Status
Available
Call number
Collections
Publication
Simon & Schuster (2015), Hardcover, 464 pages
Description
History. Travel. Nonfiction. HTML:#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER �?� #1 Indie Next Pick �?� Winner of the PEN New England Award "Enchanting...A book filled with so much love...Long before Oregon, Rinker Buck has convinced us that the best way to see America is from the seat of a covered wagon." �??The Wall Street Journal "Amazing...A real nonfiction thriller." �??Ian Frazier, The New York Review of Books "Absorbing...Winning...The many layers in The Oregon Trail are linked by Mr. Buck's voice, which is alert and unpretentious in a manner that put me in mind of Bill Bryson's comic tone in A Walk in the Woods." �??Dwight Garner, The New York Times A major bestseller that has been hailed as a "quintessential American story" (Christian Science Monitor), Rinker Buck's The Oregon Trail is an epic account of traveling the 2,000-mile length of the Oregon Trail the old-fashioned way�??in a covered wagon with a team of mules�??that has captivated readers, critics, and booksellers from coast to coast. Simultaneously a majestic journey across the West, a significant work of history, and a moving personal saga, Buck's chronicle is a "laugh-out-loud masterpiece" (Willamette Week) that "so ensnares the emotions it becomes a tear-jerker at its close" (Star Tribune, Minneapolis) and "will leave you daydreaming and hungry to see this land" (T… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
I have loved the many road trips that I have taken to explore Western America and I have read many books about the amazing migration of homesteaders that took to the Oregon Trail in the 1800’s and spread America’s horizon to the Pacific Ocean. I was therefore both full of admiration and envy
From their starting point at St. Joseph, Missouri and sticking as much as possible to the original trail, their journey covered two thousand miles and lasted over four months until reaching it’s end at Baker City, Oregon. Luckily, Buck decided to write about his trip and this wonderful record, by turns humorous, touching and informative is the result. Reading this book gives one the feeling that they too, are travelling the trail, and the historical tidbits that are related along the way only enhance this feeling.
I literally read this book over the course of two days. Wonderfully written, full of colorful characters, animals, and descriptions of the beautiful scenery of the six different states that they traveled through The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey is both a tale of modern adventure and an homage to pioneer perseverance.
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over the fact that journalist Rinker Buck and his brother Nick decided to replicate the journey in a covered wagon pulled by a three stubborn and lively mules accompanied by a Jack Russell Terrier called Olive Oyl.From their starting point at St. Joseph, Missouri and sticking as much as possible to the original trail, their journey covered two thousand miles and lasted over four months until reaching it’s end at Baker City, Oregon. Luckily, Buck decided to write about his trip and this wonderful record, by turns humorous, touching and informative is the result. Reading this book gives one the feeling that they too, are travelling the trail, and the historical tidbits that are related along the way only enhance this feeling.
I literally read this book over the course of two days. Wonderfully written, full of colorful characters, animals, and descriptions of the beautiful scenery of the six different states that they traveled through The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey is both a tale of modern adventure and an homage to pioneer perseverance.
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LibraryThing member carolfoisset
Great read - blends history, adventure, social commentary, and personal story. Well written and easy to read. I enjoy reading about the Oregon Trail and this book shed new light on that period in the US. He covers topics that are not often written about and his personal history is quite a story in
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itself! Show Less
LibraryThing member Jaylia3
This entertaining, often enthralling, mix of history, humor, travelogue, family memoir, and no holds barred social commentary reminds me of my favorite Bill Bryson books--especially A Walk in the Woods about Bryson’s (mis)adventures hiking the Appalachian Trail. When Rinker Buck discovered that
Rinker blends the fascinating if fraught history of the mass migration westward into the story of his own journey. Pioneer journals were his guides, and the sections devoted to their lively accounts of trail travel were some of my favorite parts of the book. Rinker also writes movingly about his father, an adventurous, family-centered man who inspired his trip. I found the chapter about the surprising (to me) importance role of mules in 18th and 19th century America--starting with George Washington as a savvy land speculating donkey importer and mule broker--utterly captivating, and it’s a good example of the atypical historical perspectives and insights that make this book so riveting.
