Your audiobook is waiting…
History of the Donner Party
People who bought this also bought...
-
Desperate Passage
- The Donner Party's Perilous Journey West
- By: Ethan Rarick
- Narrated by: Christopher Prince
- Length: 9 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 639
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 534
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 535
In late October 1846, the last wagon train of that year's westward migration stopped overnight before resuming its arduous climb over the Sierra Nevada Mountains, unaware that a fearsome storm was gathering force. After months of grueling travel, the 81 men, women and children would be trapped for a brutal winter with little food and only primitive shelter. The conclusion is known: by spring of the next year, the Donner Party was synonymous with the most harrowing extremes of human survival.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Very well researched story of the Donner Party
- By JOSEPH on 06-11-12
-
Ordeal by Hunger
- By: George R. Stewart
- Narrated by: Jeff Riggenbach
- Length: 12 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 140
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 76
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 79
The tragedy of the Donner party constitutes one of the most amazing stories of the American West. In 1846, 87 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.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Life Changing
- By Gyropilot on 06-03-08
-
The Indifferent Stars Above
- The Harrowing Saga of the Donner Party
- By: Daniel James Brown
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 191
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 180
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 181
In April of 1846, 21-year-old Sarah Graves, intent on a better future, set out west from Illinois with her new husband, her parents, and eight siblings. Seven months later, after joining a party of pioneers led by George Donner, they reached the Sierra Nevada Mountains as the first heavy snows of the season closed the pass ahead of them. In early December, starving and desperate, Sarah and 14 others set out for California on snowshoes and over the next 32 days endured almost unfathomable hardships and horrors.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Absolutely enthralling
- By Sasha Anscum on 06-07-19
-
The Best Land Under Heaven
- The Donner Party in the Age of Manifest Destiny
- By: Michael Wallis
- Narrated by: Michael Wallis
- Length: 16 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 279
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 259
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 256
Cutting through 160 years of mythmaking, best-selling historian Michael Wallis presents the ultimate cautionary tale of America's westward expansion.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Well researched but performance is just mediocre
- By T. Redwood on 07-14-17
-
Across the Plains in the Donner Party
- By: Virginia Reed Murphy
- Narrated by: Colleen Delany
- Length: 1 hr and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 30
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 19
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 21
The story of the Donner Party is very much the story of James F. Reed's family, not simply because the Reeds were prominent members, but because they left much documentary evidence: diaries, memoirs, correspondence, and letters written en route and interviews shortly after the disaster. The adopted daughter of Reed, Virginia Reed Murphy's memoir is a noteworthy recounting of the Donner party disaster and its gruesome end. Her writing is sprightly, informal, and full of human interest.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Unembelished Excellence
- By LL on 10-13-10
-
The Donner Party
- The Tragic Story of the Wild West's Most Notorious Journey
- By: Charles River Editors
- Narrated by: Neil Holmes
- Length: 1 hr and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 8
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 7
While people still romanticize the Wild West, many Americans are still all too familiar with the fate of the Donner Party, a group of 87-90 people that met with disaster in the Sierra Nevada mountain range during the winter of 1846-1847. The party knew the journey would take months, but early snowfalls in the mountains left dozens of people trapped in snow drifts that measured several feet, stranding them in a manner that made it virtually impossible for them to go any further for several weeks.
