Ordeal by Hunger: The Story of the Donner Party

George R. Stewart

Sep 2013 · Sold by HMH

About this ebook

“Compulsive reading—a wonderful account, both scholarly and gripping, of a horrifying episode in the history of the west.” —Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.

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.

Ratings and reviews

Lent this out years ago and had forgotten the title. I've been looking for 10 plus,years for the title to jump out at me as I scanned every Donner book I could find. Having read many accts., this is still the one that makes me cry and question" what must they have been thinking" each time I drive through the Sierras. Amazing story of amazing strength and tenacity. May each of their souls rest in heaven...a deserved break from the final days on Earth. Absolutely love this book.

I could not stop reading this book. Headed to Donner National Park tomorrow!

good app

About the author

George R. Stewart (1895–1980) taught for more than fifty years at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of Pickett’s Charge, Earth Abides, and numerous other books of history, biography, and fiction.