The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey
Ratings10
Average rating3.8
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • #1 Indie Next Pick • Winner of the PEN New England Award “Enchanting…A book filled with so much love…Long before Oregon, Rinker Buck has convinced us that the best way to see America is from the seat of a covered wagon.” —The Wall Street Journal “Amazing…A real nonfiction thriller.” —Ian Frazier, The New York Review of Books “Absorbing…Winning…The many layers in The Oregon Trail are linked by Mr. Buck’s voice, which is alert and unpretentious in a manner that put me in mind of Bill Bryson’s comic tone in A Walk in the Woods.” —Dwight Garner, The New York Times A major bestseller that has been hailed as a “quintessential American story” (Christian Science Monitor), Rinker Buck’s The Oregon Trail is an epic account of traveling the 2,000-mile length of the Oregon Trail the old-fashioned way—in a covered wagon with a team of mules—that has captivated readers, critics, and booksellers from coast to coast. Simultaneously a majestic journey across the West, a significant work of history, and a moving personal saga, Buck’s chronicle is a “laugh-out-loud masterpiece” (Willamette Week) that “so ensnares the emotions it becomes a tear-jerker at its close” (Star Tribune, Minneapolis) and “will leave you daydreaming and hungry to see this land” (The Boston Globe).
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I loved the historical information, especially the mules. That helped me really appreciate the mules on their trip. The relationship between the brothers and their different family experiences were mostly interesting. There could have been more information about his struggle with his dad, but I still got the overall gist of it. There are a couple times he gets more political than seems necessary. Land especially out west can be a political, so I understand it couldn't completely be avoided. My only other complaint would be that there were some parts that seemed to drag on, so I'm glad I was listening to it because then I could just speed up the audio.
Overall some parts were really interesting and I can't believe he actually thought to try that again. It mostly brought to life what the pioneers had to do to get out there.
Two brothers decide to head west on the Oregon Trail, complete with a wagon and mules. They run into plenty of obstacles, as you might expect, including accidentally crossing into private property and balky mules and wagon breakdowns, but the trip gives author Buck an opportunity to reflect on the original Oregon Trail pioneers and to muse about life in general. A great trip.
This kinda reminded me of Bill Bryson's earlier travel books, but not quite as funny? But it's a good mix of historical information and entertaining travel anecdotes. There's like maybe more than I really wanted to know about wagon design?? But exactly as much as I wanted to know about mules, such as that Washington and Lafayette introduced them to America.
Also, this is definitely related to the age difference between Rinker Buck and myself, but I was disappointed that there was NO MENTION AT ALL of the Oregon Trail computer game!! C'MON
