What is the best book you've read about the Donner Party?
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
Somehow I came across a review for a book called "Desperate Passage: The Donner Party's Perilous Journey West." Needing a book to read, I decided to look it up on Amazon. 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. Seriously, that's how difficult I've made this decision.
I want one that is an engaging page-turner that makes me feel cold and miserable (due to richness of description, not because the book is miserably boring). Non-fiction please (not interested in a fictionalized account, if any exist). Any recommendations? |
Anonymous
|
I've read two Donner Party books - the one you mentioned, and The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride. Definitely worth reading, though I honestly can't remember which of the two I liked better.
As a side note... I've read quite a bit of what I call "disaster literature". All non-fiction, but covering a wide range of topics. I guess it's kind of how some people enjoy watching horror movies (which I hate) - I'm just fascinated by these stories. It started when I read "Into a Thin Air", which I read one New Year's Day. I was so disturbed I couldn't sleep, and immediately began reading the book again from the beginning. OK, now I probably sound like a weirdo. But anyway, if you like the Donner Party books, I can recommend plenty of other reading that is similarly fascinating. 
|
Anonymous
| When you're done on land, read "In the Heart of the Sea" about the ship that inspired Moby Dick. Captivating! |
Anonymous
| "Guess Whose Coming To Dinner" |
Anonymous
PP here. I just looked back at my goodreads list, and apparently liked The Indifferent Stars Above better than Desperate Passage. |
Anonymous
Great book. I really like Nathaniel Philbrick. Mayflower was also very good. |
Anonymous
|
Also check out the pbs Donner Party special-- it was either Ken Burns or American Experience (or both). Really good.
They only missed getting over the mountain by about 8 hours! |
Anonymous
You sound like my twin
|
Anonymous
|
W
T F Not enough craziness going on RIGHT NOW, you gotta dredge up MOFO's each other hundreds of years ago? |
Anonymous
| The Totally Organic Cookbook. |
Anonymous
| How to Serve Man. |
Anonymous
| I just read The Indifferent Stars Above and really enjoyed it. I don't have anything else to compare it to, because it is the first book I've ever read about the Donner Party, but I thought it was a well-written page-turner. There was just enough extraneous historical detail to give some context to the story (I especially enjoyed reading about birth control in the 1840s), and the parts about the disaster itself were engrossing and, of course, disturbing. I'm a big fan of disaster literature too ... not sure why, I've just always been fascinated by tragedy. |
Anonymous
Beat me to it! SOOO good. |
Anonymous
You'd probably like this one: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/139069.Endurance |
Anonymous
|
Thank you everybody! I think I'll read Indifferent Stars Above. I did see a small part of that American Experience on PBS, which was what got my interest piqued. But then, I guess I forgot I was interested until recently.
I have read some "disaster literature" but didn't realize it was its own genre I loved Into Thin Air, The Worst Hard Time...that's all I can think of off the top of my head. But any other recommendations for that would be great too.
|