Customer Reviews

Winter of Entrapment: A New Look at the Donner Party

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King's work is largely a response to the most famous work on the subject of the Donner Party, Stewart's "Ordeal by Hunger." King's book focuses on details of the tragic story, and leaves the reader with a depth of knowledge on the subject. More casual readers may wish that King had provided a chronological overview of the events. This work seems to be aimed at readers already familiar with the basics of the Donner Party story, and criticizes Stewart's work on so many occasions, it is hard to see the work as anything but an effort to correct Stewart's errors.

I had the opportunity to know Joe King and know the accuracy of his work and the tenacity of his searches. My family traveled to California in 1846 and were rescueres of the Donner survivors. Joe received hundreds of personal and family letters and diary entrys from living family decendents and opened new ground in this story. Most of the previous works were penned shortly after the Donner Tragedy and were very pointed in that they tried to soften some of the controversy. Many of the survivors were still living and no one wanted to talk about the gastly events at Truckee Lake. Joe King sought out the facts from family members like myself, the Donner/Houghtons, the Breens and Reid decendents. His work was reviewed by the true historians and deemed to be one of great accuracy without the myth that surrounded this topic for a century.

As a person fascinated in western history, I can say without reservation that this is the best book I have read on the Donner Party tragedy. Not only has the author given us the interesting tale of the Donner Party saga, and he has done that well, but he has also related the moral and ethical dilemnas to our own times and our own perspectives. I could not put this book down!

Winner of the Award of Merit from the California Historical Association in 1994, this book chronicles the travails of the infamous 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. A little more than half of them, 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 just the opposite. As a group, they were pretty much reflective of humanity in general.

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 well-researched book that offers a fresh look at the ordeal of the Donner Party. It probably would be better for the reader, if the reader were to have some prior knowledge about the Donner party, as this is not a strict chronological telling of the tale. Rather, it is a dissection of many of the issues that were to arise during the journey of the Donner Party with many digressions, while focusing on one family in particular, the Breens, as the author believes this family to have been very much maligned by earlier accounts of the Donner party.

The author is evidently quite critical of the classic book on the subject, "Ordeal by Hunger", written by historian George R. Stewart. This author, also a historian, spends quite a bit of time chastising Mr. Stewart and his research, which the author finds to be quite sloppy. He is particularly critical of Mr. Stewart's sometimes florid prose, claiming that Mr. Stewart's book reads more as if it were fiction, being more mythical rather than factual.

The author spends quite a bit of the book fervidly de-bunking some of Mr. Stewart's assertions of fact. The author also takes exception to Stewart's offensive characterization of some of the individuals in the Donner Party. These characterizations, while undeniably offensive, are reflective of the times in which the pioneers lived, as well as reflective of the time during which Mr. Stewart lived. To change it, would be to indulge in revisionist history. Moreover, at times, the author sounds almost petty with respect to some of his criticisms.

Still, for those who are interested in the Donner Party, this is, indeed, a book well worth reading. It is written in an easy, straightforward, no-nonsense style. It is a very carefully researched book and is given to less flights of fancy than is Mr. Stewart in his book. Both, however, are important works with respect to the doomed Donner Party, and each has earned its place in the body of work devoted to that tragedy. The book also contains about twenty five pages of photographs and illustrations that will enhance the pleasure of the reader.

A VERY strange account, heavily slanted toward the promotion of all things Catholic. King (a Catholic of Irish descent) was apparently hell-bent on elevating the Breen family, the only other family of Irish Catholics in the Donner Party, to something resembling sainthood. Although the Breens may very well have acted heroically (all 7 of their children survived), King's heavy-handed approach beatifies them at the expense of anything resembling subjectivity or professionalism journalism. To be fair, King does include some extremely interesting material (e.g., allowing the reader to compare the "monster" Louis Keseberg's interview with one by 4th Relief member William Fallon), and King also raises some intriguing arguments. It's just too bad that he presents this material with blinders on - already set in his conclusions 1) The Breens were saints, 2) James Reed and Tamzene Donner were NOT heroes, and 3) those who may have been portrayed as villians (e.g., Keseberg and Selim Woodworth) were unjustly accused. Unfortunately, and here's another serious problem, King leaves out much of the evidence that might indicate otherwise and his often snarky comments on people who were living and dying under horrific conditions is truly shameful. Ultimately, Winter of Entrapment encapsulates many of the things that are wrong with "historical non-fiction". READERS BEWARE!!

The Kings' wonderful historical account of the Donner Party disaster is not a bit dry - and it's not revisionist either! You may disagree with me, so like the Kings I will explain my reasoning.

To be revisionist, the book would have to refute prior historical analyses - but there are none.

The authors summarize the nature, general treatment, and key theses of earlier accounts. If these summaries are accurate, theirs is the first serious, full-length scholarly treatment of the subject. The works they cite consist of some combination of wide-eyed tabloid-worthy speculation, uncritical rehashing of selected contemporary accounts and ruminations on their import, and/or imaginative, fictionalized scene-setting, in some cases with fabricated dialogue. None of this qualifies as historical analysis, which requires thorough, critical consideration and comparison of all relevant documentation.

As for "dryness" - whether the book is sufficiently juicy depends on what sort of beverage you're looking for. This is not byte-sized infotainment in a pop-top. Nor is it a frothy, yeasty TV-tailored morality play that titillates with scenes of human depravity peopled by halo'd heroes/heroines & and deliciously bestial villains. And, if you dig Donner Party mythology as an American "Lord of the Flies" that's better `cause it's "real" - this book's not your cup of tea.

So what is it then? Just a series of thoughtfully reconstructed glimpses into the lives of a group of very ordinary people who lived and struggled with extreme hardship in a world we can never really know - except through accounts like this, and through application of the insight we gain as we age and pass in our turn into the realm of history.

