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Astoria: Astor and Jefferson's Lost Pacific Empire: A Tale of Ambition and Survival on the Early American Frontier

by Peter Stark
Astoria: Astor and Jefferson's Lost Pacific Empire: A Tale of Ambition and Survival on the Early American Frontier

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ISBN13: 9780062218308
ISBN10: 0062218301



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25 Books to Read Before You Die: Pacific Northwest Edition

A consummate selection of books written by Pacific Northwest authors.


Staff Pick

Astoria is Peter Stark’s epic telling of the establishment of what was intended to be the base of John Jacob Astor’s Pacific fur trading empire. The harrowing journeys that led the settlers — by sail, canoe, or overland — to the mouth of the Columbia River are almost beyond belief. The obstacles they faced included not just the many natural barriers of an unmapped continent — sand bars, river canyons, and mountains — but also the self-defeating vices they brought with them: greed, paranoia, murder, and war. Stark doesn’t shy away from the fact that the bravery of the explorers was all in service of the desire to exploit the sea otters and Native peoples that already inhabited the area, and while Astor’s empire ultimately wasn’t built off the Pacific, that exploitation came nevertheless. Recommended By Keith M., Powells.com

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments

In the tradition of The Lost City of Z and Skeletons in the Zahara, Astoria is the thrilling, true-adventure tale of the 1810 Astor Expedition, an epic, now forgotten, three-year journey to forge an American empire on the Pacific Coast. Peter Stark offers a harrowing saga in which a band of explorers battled nature, starvation, and madness to establish the first American settlement in the Pacific Northwest and opened up what would become the Oregon trail, permanently altering the nation's landscape and its global standing.

Six years after Lewis and Clark's began their journey to the Pacific Northwest, two of the Eastern establishment's leading figures, John Jacob Astor and Thomas Jefferson, turned their sights to founding a colony akin to Jamestown on the West Coast and transforming the nation into a Pacific trading power. Author and correspondent for Outside magazine Peter Stark recreates this pivotal moment in American history for the first time for modern readers, drawing on original source material to tell the amazing true story of the Astor Expedition.

Unfolding over the course of three years, from 1810 to 1813, Astoria is a tale of high adventure and incredible hardship in the wilderness and at sea. Of the more than one hundred-forty members of the two advance parties that reached the West Coast — one crossing the Rockies, the other rounding Cape Horn — nearly half perished by violence. Others went mad. Within one year, the expedition successfully established Fort Astoria, a trading post on the Columbia River. Though the colony would be short-lived, it opened provincial American eyes to the potential of the Western coast and its founders helped blaze the Oregon Trail.

Review

"A thrilling true-adventure tale….A breathtaking account of an expedition that changed the geography of a young nation and its place in global commerce and politics." Booklist

Review

“Astoria is a scintillating corrective to the "guts and glory" school of American history and economics….Grandiose visions…..have consequences, and Peter Stark's depiction of the body count that results from this one unfolds with the inevitability of a fine tragedy and comedic zing of a good action flick.” David James Duncan, author of The Brothers K and The River Why

Review

"A page-turning tale of ambition, greed, politics, survival, and loss." Publishers Weekly

Review

"Stark vividly writes of fur trader John Jacob Astor's capitalist quest….[a] fascinating account....that never loses its focus." Library Journal

About the Author

Peter Stark is a historian and adventure writer. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller Astoria, along with The Last Empty Spaces, Last Breath, and At the Mercy of the River. He is a correspondent for Outside magazine, has written for Smithsonian and The New Yorker, and is a National Magazine Award nominee. He lives in Montana with his wife and children.

4.5 2

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Average customer rating 4.5 (2 comments)

`
merlins.crazy.mom , January 23, 2018 (view all comments by merlins.crazy.mom)
If you like to read about Oregon history then I highly recommend this book. I had a little trouble getting into this book but once it finally ensnared me I couldn't put it down! About half way through, I went back and re-read the first bit of the book which really helped wrap it all together. I don't want to give away anything in the story but if you read this book I think you'll see what I mean about re-reading the first part. It also helps if you have knowledge of the geography of the Columbia river gorge, as it helped me visualize where the explorers were at throughout the story. I *really* enjoyed this book. I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars just because I had a little trouble getting hooked near the beginning. I will definitely re-read the whole thing again at some point in the near-future.

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`
Victoriana , July 15, 2014
This book is an exciting true story of Astoria's history after Lewis & Clark, taken from journals and documents tracing the Overland Journey Party and the Seafaring Tonquin sailors. It traces the astute vision of John Jacob Astor who saw that the mouth of Columbia River could be the gateway to trade around the Pacific Rim. It is Astoria's past 200 years ago, and from this account we can appreciate the value of Astoria's valuable legacy for the future in Oregon. All the more reason to preserve our small town for future generations, as a special part of Oregon. This book is a must read, and one you won't want to put down as you learn more about this historic and beautiful part of the Oregon coast. After reading "Astoria" you will want to visit and see what all the history is about!

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Product Details

ISBN:
9780062218308
Binding:
Trade Paperback
Publication date:
02/10/2015
Publisher:
Ecco Press
Pages:
400
Height:
1.00IN
Width:
5.30IN
Thickness:
1.00
Illustration:
Yes
Author:
Peter Stark
Media Run Time:
B
Subject:
US History-19th Century

Ships free on qualified orders.
Add to Cart
$13.59
List Price:$16.99
Sale, New Trade Paperback
Ships in 1 to 3 days
Add to Wishlist
QtyStore
22Burnside
1Cedar Hills
20Local Warehouse
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