But The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey is as much about the modern day West and its people as it is about the past, and as an Easterner I learned a lot--Rinker, his brother, and their mule team often spent their nights in open publicly maintained corrals where teenagers gather to hang out and practice rodeo skills, not something we encounter here in the Boston to Washington megalopolis. The writing about the actual trip is detailed but evocative, so I felt like I was watching the scenery and riding along in the covered wagon myself. I wasn’t quite so interested in the wagon maintenance aspects of their journey, but I’m sure those sections will delight some readers.
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large stretches of the Oregon Trail still exist, he had romantic visions of a back to basics journey across the western half of the continent and began obsessively and meticulously preparing for a mule-drawn covered wagon trip along the old pioneer route. Since he was divorced and his daughters were grown, why not? Rinker planned to go solo, but even replica wagons have breakdowns, so fortunately for both him and his readers Rinker’s handy, force of nature brother insisted on coming along too--a brusque, big-hearted, syntax challenged, mechanically gifted giant of a man who has some resemblance to Harry Potter’s Hagrid.Rinker blends the fascinating if fraught history of the mass migration westward into the story of his own journey. Pioneer journals were his guides, and the sections devoted to their lively accounts of trail travel were some of my favorite parts of the book. Rinker also writes movingly about his father, an adventurous, family-centered man who inspired his trip. I found the chapter about the surprising (to me) importance role of mules in 18th and 19th century America--starting with George Washington as a savvy land speculating donkey importer and mule broker--utterly captivating, and it’s a good example of the atypical historical perspectives and insights that make this book so riveting.
But The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey is as much about the modern day West and its people as it is about the past, and as an Easterner I learned a lot--Rinker, his brother, and their mule team often spent their nights in open publicly maintained corrals where teenagers gather to hang out and practice rodeo skills, not something we encounter here in the Boston to Washington megalopolis. The writing about the actual trip is detailed but evocative, so I felt like I was watching the scenery and riding along in the covered wagon myself. I wasn’t quite so interested in the wagon maintenance aspects of their journey, but I’m sure those sections will delight some readers.
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LibraryThing member msf59
“Crazyass passion is the staple of life and persistence its nourishing force. Without them, you cannot cross the trail.”
“Seeing America slowly was, in a way, like eating slow food-I wasn't covering much ground in a single day, but I was digesting a lot more.”
Looking for the perfect end of
You would think traversing the trail in modern times, would be a tad easier but the Buck brothers encounter, the same problems that the original pioneers did: wicked storms, runaway mules, lack of water, various break-downs and intense desert heat.
Rinker also adds many historical elements to the narrative, that identifies with the Oregon Trail, making this an ambitious and informative read.
It is all told in robust prose, filled with humor and insightful observations about America now and then. The added bonus was how good the people were, across the country, supporting the brothers, on their journey, reminding us how caring and decent, Americans can be.
Come on! Take this ride. (In the comfort of your own home, of course).
“Seeing America slowly was, in a way, like eating slow food-I wasn't covering much ground in a single day, but I was digesting a lot more.”
Looking for the perfect end of
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the summer reading adventure? Boy, do I have a pick for you. Rinker Buck decides to ride the entire 2,000 mile Oregon Trail, in a covered wagon, pulled by mules. Something that has not been attempted in over a century. He takes along his shabby, profane but mechanically inclined brother, Nick and his Jack Russell terrier, Olive Oyl. (Nick reminded me of Bryson's friend Stephen Katz, from A Walk in the Woods. Just not as broad).You would think traversing the trail in modern times, would be a tad easier but the Buck brothers encounter, the same problems that the original pioneers did: wicked storms, runaway mules, lack of water, various break-downs and intense desert heat.
Rinker also adds many historical elements to the narrative, that identifies with the Oregon Trail, making this an ambitious and informative read.
It is all told in robust prose, filled with humor and insightful observations about America now and then. The added bonus was how good the people were, across the country, supporting the brothers, on their journey, reminding us how caring and decent, Americans can be.
Come on! Take this ride. (In the comfort of your own home, of course).
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LibraryThing member lorax
Spoiler alert: Nobody dies of dysentery. In fact, while cholera gets discussed in some detail, the bane of the “Xennials” playing the Oregon Trail video game in their elementary-school computer labs doesn’t even get a mention.
