Tragedy in the Sierra Nevada: A Narrative of the Donner Party

by B. Scott Christmas

The lurid story of the Donner Party - that unfortunate group of 19th century American pioneers stranded in the mountains and forced to cannibalize one another has fascinated and horrified readers and television viewers for more than a century.

Now, with the clear prose and attention to detail that marks all of his work, author B. Scott Christmas brings a captivating narrative of this seminal American tragedy to a whole new generation, from the pioneers' Illinois departure in 1846, to their rescue in the California mountains in 1847.

Concise and highly accessible, Christmas's narrative is chock full of primary sources, from quotes, letters, and diary entries by survivors, to accounts from rescuers and journalists of the time.

With a seamless combination of historical integrity and narrative readability, this brief volume will fascinate enthusiasts of American history, while serving as a valuable resource for students, teachers, and researchers.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

69 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 12, 2011

Reviews

[Amy Pagel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and well-researched. I found the tragedy referred to in a book I was in the middle of. I've always been interested in those events so I looked for an eBook, put it on my Kindle already late at night and stayed up all night reading the book. I couldn't put it down! It's one of those stick-with-you stories. After reading that book I went back to the book I was in (one of the work and the glory series; the last one in fact; the best one). After that I really felt as though I lived it as I was reading the novel

[z3r0 c00l]

07/19/14

[Eugene D · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is concise and accurate. For a more detailed description of the Donner Party, I like Ethan Rarick's Desperate Journey (Oxford University Press).

[Lynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A 5-star book reduced to 4 because of editing errors. A "were" that should have been "where", a section missing word(s), the consistent use of "in regards" rather than "in regard".

Like most people & the author who stated in the epilogue that...

...most people's knowledge of the Donner Party story is that it is about a bunch of people who ate each other during a winter in the mountains.

Such a sad tale and the author points out that some of the other stories of the Donner Party relied heavily on one of the survivors, a William Eddy at first a hero and later dubbed "Lying Eddy". It seems that Eddy always was the one making the WISE choice, the excellent suggestion and was ignored or saved the day.

The author starts with the formation of the group traveling west and details that the Donners were advised NOT to take the trail they did.

I highlighted many passages for the historical aspects as well as the fascinating details. The epilogue also provides what happened to the surviving members.

I do recommend this book for historians and genealogists. Every person is named where the name is known -- and most are. It's a poignant read.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't read much non-fiction. So, other than academic reading, I don't know what people look for in non-fiction.

This suited what I was looking for. It was easy to read and gave me the information I was curious about. He pointed out information that may have been exaggerated and seemed to try to stick to the truth as he could discern it.

However, he did interject his own opinions. That made the read less dry, but isn't strictly the story. There were also NO citations in the digital version I have. References were made to journals and other documents, but no sources were given to research further or make your own interpretations.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good account

This account of the infamous Donner Party, actually split into at least three camps in and about the Sierra Nevada's during 1845-6 is a very real account of pioneers who strived to survive during unexpected snows and hardship after pushing so far in there efforts to reach California.

I found it interesting that the three camps independently of each other all decided, after nothing was left but starvation, to eat the dead as they succumbed to starvation. A horrific tale of survival.

[moxieBK · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow. This was a lot better read than I thought when I started it. I don't normally read non-fiction books, but this was piqued my interest. I had heard a lot about the Donner Party before, but didn't really know the story. In this way, I learned a lot. The story was well written, and moved right along. It was a faster read than normal for non-fiction books. Glad I bought/downloaded/read it.

[Chris Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A harrowing account of survival at all costs

I was unfamiliar with this story apart from the bare basics of the cannibalism (spoiler alert) but I loved the way this short book was written in a narrative style. Very educational account of a great tragedy. Highly recommended.

[Dawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting if you don't know the story of the Donner Party. Not the most detailed version of this story but gives you the main facts.

[Deb · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book of facts.