Ordeal by Hunger

Ordeal by Hunger
by George R. Stewart

Ordeal by Hunger
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Book Summary Information

Author: George R. Stewart
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1992-01-30
ISBN: 0395611598
Number of pages: 416
Publisher: Mariner Books
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Book Reviews of Ordeal by Hunger

Book Review: Great Read!
Summary: 4 Stars

Everyone remembers the Donner party for cannibalism. This book made me realize that this was only a minor part of what this group endured, and atrocious as cannibalism is they saw even worse aspects of humanity.

Originally written in the 1930s, Stewart does an excellent job of creating and telling the story from original materials. 25 years later, Steward made revisions and clarifications based on further scholarship since the books original publication. Honestly, I skimmed through most of this material, being more interested in the story than the sources. I trust that Steward did his homework.

I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in the settlement of the American west.

Summary of Ordeal by Hunger

The tragedy of the Donner party constitutes one of the most amazing stories of the American West. In 1846 eighty-seven people -- men, women, and children -- set out for California, persuaded to attempt a new overland route. After struggling across the desert, losing many oxen, and nearly dying of thirst, they reached the very summit of the Sierras, only to be trapped by blinding snow and bitter storms. Many perished; some survived by resorting to cannibalism; all were subjected to unbearable suffering. Incorporating the diaries of the survivors and other contemporary documents, George Stewart wrote the definitive history of that ill-fated band of pioneers; an astonishing account of what human beings may endure and achieve in the final press of circumstance.

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