Astoria

John Jacob Astor and Thomas Jefferson's Lost Pacific Empire: A Story of Wealth, Ambition, and Survival

By: Peter Stark

Narrated by: Michael Kramer

Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

At a time when the edge of American settlement barely reached beyond the Appalachian Mountains, two visionaries, President Thomas Jefferson and millionaire John Jacob Astor, foresaw that one day the Pacific would dominate world trade as much as the Atlantic did in their day. Just two years after the Lewis and Clark expedition concluded in 1806, Jefferson and Astor turned their sights westward once again. Thus began one of history's dramatic but largely forgotten turning points in the conquest of the North American continent.

Astoria is the harrowing tale of the quest to settle a Jamestown-like colony on the Pacific coast. Astor set out to establish a global trade network based at the mouth of the Columbia River in what is now Oregon, while Jefferson envisioned a separate democracy on the western coast that would spread eastward to meet the young United States.

Astor backed this ambitious enterprise with the vast fortune he'd made in the fur trade and in New York real estate since arriving in the United States as a near-penniless immigrant soon after the Revolutionary War. He dispatched two groups of men west: One by sea around the southern tip of South America and one by land over the Rockies.

Unfolding from 1810 to 1813, Astoria is a tale of high adventure and incredible hardship, drawing extensively on firsthand accounts of those who made the journey. Though the colony itself would be short-lived, its founders opened provincial American eyes to the remarkable potential of the western coast, discovered the route that became the Oregon Trail, and permanently altered the nation's landscape and global standing.

©2014 Peter Stark (P)2014 HarperCollins Publishers

Unbelievably Entertaining

I’m not a history buff but was totally absorbed in the story. It’s based on history and very exciting and adventurous and incredible the things that happened. Impeccable storytelling and research.

Prying open a window in time & joining the journey

This book is based on an historical ambitious endeavor to exploit the 'fur riches' of the Pacific NW. It is an amazing story. The Author weaves the historical documents of these journey's through the people who lived these events. One takes place overland, the other on the sea. Characters are richly developed and follow a narrative based on actual documents. I know more about the Native population and their hospitality that may have unfortunately lead to they're demise in all to many cases. John Jacob Astor and others had a vision and assets to put many people in motion. This is the story of that motion and to some degree the aftermath we live with today.

Shocked at how good this book really is

If you could sum up Astoria in three words, what would they be?

History Told Perfectly

What did you like best about this story?

Narrator was superb, 5+ stars, Author's remarks at the end were very meaningful as was the Epilogue -- you become a part of the story, so it is great to get the follow up at the end to see what happened to everyone.

Which scene was your favorite?

The Indian negotiations on the river.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Marie Dorian's triumph over adversities beyond imagination, and loss of a newborn.

Any additional comments?

I have listened to many Audible books, this is one of the best, but the story, the organization the extensive research the author did, and the fantastic reader ... if you like history, and the Northwest, or business dealings of the 1800's, you will love this book. This is instruction in life, organization of people to get a difficult task done, and how personalities determine results. It is a fateful story of how close America came to losing what we now call the "West Coast" to be claimed by other nations. This adventure changed much history to give us the improved Oregon Trail, and much else, basically the Pacific Northwest that we enjoy today. This is a story of brave people, reaching a level of frustration that is hard to imagine today, This book explains many things to me. Fur trading is something I knew nothing about before the book, but I feel I know a great deal.

Terrifyingly tragic

Treking into America's West, manners matter, as does the weather. a harrowing look into best laid plans gone wry

Fantastic voyage through a piece of history

This is an amazing story well told. I particularly appreciated the research that went into this authentic recounting of this amazing adventure. I am in awe of the hardships that these men endured. I enjoyed the epilogue by the author as well.

Great piece of little known history

Impeccably researched, a wonderful tale of courage and adventure that brings up the question of European settlers' treatment of Natve American Indians as they pushed westward in North America. Maybe it should be required reading in American schools. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

What an adventure!

For anyone who is a Pacific Northwest history buff, this book is worth listening to. While it starts out a bit dry, it gets better and better mid-way through it. It enhanced my appreciation of these early explorers, and filled in many gaps in my knowledge of how the Oregon Territory was settled.

A deeper look at the inception of Oregon.

This book is absolutely riveting to hear the reality that the early explorers and entrepreneurs endured.

Could not stop listening!

Considering myself somewhat of an amateur historian.... how had I never heard of this story before. Unbelievably gripping at every turn!

Great read about forgotten history

Great read about forgotten American history. I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys American history.