-
Desperate Passage
- The Donner Party's Perilous Journey West
- By: Ethan Rarick
- Narrated by: Christopher Prince
- Length: 9 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 639
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 534
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 535
In late October 1846, the last wagon train of that year's westward migration stopped overnight before resuming its arduous climb over the Sierra Nevada Mountains, unaware that a fearsome storm was gathering force. After months of grueling travel, the 81 men, women and children would be trapped for a brutal winter with little food and only primitive shelter. The conclusion is known: by spring of the next year, the Donner Party was synonymous with the most harrowing extremes of human survival.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Very well researched story of the Donner Party
- By JOSEPH on 06-11-12
-
Ordeal by Hunger
- By: George R. Stewart
- Narrated by: Jeff Riggenbach
- Length: 12 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 140
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 76
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 79
The tragedy of the Donner party constitutes one of the most amazing stories of the American West. In 1846, 87 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.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Life Changing
- By Gyropilot on 06-03-08
-
The Indifferent Stars Above
- The Harrowing Saga of the Donner Party
- By: Daniel James Brown
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 191
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 180
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 181
In April of 1846, 21-year-old Sarah Graves, intent on a better future, set out west from Illinois with her new husband, her parents, and eight siblings. Seven months later, after joining a party of pioneers led by George Donner, they reached the Sierra Nevada Mountains as the first heavy snows of the season closed the pass ahead of them. In early December, starving and desperate, Sarah and 14 others set out for California on snowshoes and over the next 32 days endured almost unfathomable hardships and horrors.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Absolutely enthralling
- By Sasha Anscum on 06-07-19
-
The Best Land Under Heaven
- The Donner Party in the Age of Manifest Destiny
- By: Michael Wallis
- Narrated by: Michael Wallis
- Length: 16 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 279
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 259
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 256
Cutting through 160 years of mythmaking, best-selling historian Michael Wallis presents the ultimate cautionary tale of America's westward expansion.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Well researched but performance is just mediocre
- By T. Redwood on 07-14-17
-
Across the Plains in the Donner Party
- By: Virginia Reed Murphy
- Narrated by: Colleen Delany
- Length: 1 hr and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 30
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 19
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 21
The story of the Donner Party is very much the story of James F. Reed's family, not simply because the Reeds were prominent members, but because they left much documentary evidence: diaries, memoirs, correspondence, and letters written en route and interviews shortly after the disaster. The adopted daughter of Reed, Virginia Reed Murphy's memoir is a noteworthy recounting of the Donner party disaster and its gruesome end. Her writing is sprightly, informal, and full of human interest.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Unembelished Excellence
- By LL on 10-13-10
-
The Donner Party
- The Tragic Story of the Wild West's Most Notorious Journey
- By: Charles River Editors
- Narrated by: Neil Holmes
- Length: 1 hr and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 8
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 7
While people still romanticize the Wild West, many Americans are still all too familiar with the fate of the Donner Party, a group of 87-90 people that met with disaster in the Sierra Nevada mountain range during the winter of 1846-1847. The party knew the journey would take months, but early snowfalls in the mountains left dozens of people trapped in snow drifts that measured several feet, stranding them in a manner that made it virtually impossible for them to go any further for several weeks.
-
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test
- By: Tom Wolfe
- Narrated by: Luke Daniels
- Length: 13 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 339
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 308
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 310
Tom Wolfe - one of the 20th century’s foremost voices in cultural criticism - went from local news reporter to international icon in 1968, with the publication of The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. Now voiced with vivacity and vigor by Audible Hall of Fame narrator Luke Daniels, the non-fiction swan-dive delves into the world of hippies, hedonism, and everything in between.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Extremely well-narrated
- By JE on 03-29-19
-
Son
- By: Jack Olsen
- Narrated by: Kevin Pierce
- Length: 21 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,956
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,784
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,779
Recounts the tragic events that followed the arrest of Fred Coe, a conservative, clean-cut young man, for a series of rapes committed in the city of Spokane and led to revenge and murder.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Psychopathy Born or Made?
- By Michael on 04-29-15
-
The American Civil War
- By: Gary W. Gallagher, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Gary W. Gallagher
- Length: 24 hrs and 37 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,592
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,342
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 2,326
Between 1861 and 1865, the clash of the greatest armies the Western hemisphere had ever seen turned small towns, little-known streams, and obscure meadows in the American countryside into names we will always remember. In those great battles, those streams ran red with blood-and the United States was truly born.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent Series
- By Rodney on 07-09-13
-
In Harm's Way
- The Sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis and the Extraordinary Story of Its Survivors
- By: Doug Stanton
- Narrated by: Mark Boyett
- Length: 8 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 3,798
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 3,547
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 3,535
On July 30, 1945, the USS Indianapolis was torpedoed in the South Pacific by a Japanese submarine. An estimated 300 men were killed upon impact; close to 900 sailors were cast into the Pacific Ocean, where they remained undetected by the navy for nearly four days and nights. Battered by a savage sea, they struggled to stay alive, fighting off sharks, hypothermia, and dementia. By the time rescue arrived, all but 317 men had died. The captain's subsequent court-martial left many questions unanswered
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Amazing and true naval tale!!!