A man with the fabulously nineteenth-century name of Rinker Buck
The book strikes a good balance between a history of the trail, an account of the brothers’ crossing, and memoir-esque musing about what sort of life experiences lead up to someone in the 21st century decide that driving a team of mules halfway across the continent is an interesting and reasonable thing to do. It’s clear in some of what *doesn’t* get mentioned that Buck didn’t talk with any "Xennials" about his trip prior to writing the book, since there’s not much in the way of pointing out the misconceptions that we may have picked up from the game. (Fortunately, the rivers all now have bridges, so Buck avoided the dilemma of fording the stream vs. caulking the wagon). While some of the descriptions of yet another friendly rancher become repetitive somewhere in the middle of Idaho, the trail itself, and the Bucks' journey, remains fascinating.
A man with the fabulously nineteenth-century name of Rinker Buck
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sets off with his brother in an attempt to be the first people in more than a hundred years to travel the length of the Oregon Trail in a mule-drawn wagon. (As one of those aforementioned video-game playing Xennials (those of us born within a few years on either side of 1980, also sometimes called the "Oregon Trail generation"), I had no idea that mules, rather than oxen, were the dominant draft animal used on the trail.) While the trip was Rinker’s idea, and he handled the planning, it would not have been possible without his extremely capable brother Nick, who handles most of the actual mule-driving and wagon-repairing. (An early scene reminds me of Bryson’s "A Walk in the Woods" in reverse, with Nick tossing unnecessary items and Rinker bemoaning the loss of his bocce set and luxury bathrobe). The book strikes a good balance between a history of the trail, an account of the brothers’ crossing, and memoir-esque musing about what sort of life experiences lead up to someone in the 21st century decide that driving a team of mules halfway across the continent is an interesting and reasonable thing to do. It’s clear in some of what *doesn’t* get mentioned that Buck didn’t talk with any "Xennials" about his trip prior to writing the book, since there’s not much in the way of pointing out the misconceptions that we may have picked up from the game. (Fortunately, the rivers all now have bridges, so Buck avoided the dilemma of fording the stream vs. caulking the wagon). While some of the descriptions of yet another friendly rancher become repetitive somewhere in the middle of Idaho, the trail itself, and the Bucks' journey, remains fascinating.
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LibraryThing member Katyefk
A wonderful book written about 2 brothers' modern day journey on the Oregon Trail. It is full of history and personal stories that they experienced along the way. I felt like I was rolling along with them in the covered wagon. What a treat to read this book. I would recommend it to all interested
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in America's pioneer history. I wish it was available when I was taking American History classes in high school and college. Show Less
LibraryThing member Castlelass
In 2011, author-turned-mule-skinner Rinker Buck decides to emulate his father to “See America Slowly” in crossing of the Oregon Trail by covered wagon. Back in 1958, his father had taken the family on a similar briefer journey through Pennsylvania, leaving a lasting impression on his son. His
Fortunately, Rinker is joined by his brother, Nick, and his brother’s dog, Olive Oyl, who make critical contributions to the journey. Buck researches the trip thoroughly, then purchases a period-authentic Schuttler wagon and a team of three mules. The mules become characters in the book, each exhibiting a unique personality. The pioneer spirit is evident in this journey through mutual reliance and the kindness of strangers. A combination of memoir, history, and travel tale, the over-2000-mile journey from Missouri to Oregon is replete with camaraderie, humor, breakdowns, danger, and slaying a few personal demons.
The variety in subject matter is amazing: from the history of mules, to wagon craft, to irrigation theories, to the 19th century pioneers’ diaries, to public corrals, to descriptions of the terrain, to the hospitality offered them by people thrilled to be part of the process. Obstacles along the way were plentiful, and no matter how much planning was done, a certain number were unforeseeable. It was important to be able to adjust to whatever challenges were presented, and the author covers these in an interesting manner.
Even though history is covered in good measure, I suggest reading it as a memoir since the author inserts a good amount of personal reflection on his relationship with his father, asserts many strongly held opinions, and includes a significant amount of profanity. I found the book fascinating, albeit a bit repetitive, and learned a great deal about the history of the pioneers. Recommended to readers of Western U.S. history, fans of memoirs, and those interested in travel or journeys.
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relationship with his father is a recurring theme. Fortunately, Rinker is joined by his brother, Nick, and his brother’s dog, Olive Oyl, who make critical contributions to the journey. Buck researches the trip thoroughly, then purchases a period-authentic Schuttler wagon and a team of three mules. The mules become characters in the book, each exhibiting a unique personality. The pioneer spirit is evident in this journey through mutual reliance and the kindness of strangers. A combination of memoir, history, and travel tale, the over-2000-mile journey from Missouri to Oregon is replete with camaraderie, humor, breakdowns, danger, and slaying a few personal demons.
