Synopses & Reviews
The Oregon Trail traces a journey into the heart of the American Plains by Francis Parkman, who undertook ms 1846 expedition in order to document the vanishing frontier; his keen observations and vivid style quickly established his reputation. Parkman depicts the hardships of travel across mountains and prairies, sketching vibrant portraits of his encounters with other sojourners as well as Western wildlife. Upon its original publication, this classic was reviewed by Herman Melville, who found it "excellent," with "the true wild-game flavor," "straight-forward throughout, and obviously truthful." This new Dover edition of one of the very greatest classics of American frontier literature is the lowest-priced edition now available.
Review
"While Parkman's patrician air and unabashed racism sometimes jolt the modern reader, this remains a colorful classic by one of the 19th century's most prominent narrative historians." Library Journal
Review
"I owe a great deal to an appallingly large number of historians but I am glad to name those from whom I have taken most or on whom I have principally relied: foremost and always Parkman." Bernard DeVoto, The Course of Empire
Review
"The Oregon Trail...recreat[es] for us, as perhaps no other book in our literature, the wonder and beauty and intensity of life in a new world that is now old and but a memory." Henry Steele Commager
Synopsis
Keen observations and a graphic style characterize the author's remarkable record of a vanishing frontier. Detailed accounts of the hardships experienced while traveling across mountains and prairies; vibrant portraits of emigrants and Western wildlife; and vivid descriptions of Indian life and culture. A classic of American frontier literature.