- By Mark on 07-16-17
-
The Crime of the Century
- Richard Speck and the Murders That Shocked a Nation
- By: Dennis L. Breo, William J. Martin
- Narrated by: Christina Delaine
- Length: 18 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 234
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 220
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 218
On July 14th, 1966, Richard Franklin Speck swept through a quiet Chicago townhouse like a summer tornado and stabbed, strangled, and killed eight young nurses in a violent sexual rampage. By morning, only one nurse, Corazon Amurao, had miraculously survived, and her scream of terror was heard around the world. As the eight bodies were carried out of the small building, the coroner, who had seen the carnage up close, told a gathering crowd: "It is the crime of the century!"
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
All Of Your Roomates Murdered . . .
- By Polly Poizendem on 04-21-17
-
Destiny of the Republic
- A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President
- By: Candice Millard
- Narrated by: Paul Michael
- Length: 9 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5,212
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 4,693
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4,684
James A. Garfield may have been the most extraordinary man ever elected president. Born into abject poverty, he rose to become a wunderkind scholar, a Civil War hero, and a renowned and admired reformist congressman. Nominated for president against his will, he engaged in a fierce battle with the corrupt political establishment. But four months after his inauguration, a deranged office seeker tracked Garfield down and shot him in the back. But the shot didn’t kill Garfield. The drama of what happened subsequently is a powerful story of a nation in turmoil.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Marvelous, Magnificent, Millard
- By Mel on 02-08-12
-
Ancient Civilizations of North America
- By: Edwin Barnhart, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Edwin Barnhart
- Length: 12 hrs and 19 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,672
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,536
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,527
For the past few hundred years, most of what we’ve been taught about the native cultures of North America came from reports authored by the conquerors and colonizers who destroyed them. Now - with the technological advances of modern archaeology and a new perspective on world history - we are finally able to piece together their compelling true stories. In Ancient Civilizations of North America, Professor Edwin Barnhart, Director of the Maya Exploration Center, will open your eyes to a fascinating world you never knew existed - even though you’ve been living right next to it, or even on top of it.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A different perspective - civilizations not tribes
- By Steve Goppert on 07-26-18
-
Travels with Charley in Search of America
- By: John Steinbeck
- Narrated by: Gary Sinise
- Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,358
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,045
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,049
In September 1960, John Steinbeck and his poodle, Charley, embarked on a journey across America, from small towns to growing cities to glorious wilderness oases. Travels with Charley is animated by Steinbeck’s attention to the specific details of the natural world and his sense of how the lives of people are intimately connected to the rhythms of nature—to weather, geography, the cycles of the seasons. His keen ear for the transactions among people is evident, too, as he records the interests and obsessions that preoccupy the Americans he encounters along the way.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Enjoyed the Journey
- By Rebb on 12-15-11
-
Helter Skelter
- The True Story of the Manson Murders
- By: Vincent Bugliosi, Curt Gentry
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 26 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 6,982
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 6,310
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 6,301
Prosecuting attorney in the Manson trial Vincent Bugliosi held a unique insider's position in one of the most baffling and horrifying cases of the 20th century: the cold-blooded Tate-LaBianca murders carried out by Charles Manson and four of his followers. What motivated Manson in his seemingly mindless selection of victims, and what was his hold over the young women who obeyed his orders? Now available for the first time in unabridged audio, the gripping story of this famous and haunting crime is brought to life by acclaimed narrator Scott Brick.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A familiar story from a unique perspective
- By Laura on 11-26-13
-
Chernobyl
- The History of a Nuclear Catastrophe
- By: Serhii Plokhy
- Narrated by: Ralph Lister
- Length: 14 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,189
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,086
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,082
On the morning of April 26, 1986, Europe witnessed the worst nuclear disaster in history: the explosion of a reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Soviet Ukraine. Dozens died of radiation poisoning, fallout contaminated half the continent, and thousands fell ill. In Chernobyl, Serhii Plokhy draws on new sources to tell the dramatic stories of the firefighters, scientists, and soldiers who heroically extinguished the nuclear inferno. He lays bare the flaws of the Soviet nuclear industry....