The Kings' analysis makes clear that while our technology has evolved and advanced, in many ways our culture has not. The authors show us aspects of that earlier time that can only disgust and shame us when we reflect on how little we have advanced in some respects - instantly recognizable is our own ravening appetite for news nuggets, heavily spiced with someone else's pain and loss.

But they also give us factual evidence, cleansed of lies and willful distortions, that can inspire hope. We too can survive and transcend painful circumstances - not just the physical and mental challenge of extreme deprivation, but the spiritual challenge of living a worthy life despite injustice and disrespect.

Personally, I love the way the book presents these people to us because I find ordinary people - the tragedy and nobility of our neverending struggle with human weakness and harsh circumstance - endlessly fascinating and inspiring. If you agree, you'll probably love it too.

If you're a "just the facts Ma'am" type, you'll like it because the authors cite their sources and explain their reasoning throughout the account so that you can judge for yourself if their conclusions are sound. There are also detailed references you can use to check out the original material.

And there's more. The authors do not just expose the vicious slanders and misrepresentations that persist to this day regarding some Donner Party survivors, they also explain the contemporary conditions that made this possible (maybe even inevitable).

The small-mindedness, hostility, and willful ignorance that feed racism and prejudice cannot be news to any contemporary reader; but the historically diverse range of targets, the virulence of contempt which each endured in turn, and the general acceptance of these hateful attitudes and resulting injustices, may be an eye-opener for some.

The Kings provide a window into a world that sometimes doesn't look pretty - in fact it looks quite a lot like ours on a bad day. The treatment of the Indian and French/Indian members of the party is especially shameful, both during the ordeal and after the rescue. The Irish and Germans fared better in the sense that (as far as we know) none of them were murdered outright for the cookpot. But those who survived had the pleasure of being pilloried and demonized in the popular press, down to this very day; while their "racially superior" companions are still hailed as heroes and heroines.

If we knew nothing but the raw facts of their plight - days in isolation, available calories and resources, original roster vs. final death toll - common sense should tell us that everyone suffered greatly, that survival demanded considerable stamina and resourcefulness - and that folks in a rush to trash their companions the moment they reach safety may not be the most sterling characters humanity has ever produced. But when we're salivating over a virtual smorgasbord of hot, steaming scandal, cool reason can't command much market share, can it?

It's unfortunate that while there's little hard evidence of depravity on the part of the "racially inferior" survivors, there is not always much in the way of contradictory evidence either. But in the case of the Breens, the irrationality and gross injustice of the characterizations that made a mockery of their strength, courage, and generosity is clearly revealed by the historical record.

The Kings' defense of the Breens is made credible not only by a lack of evidence supporting their demonization, but also by contradictory journal entries and other documentary sources.

To me, the most convincing contradiction is the manner in which they lived in the years following their rescue. Indeed, once we know the facts, they seem exemplary of the best characteristics we associate with our pioneer forebears - willingness to start anew from humble beginnings, great hardships surmounted, a new land made their own through hard work, sacrifice and thrift, and generous hospitality offered to any in need of it. The vision I get from the Breen record is of faith, honesty, and simple, open enjoyment of the well-earned pleasures of family and community.

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NOTES:

To put the slander of the Breens and other Donner Party immigrants into context, remember that one of the intellectual fads of the period among the eastern elite was a bastard adaptation of evolutionary theory applied to the social/political realm - so-called "Social Darwinism."

This pseudo-science was used to justify ruthless exploitation of - among others - immigrants, impoverished urbanites, and Midwestern small farmers frozen out of the market by artificially inflated transportation costs.

Blatant injustice and exploitation resulted in the rising popularity of socialist and communist movements that culminated in the Populist movement. Eventually, political elites bargained for stability by adding Populist-inspired planks to their party platforms - these eventually evolved into key social welfare components such as Social Security, Medicaid, federally-guaranteed student loans, etc.

Once the political necessity of placating the working class and courting their votes was recognized, overt cultural elitism was largely consigned to a subcultural underground. Racism survived in a variety of ugly regional manifestations however, most notably and openly as practiced in the South against persons defined as Negro or colored.

It never really went away anywhere though - as shown by the poisonous blossoming of concentration camps for citizens of Japanese descent during WWII.

Another particularly nasty example of racism's survival was the forcible relocation of Native American children to boarding schools where they were "educated" (with indifferent results). The children were not allowed any contact with their families for years - and were beaten if they spoke their own language or referred in any way to their traditions or culture. Many of them were sexually abused with impunity. The entire vile enterprise was state-sponsored emotional abuse of almost unparalleled cruelty.

Incidentally, if you are discouraged by the vicious mudslinging, anti-intellectual demagoguery, shameless pandering/outright lying, tacky consumerism, and coldhearted "got mine, #@% you" attitudes of some of our leaders & fellow citizens, don't despair!

Read up on the stuff that was going on during the period of American westward expansion! It makes our bad boys and girls look like a bunch of amateurs.

This should cheer you up, because the grasping vulgarity of that time did not permanently define our nation. We went on to score world-class achievements in science, scholarship, politics, arts, and more. Better yet, we took on the conscience-driven task of painful self-examination and reform - something we can all be proud of.

We can do it again, if we care enough to make the effort.

Even the index is interesting! This is a great piece of scholarly work, written in a way that captures the imagination. What a lot of work Mr. King has put into this work of service to history! This is a fantastic resource for anyone seeking to better understand the emigration west, Donner Party Tragedy, and history. In a sense, reading this book was a trip back to the past for me, in my case to the shelter of ancestors where I could witness from the comforts of home their grueling ordeal and the hope and comfort they received from the caring of others.