The variety in subject matter is amazing: from the history of mules, to wagon craft, to irrigation theories, to the 19th century pioneers’ diaries, to public corrals, to descriptions of the terrain, to the hospitality offered them by people thrilled to be part of the process. Obstacles along the way were plentiful, and no matter how much planning was done, a certain number were unforeseeable. It was important to be able to adjust to whatever challenges were presented, and the author covers these in an interesting manner.
Even though history is covered in good measure, I suggest reading it as a memoir since the author inserts a good amount of personal reflection on his relationship with his father, asserts many strongly held opinions, and includes a significant amount of profanity. I found the book fascinating, albeit a bit repetitive, and learned a great deal about the history of the pioneers. Recommended to readers of Western U.S. history, fans of memoirs, and those interested in travel or journeys.
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LibraryThing member WaltNoise
This is a fascinating history of the Oregon Trail and a modern travelogue of the route. You’ll learn a lot about wagon handling and the history of mules in America, as well. I could use a little less family psychodrama, but all in all, this is a great read.
LibraryThing member bragan
Rinker Buck, on a whim, decided to travel the entire length of the Oregon trail in a covered wagon more than 100 years after the last pioneers to do so. Which may be slightly less crazy than it sounds: Buck's father was an antique wagon enthusiast who once took him and his siblings on a covered
The book is part adventurous travelog, part memoir (complete with lots of personal musings about Buck's ambiguous feelings towards his father), and part history lesson. It also takes a variety of tones: snarky, self-deprecating, appreciative, informative, introspective, even inspiring (although not in a mushy sort of way). Somewhat surprisingly, it works on all these levels. Occasionally, Buck's airing of his emotional issues borders on over-sharing, but he never quite goes too far with it, and it does serve to bring a human element to the story. And I found the history surprisingly interesting, and the many new things I have learned about mules even more surprisingly interesting.
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wagon trip through Pennsylvania, so it wasn't like the experience was entirely new to him. And his brother, who accompanied him, is an expert mechanic and horseman who inherited their dad's wagon obsession. So if anybody was going to make that trip in the modern era, they would seem to be the right guys for it. It's still at least a little crazy, though, which is something the author readily admits.The book is part adventurous travelog, part memoir (complete with lots of personal musings about Buck's ambiguous feelings towards his father), and part history lesson. It also takes a variety of tones: snarky, self-deprecating, appreciative, informative, introspective, even inspiring (although not in a mushy sort of way). Somewhat surprisingly, it works on all these levels. Occasionally, Buck's airing of his emotional issues borders on over-sharing, but he never quite goes too far with it, and it does serve to bring a human element to the story. And I found the history surprisingly interesting, and the many new things I have learned about mules even more surprisingly interesting.
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LibraryThing member Shrike58
Although the guts of this book is the history & nature of the Oregon Trail, and what it took to make the crossing in the modern day by animal team, the heart of the book is probably the author using this trip as a spiritual retreat to purge himself of the dark emotional baggage left by a divorce,
What does seem a bit self-indulgent is when Buck has one of his "get off of my lawn moments" and engages in some mini-rants about how the intelligence of the American public seems to be dwindling, the bloody costs of modern American empire, his lack of use for religion and the thuggish behavior of a lot of current police. However, there might be some irony in there as Buck relates the stories about where he and his brother are in some tight spots (one could go on and on about this "Odd Couple") and salvation comes in the form of either members of the Church of Later Day Saints or a Wyoming State trooper; these four or five outbursts do seem a bit graceless though. It's the main reason I don't rate this book a little higher.
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the collapse of his profession (newspaper reporter) and, above all, getting to final grips with his relationship with his deceased father. If this sometimes seems like too much information and a little overly confessional, it turns out that this is not self-indulgence but that Buck was put up to it my his publisher!What does seem a bit self-indulgent is when Buck has one of his "get off of my lawn moments" and engages in some mini-rants about how the intelligence of the American public seems to be dwindling, the bloody costs of modern American empire, his lack of use for religion and the thuggish behavior of a lot of current police. However, there might be some irony in there as Buck relates the stories about where he and his brother are in some tight spots (one could go on and on about this "Odd Couple") and salvation comes in the form of either members of the Church of Later Day Saints or a Wyoming State trooper; these four or five outbursts do seem a bit graceless though. It's the main reason I don't rate this book a little higher.