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Companions to Each Other
- By Tim on 06-04-19
-
Heart-Shaped Box
- By: Joe Hill
- Narrated by: Stephen Lang
- Length: 11 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 8,493
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 6,918
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 6,917
Judas Coyne is a collector of the macabre. But nothing he possesses is as unlikely or as dreadful as his latest discovery, a thing so terrible-strange, Jude can't help but reach for his wallet. For a thousand dollars, Jude will become the proud owner of a dead man's suit, said to be haunted by a restless spirit. But what UPS delivers to his door in a black heart-shaped box is no imaginary or metaphorical ghost. It's the real thing.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Yikes! Five stars for fright
- By Lesley on 02-23-07
-
The Island of Dr. Moreau
- By: H. G. Wells
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 5 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,312
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,199
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 1,201
Written by H.G. Wells, the great visionary author, this legendary novel is both timeless and thought provoking. Listeners will thrill to this chilling masterpiece as man boldly takes evolution into his own hands for the first time. Dr. Moreau, a scientist expelled from his homeland for his cruel experiments, continues his transplantations on a small South Pacific island, creating hideous creatures with manlike intelligence.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
An Oldie but a Goodie
- By David Thomas on 01-19-15
Publisher's Summary
C.F. McGlashan was the newspaper publisher of the local paper in Truckee, California, the closest town to the Donner Pass. McGlashan interviewed the survivors of the Donner Party, gathered artifacts and amassed an enormous amount of secondary information. Over an 18 month period, McGlashan published serialized articles in his paper and turned his articles into a book. History of the Donner Party is considered the definitive account of one of the most notorious treks in American history.
More from the same
What members say
Average Customer Ratings
Overall
-
2.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars0
-
4 Stars1
-
3 Stars6
-
2 Stars2
-
1 Stars1
Performance
-
1.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars0
-
4 Stars0
-
3 Stars1
-
2 Stars3
-
1 Stars3
Story
-
3.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars1
-
4 Stars3
-
3 Stars3
-
2 Stars0
-
1 Stars0
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance2 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- S. Smail
- Summerville, SC United States
- 12-25-13
Good story, bad reading.
Would you try another book from C. F. McGlashan and/or Bobbie Frohman?
The author? Sure, as long as it interested me. The narrator? Not a chance.
How did the narrator detract from the book?
I didn't really like the narration right from the start. She quickly jumped from the end of one chapter to the beginning of the next, seemingly in the same breath. There was also just something about the rhythm of her reading that I didn't like. If those were the only two issues I wouldn't have really been bothered, but halfway through the book it's like whoever edited it just stopped trying. The narrator has to repeat herself many times, she'll get halfway through a sentence, stop and read the sentence over again. At one point she mispronounces a word so many times she stops, you can faintly hear her saying it to herself, and she starts again. (She did pronounce it right that time though.) She can also be heard clearing her throat at least one time. I'm only giving the performance two stars instead of one because if all of those issues had been edited out or if she'd been asked to read pieces of it again I would have only taken off one star. I actually feel bad for the narrator.
Any additional comments?
The book itself is well written, even if it is a little dull in parts. It also starts off fairly slowly, but that's often the case when it comes to the telling of historical events. But due to the narration I could only recommend it to anyone if they didn't have to pay for it.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
-
Overall2 out of 5 stars
-
Performance1 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Terrie
- 02-23-15
Narrator was droll. Editing was sorely needed.
The narrator was horribly droll and a bad reader. She was expressionless. The book was not edited and needed to have been. The narrator during a chapter was clearing her throat, re-read passages on several occasions. It was obvious that she had lost her place.
The story may have been good had it been read by someone else. She also kept reading the word lived as a long I.
Worst purchase I've made. Don't waist your money.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful