survivors. Driving across the Salt Flats, the way the Donnor Party also went and then up over the pass, I cannot imagine walking it. It is amazing to me the fortitude of those who made it. They should be honored for their suffering. Mar 15, Susan rated it really liked it. Good, quick, easy read about the tragedy of the Donner Party and I guess more accurate than previous books on the topic, though it seems less detailed and much shorter than other books on the topic. I still prefer Stewart's Ordeal By Hunger-- it really did a better job of giving the reader a full understanding of the severe trials the emigrants faced not only at their winter at the lake, but almost from Day 1 of the trip the horrific crossing of the Great Salt Lake desert, for instance. Desp Good, quick, easy read about the tragedy of the Donner Party and I guess more accurate than previous books on the topic, though it seems less detailed and much shorter than other books on the topic. Desperate Passage also gives the whole topic of cannibalism much more face time than Stewart did which isn't really saying all that much, he mentioned it almost in passing , and expends a lot more unneeded effort justifying the fact that some seriously starving people ate some already-dead people. Anyhoo, this is a nice overview of the Donner-Reed Party tragedy but I would still recommend Stewart's book over this one. Apr 23, J. When I started this, I wasn't sure what to expect. My knowledge of the Donner Party tragedy was mostly based on heresay and a horribly morbid movie called "Cannibal: The Musical. Much more emphasis is placed on the journey itself and the people in the party than on the atrocious events that occurred that winter. While the subject matter isn't for the squeamish, this book When I started this, I wasn't sure what to expect. While the subject matter isn't for the squeamish, this book deals with it delicately in a manner that shouldn't offend anyone's sensibilities. Apr 28, Krysten rated it liked it Shelves: nonfiction. A fairly light read for such a horrifying topic. This may be overly picky of me, but I hate it when nonfiction books get into "reasonable speculation" as the author of this book calls it in the Author's Note. This book has a lot of relevant but unimportant speculative "details" about, for example, how a certain person loved riding horses and feeling the wind whip through her hair. Unless there's something from a primary source to back up that sort of detail, I really don't care. At any rate, th A fairly light read for such a horrifying topic. At any rate, this book was a good overview of the struggles of the Donner Party and their historical context. The author did a pretty decent job of introducing as many main players as possible without making the huge party too daunting. Sometimes I would have preferred longer passages focusing on just one or two people, but what can you do. Dec 04, Irene rated it it was amazing. This is a work of non fiction, and I would recommend it whether you already know the gist of what happened to these people or whether you only think you know, Whether you have heard very little about it other than cannibalism was involved, or whether you have watched documentaries on the subject this is by far the best and most detailed account of events that I have come across. No one remained at the high camps. For the Donner Party, the journey was finished. Jun 05, Paula rated it it was amazing. While I have read other books on this subject, they all seemed to focus on the obvious desperate acts the Donner Party is known for. This book took the journey from the beginning, detailing finely the members of the party, as well as the journey, and the uninformed men who led them to their desperate ends. Nowhere have I seen such detail as here. One gets to know all the families involved, person by person, child by child, wagon by wagon. The reader understands why they did what they felt they h While I have read other books on this subject, they all seemed to focus on the obvious desperate acts the Donner Party is known for. The reader understands why they did what they felt they had to do, and also gets to rejoice with those who survived. I cannot recommend this high enough. Feb 16, Jenny Maloney rated it liked it Shelves: academics , donner-party , non-fiction , old-west , tragedy , A good introduction to the Donner party tragedy -- but it seems like some sections are sped through because there's a lack of detail. This book reads more like a summation of the other books that have come before it: McGlashan, Stewart, Hill, etc. There aren't any real new insights or POVs added. But if you've never read anything about the Donner party, this is a good place to start. It covers all of the general bases and does have a few additional pieces of information regarding our current und A good introduction to the Donner party tragedy -- but it seems like some sections are sped through because