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LibraryThing member readyreader
Great read. Epic road odyssey of two brothers' quest to follow the Oregon Trail in covered wagon interspersed with historic tales of America's epic road odyssey in the 1840's and beyond.
LibraryThing member jms001
How did you cross the Oregon Trail? Did you die of dysentary? Crushed by your animals? Starve to death? Want to find out what it was really like?
Rinker Buck is a lover of history, and a lover of writing. What better use could he have of a summer than spending it like the true pioneers of the mid
Rinker Buck mixes both his own experiences on the trail with fun history facts relating to his trials and tribulations on the trail. From explanations to how mules have been bred to details of famous pioneers like Narcissa Whitman, you'll be learning quite a lot. Of course, there are plenty of moments for Rinker and his brother to go through that will also have the reader wondering how they got out of that situation.
For a fun read across the western United States, look no further than the Oregon Trail.
Rinker Buck is a lover of history, and a lover of writing. What better use could he have of a summer than spending it like the true pioneers of the mid
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19th century? Why not cross half the country in a covered wagon with three trusty mules and an ornery brother? And a dog, of course. With this motley crew, you've got yourself a tale of perseverance and grit.Rinker Buck mixes both his own experiences on the trail with fun history facts relating to his trials and tribulations on the trail. From explanations to how mules have been bred to details of famous pioneers like Narcissa Whitman, you'll be learning quite a lot. Of course, there are plenty of moments for Rinker and his brother to go through that will also have the reader wondering how they got out of that situation.
For a fun read across the western United States, look no further than the Oregon Trail.
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LibraryThing member Wickabod
On the surface, Rinker Buck's book is the story of his epic 2000-mile journey along the Oregon Trail, in the company of his brother Nick and his dog Olive Oyl. It's a modern journey, but made in the most old-fashioned way: an authentic mule-drawn covered wagon. And it's a heck of story -- by turns
But his book is also many other stories. It's the historical story of the Oregon Trail and America's 19th-century westward migration. It's a story of the modern Trail and of the people who are fighting to preserve it and tell its history. It's a story of fathers and sons, and how the author is still coming to terms with his dad's death. It's a story of brotherhood. It's a story of small-town America: what's gone forever and what still remains. It's a story of the West itself and its beauty and terrifying vastness. It's a story of goals and sacrifices and commitments. And it's a story of middle life: what we wanted to be when we grew up, what we became, and how we come to terms with ourselves and our loved ones.
In short, Rinker Buck is dealing with a lot of stuff here, not just a team of mules! He juggles all these story lines seamlessly -- weaving together history, travelogue, and personal reflections into one very fine book.
It's incredibly informative, but also a fun and crazy joyride. I enjoyed every mile of it.
(Thanks to Simon & Schuster for an advance copy via a giveaway. Receiving a free copy did not affect the content of my review.)
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exhilarating and quiet, hilarious and reflective, historical and deeply personal.But his book is also many other stories. It's the historical story of the Oregon Trail and America's 19th-century westward migration. It's a story of the modern Trail and of the people who are fighting to preserve it and tell its history. It's a story of fathers and sons, and how the author is still coming to terms with his dad's death. It's a story of brotherhood. It's a story of small-town America: what's gone forever and what still remains. It's a story of the West itself and its beauty and terrifying vastness. It's a story of goals and sacrifices and commitments. And it's a story of middle life: what we wanted to be when we grew up, what we became, and how we come to terms with ourselves and our loved ones.
In short, Rinker Buck is dealing with a lot of stuff here, not just a team of mules! He juggles all these story lines seamlessly -- weaving together history, travelogue, and personal reflections into one very fine book.
It's incredibly informative, but also a fun and crazy joyride. I enjoyed every mile of it.
(Thanks to Simon & Schuster for an advance copy via a giveaway. Receiving a free copy did not affect the content of my review.)
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LibraryThing member debnance
Two brothers decide to head west on the Oregon Trail, complete with a wagon and mules. They run into plenty of obstacles, as you might expect, including accidentally crossing into private property and balky mules and wagon breakdowns, but the trip gives author Buck an opportunity to reflect on the
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original Oregon Trail pioneers and to muse about life in general. A great trip. Show Less
LibraryThing member SheTreadsSoftly
The Oregon Trail by Rinker Buck is a very highly recommended account of two brothers traveling along the Oregon Trail today.
