Customer Reviews

Ordeal by Hunger

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An exhaustively researched, even-handed account of the Great American Disaster. You know the general story, so the narrative builds with the crescendo drumbeats of inevitable tragedy. But Stewart's done the research better than anybody else and fills in the details. There are heroes and villians, but Stewart is always ready to give the benefit of the doubt, and believe the best in the characters until proven otherwise. What's haunting to me is that the Donner Party families were striking for the American Dream just like everybody else. But the men steered their families (thanks to ignorance, chicanery, and bad luck) into a hell.

This book told the historic story of the Donner party and had excerpts from the diaries of the members (Patrick Breen, and letters from Virginia Reed. VERY GOOD BOOK!

This book presents an account of the Donner Party, a wagon train of about eighty-seven people who in July 1846 started off for California via a new, untried route through the Sierras. Unfortunately, this particular wagon train of pioneers would go down in history due to the horror and tragedy that it was to meet along its way. Stranded in the Sierras amidst its harshest winter in years, with unparalleled snowfall and frigid temperatures, only little more than half, mostly women and children, were to survive their unbelievable deprivation and suffering.

This wagon train was a loose confederation of strangers who originally were part of another wagon train, but who collectively branched off by consensus to try a new, though untried and unproven, overland route through the Sierras that was alleged to be shorter. Their decision to take this new route was one that would haunt them for the rest of their journey, as it was not what it was purported to be. The inexperience of these travelers, the poor decisions that were sometimes made, and their seeming inability to truly unify as one entity contributed to their ultimate debacle. They were, after all, representative of humanity at large. Some of them were good, brave, and unselfish. Some were people with whom one would not wish to shake hands.

Beleaguered by thirst as they trekked across a desert, marauded by Indians along the way, plagued by the loss of necessary oxen and cattle, beset by accidents and personal squabbles that would sometimes turn deadly, they would finally reach the Sierras and begin their perilous crossing, only to find themselves snowbound at the summit while within sight of the pass that they needed to cross to be home free. Trapped by the weather in early November, they would set up a make-shift camp, never thinking about just how long their encampment would last. With minimal food supplies at their disposal, these intrepid, westward-ho emigrants would find themselves trapped for months, facing incredible hardships that would tax them beyond human endurance. Some would resort to cannibalism in order to survive.

This is a riveting story about survival of the fittest, about personal sacrifice, and human foibles. It is a story not only of those ill-fated pioneers but also of those who would attempt to rescue them, often at great personal cost. It is a story that reflects the human spirit, both good and bad, in time of crisis. It is a story of often selfless heroism. It is also a story of greed and craven opportunism. While some of the book is politically incorrect, it is reflective of the times in which these pioneers lived, as well as that of when this book was first written.

It is, however, remiss that the maps included in this book do little to illustrate the deadly journey undertaken by these pioneers. Still, the lack of comprehensive maps does not unduly detract from the powerful impact that this story has on the reader. Moreover, although the book was published in 1936, the author, a trained historian, added a supplement in 1960, which is included in this edition of his book. This supplement serves to correct errors, as well as incorporate additional relevant material not available at the time of original publication.

Those who enjoy tales of survival will, undoubtedly, find this gripping tale well worth reading.

The book, Ordeal by Hunger, by George Stewart, is truly a great classic. This story explores the hard times and limits people were pushed to when they traveled west to the supposed paradise of California. Their hopes of reaching it before winter disappear as they travel in circles and their food slowly diminishes. They have to result to cannibalism and eat anything they can find in order to survive. Some push on towards California while others wait out the hard winter and build a cabin near a lake. The snow becomes up to 15 feet deep and fighting to stay alive becomes quite a challenge. Many hallucinate and perish. This book is somewhat depressing but gives a true account of history. I recommend this book to readers who are interested in a book that pushes people to their absolute limits. This book is full of vocabulary and is long in length, but in my opinion well worth reading.