there's a lack of detail. It covers all of the general bases and does have a few additional pieces of information regarding our current understanding of starvation and hypothermia that illuminate what the victims may have been feeling or experiencing. Dec 09, Heather Gibby rated it really liked it. I have owned this book for a really long time, and finally got around to reading it. It is a non-fiction account of the Donner Party's journey west to California in , and the winter spent on the eastern side of the mountains as they did not make the mountain pass before the first major snow fall. It is a testament to what humans are capable of doing to survive when they have no other options. Oct 24, catzkc rated it really liked it Shelves: kindle-books-i-have , non-fiction , north-america , audible , westward-expansion. This proved to be quite a lively, detailed and sympathetic but honest account of the entire journey west of what came to be infamously known as The Donner Party. Granted, before reading this I had only been exposed to the sketchiest of details regarding the Donner Party, so I can't truly attest to its accuracy, but given the documents and sources he cites throughout the book, I think it's definitely safe to say the author did his research! At times it became a little difficult to keep track of a This proved to be quite a lively, detailed and sympathetic but honest account of the entire journey west of what came to be infamously known as The Donner Party. At times it became a little difficult to keep track of all the individuals, but that didn't detract too much from the entirety of the story. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Readers also enjoyed. North American Hi About Ethan Rarick. Ethan Rarick. Matsui Center for Politics and Public Service, a component of IGS that seeks to interest undergraduates in public service through internship programs, public events, and the presence of distinguished visitors on campus. He is a frequent public commentator on California politics, policy, and history, and has written about these subjects for many publications, including The Los Angeles Times and California History. Books by Ethan Rarick. Related Articles. Read more Trivia About Desperate Passage No trivia or quizzes yet. Quotes from Desperate Passage Like their wagons, they had no brakes, no way of stopping the high-stakes journey on which they had wagered their lives and fortunes. Welcome back. If they had not been tired, if they had not known how time they needed to make up, they might not have tried the trail that led to the Great Salt Lake desert. Rarick argues, fairly conclusively, that this choice, more than the weather, was what doomed so many of the Donner Party. The desert is difficult to cross even with modern vehicles; in oxen drawn wagons it's agonizing. The emigrants lost many of their animals and their possessions, and had to waste valuable time heading back to pull things out of the desert — and still ended up abandoning food. And once across, they could not go back. This led to the next bad decision, to try to press on to California instead of wintering in the valley of what is now Reno. It wasn't, they argued, that late in the year yet; they would have to slaughter all of their animals if they wintered in what is now Reno; they would be safer wintering in California. And so they pressed on, only to find the snow falling and falling. Even then, as Rarick notes, had they turned back about 35 miles or so, back to now-Reno, they might well have wintered more or less comfortably. Instead, deciding that they could not turn back, and realizing that most of the group could not continue immediately, they built makeshift cabins in the falling snow. The Donner families, lingering a few miles behind, barely even had the makeshift cabins. The snow fell, and fell, covering their animals. And things got worse. I couldn't put the book down in the next chapters, as again and again various groups and individuals tried to break away to find help, food, rescue, as they tried to eat boiled ox skins and slowly turned to the horror of eating their dead companions, to the point of murdering two of them the Native Americans for that purpose. This is particularly awful since the two Native Americans had actually arrived to help rescue the party, and although some Native Americans stole some of the Donner group's animals, other Native Americans helped feed and succor the group along the way and were instrumental in saving some of them. The relationships between whites and Native Americans, at least in this book, were not particularly cut and dried. https://static.s123-cdn-static.com/uploads/4644297/normal_6020b38d06444.pdf https://files8.webydo.com/9585915/UploadedFiles/FAD904C7-E842-FC10-6B59-903E71833D2E.pdf https://static.s123-cdn-static.com/uploads/4637615/normal_60204472c8c58.pdf https://files8.webydo.com/9586855/UploadedFiles/0ACF1FAF-EE5A-369D-429F-538249FE699D.pdf