Author Rinker Buck, his brother Nick and Nick's “incurably filthy” Jack Russell terrier named Olive Oyl traveled over 2000 miles for four months along a route that was the
All it took to spark Rinker Buck's decision to travel the trail was learning from Duane Durst, an administrator from the Kansas Historical Society, that the 2100 mile length of the trail has been "meticulously charted and marked, with long, undeveloped spaces now preserved as a National Historic Trail. Except for two bad stretches of suburban sprawl around Scottsbluff, Nebraska, and Boise, Idaho, most of the rest of the trail is still accessible along remote farm and ranch roads in the West." Rink decided he had to travel the trail, and do it in as authentic a manner as possible.
If a travelogue of his adventures on the Oregon Trail today wasn't enough, Buck also includes a plethora of additional information on a wide variety of topics related to the trip. We learn a great deal about mules, wagons, the pioneers, cholera, marking the trail, plants along the way, burials along the trail, and the Mormon experience, to name a handful of topics. Buck also talks about a trip his family made in 1958. At that time his father decided to take his family on a month long "See America Slowly" vacation. They traveled in a covered wagon from central New Jersey across the Delaware River to south central Pennsylvania on a month long trip.
On the back of the wagon for this childhood trip his father had a sign made that said: "We’re Sorry For The Delay—But We Want The Children To SEE AMERICA SLOWLY New Vernon, New Jersey to Valley Forge, Lancaster, Gettysburg, Penna." For their new trip Nick had taken the board to a sign painter in Maine for the similar messaging he considered appropriate for our trip. Painted on the back of the original sign was the new one: "We Are Sorry For The Delay, But We Want To SEE AMERICA SLOWLY St. Joseph, Ft. Kearny, Scott’s Bluff, South Pass, Farewell Bend."
Buck is a perfect writer for this harrowing adventure. As he writes, "Only a delusional jackass, or someone seriously off his medications, would pull off the road at the Hollenberg Ranch one fine summer afternoon and concoct such a preposterous scheme. But you can’t save an addictive dreamer from himself, and that jackass happens to be me." He's a great story teller and includes a lot of self-deprecating humor along with all the additional support information. Even while letting us in on the mishaps and failures of the present trip, he includes references to past experiences and stories from his childhood, and manages to tie the two experiences together.
After spending my early years in Nebraska, I learned about the history of the Oregon Trail every year of elementary school. It was fascinating to read this account of the trail today and the hazards crossing it. The year Rinker and Nick undertook this adventure was also a very wet year, with lots of rain, thunderstorms, and flooding, so it was not an easy year to travel the trail. I had to laugh at the fact that: "The brisk and incessant prairie winds of Kansas and Nebraska were one of the most persistent obstacles to travel that the pioneers complained about in their journals." I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Simon & Schuster for review purposes.
Author Rinker Buck, his brother Nick and Nick's “incurably filthy” Jack Russell terrier named Olive Oyl traveled over 2000 miles for four months along a route that was the
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Oregon Trail. They went from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Baker City, Oregon, through six present-day states, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho, and Oregon, in a covered wagon pulled by three mules named Jake, Beck, and Bute. In the fifteen years before the Civil War 400,000 pioneers used the trail to emigrate west. The last documented crossing was in 1909, so this trip was a historical reenactment or at least a taste of what happened during the great exodus west.All it took to spark Rinker Buck's decision to travel the trail was learning from Duane Durst, an administrator from the Kansas Historical Society, that the 2100 mile length of the trail has been "meticulously charted and marked, with long, undeveloped spaces now preserved as a National Historic Trail. Except for two bad stretches of suburban sprawl around Scottsbluff, Nebraska, and Boise, Idaho, most of the rest of the trail is still accessible along remote farm and ranch roads in the West." Rink decided he had to travel the trail, and do it in as authentic a manner as possible.
If a travelogue of his adventures on the Oregon Trail today wasn't enough, Buck also includes a plethora of additional information on a wide variety of topics related to the trip. We learn a great deal about mules, wagons, the pioneers, cholera, marking the trail, plants along the way, burials along the trail, and the Mormon experience, to name a handful of topics. Buck also talks about a trip his family made in 1958. At that time his father decided to take his family on a month long "See America Slowly" vacation. They traveled in a covered wagon from central New Jersey across the Delaware River to south central Pennsylvania on a month long trip.
On the back of the wagon for this childhood trip his father had a sign made that said: "We’re Sorry For The Delay—But We Want The Children To SEE AMERICA SLOWLY New Vernon, New Jersey to Valley Forge, Lancaster, Gettysburg, Penna." For their new trip Nick had taken the board to a sign painter in Maine for the similar messaging he considered appropriate for our trip. Painted on the back of the original sign was the new one: "We Are Sorry For The Delay, But We Want To SEE AMERICA SLOWLY St. Joseph, Ft. Kearny, Scott’s Bluff, South Pass, Farewell Bend."
Buck is a perfect writer for this harrowing adventure. As he writes, "Only a delusional jackass, or someone seriously off his medications, would pull off the road at the Hollenberg Ranch one fine summer afternoon and concoct such a preposterous scheme. But you can’t save an addictive dreamer from himself, and that jackass happens to be me." He's a great story teller and includes a lot of self-deprecating humor along with all the additional support information. Even while letting us in on the mishaps and failures of the present trip, he includes references to past experiences and stories from his childhood, and manages to tie the two experiences together.
After spending my early years in Nebraska, I learned about the history of the Oregon Trail every year of elementary school. It was fascinating to read this account of the trail today and the hazards crossing it. The year Rinker and Nick undertook this adventure was also a very wet year, with lots of rain, thunderstorms, and flooding, so it was not an easy year to travel the trail. I had to laugh at the fact that: "The brisk and incessant prairie winds of Kansas and Nebraska were one of the most persistent obstacles to travel that the pioneers complained about in their journals." I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Simon & Schuster for review purposes.
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LibraryThing member labdaddy4
I found this to be a very engaging, witty, and revealing book. While it is primarily a story of the 21st century transit of the Oregon Trail by Rinker and Nick Buck - it is also packed with history of this timeless slice of Americana generously mixed with plenty of family dynamics of these two
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brothers. I especially found myself becoming more and more taken with the three mules that provided so much to the venture - and not only their muscle and sweat ! Show Less
LibraryThing member nmele
When this book was proposed by another member of my book club, I was unenthusiastic. The more I read, the more enthusiastic I became. Buck's book is filled with history, observations about the contemporary American west, and honest talk about his family and his own weaknesses. He tells the story of
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his journey by mule-drawn wagon from Missouri to Oregon with grace and humor, but most of all with consummate skill. Show Less
LibraryThing member DeborahCThomas
Might have been better if I hadn't read this in audio. The author's narration was difficult at times. He had odd pacing with awkward mid-sentence pauses. At times, it detracted from the story which I did like.
LibraryThing member santhony
I ordered this non-fiction book somewhat by mistake, thinking it was a more historical account of the Oregon trail, as opposed to a modern day trip along the Oregon trail in a period covered wagon, something of a reenactment.
Nevertheless, the book does frequently refer to the historical period that
Most perturbing, however, are the not infrequent political and social rants engaged in by the author, some of which are merely annoying, while others are borderline offensive. Among these are his opinion that religion is bunk and anyone engaging in its practices is a mindless sheep. He never misses a chance to tout the benefits of big government and relentlessly insults conservative thinkers. Perhaps most bothersome are the over-the-top statements he makes concerning law enforcement:
“The rancher (upon whose land he had trespassed) reminded me of those Emperor Nero state troopers who cannot hand out a routine speeding ticket without pestering a driver with a string of useless and humiliating questions. The cops of America are poster boys of low self-esteem. Their uniforms, silly hats and sparkling patent leather girdles freighted down with shiny handcuffs, walkie-talkies, and spray canisters of Mace apparently do ot make them feel secure enough, so they always add the hostile interrogation to make sure that the accosted citizen knows who is in charge”.
This, a mere 2-3 pages before detailing all of the help provided by a Wyoming State Trooper.
Anyone that inconveniences his little project comes in for a heap of his scorn, including all of the stupid old people driving recreational vehicles across the country to see the historical sites that he is so proud of pointing out were provided by the government. Why can’t they just get their own covered wagon and go about it the right way!
He trespasses on private land with impunity (the circumstances suggest that the property was well posted) and then roundly condemns the rancher that ordered him off the property, suggesting that his opinion of private property rights lines up well with his other political beliefs.
Bottom line, the author is something of a horse’s ass. Anyone that helps him is a great guy, anyone that inconveniences him in any way is a miserable human being. The information and experiences described in the book failed to rise to the level of a net positive when weighed against the annoyance generated by the author’s frequent venting of spleen.
Nevertheless, the book does frequently refer to the historical period that
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the trail was in widest use in the mid-19th century. The author and his brother face a number of obstacles in their attempt to traverse the historical route and their experiences are mildly entertaining. In addition to the historical references and the current day travails, there are also vignettes from the author’s childhood that I could have done without.Most perturbing, however, are the not infrequent political and social rants engaged in by the author, some of which are merely annoying, while others are borderline offensive. Among these are his opinion that religion is bunk and anyone engaging in its practices is a mindless sheep. He never misses a chance to tout the benefits of big government and relentlessly insults conservative thinkers. Perhaps most bothersome are the over-the-top statements he makes concerning law enforcement:
“The rancher (upon whose land he had trespassed) reminded me of those Emperor Nero state troopers who cannot hand out a routine speeding ticket without pestering a driver with a string of useless and humiliating questions. The cops of America are poster boys of low self-esteem. Their uniforms, silly hats and sparkling patent leather girdles freighted down with shiny handcuffs, walkie-talkies, and spray canisters of Mace apparently do ot make them feel secure enough, so they always add the hostile interrogation to make sure that the accosted citizen knows who is in charge”.
This, a mere 2-3 pages before detailing all of the help provided by a Wyoming State Trooper.
Anyone that inconveniences his little project comes in for a heap of his scorn, including all of the stupid old people driving recreational vehicles across the country to see the historical sites that he is so proud of pointing out were provided by the government. Why can’t they just get their own covered wagon and go about it the right way!
He trespasses on private land with impunity (the circumstances suggest that the property was well posted) and then roundly condemns the rancher that ordered him off the property, suggesting that his opinion of private property rights lines up well with his other political beliefs.
Bottom line, the author is something of a horse’s ass. Anyone that helps him is a great guy, anyone that inconveniences him in any way is a miserable human being. The information and experiences described in the book failed to rise to the level of a net positive when weighed against the annoyance generated by the author’s frequent venting of spleen.
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LibraryThing member Suzieqkc
Really enjoyed this book. The reason that I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5: it has more detail about the wagon and trail pup configuration and the views. I really like the info that Rinker shared about some of the trail journals that he had read.
LibraryThing member Alphawoman
A little bit Bill Bryson, a little bit your 10th grade over enthusiast history teacher , a little bit your crazy uncle.
LibraryThing member banjo123
He, his brother, and a dog named Olive Oil, travel the Oregon Trail in a covered wagon pulled by mules. I learned a lot about history, and about mules in this charming book.
LibraryThing member bnbookgirl
An enjoyable read about two brothers setting off on the Oregon Trail in modern times. Rinker and his brother did the trail with their father when they were young children. Now they are grown men and are setting off again in their covered wagon. The brothers are enjoyable characters as are many of
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the people they meet along their journey. Show Less
LibraryThing member catzkc
I knew going in this was part memoir, part history. I figured I could put up with the memoir stuff for some good Oregon Trail history. Unfortunately I find the history part too dry and tedious to continue. I know more about the breeding of mules than I can stand. Then an entire chapter devoted to
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the building and technical development of wagons in the 18th century. And it looks like the upcoming chapter is all about the technical details of hitching up the mules to the wagon. I can't take this for another 300 pages, at least when I've got piles of other, hopefully more interesting books to get to! If this kind of history and detail is interests you, you may enjoy this. If you do, I do recommend getting a hold of the book, for the pictures and diagrams. Show Less
LibraryThing member bereanna
Brothers depart in a covered wagon on the trail in modern times, navigating around floods, rocks, mountains, rivers, highways, and towns. This book tells if the difficult time the pioneers had traveling the trail and makes social commentary on issues today. We learn about mules and their
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intelligence and strength. We see how isolation impacted the brothers. Really worthwhile book. Show Less
Awards
PEN New England Award (Winner — Nonfiction — 2016)
Spur Award (Finalist — 2016)
Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year (Nonfiction — 2015)
Language
Original publication date
2015-06-30
ISBN
1451659164 / 9781451659160
Local notes
BOOKCASE: I
SHELF: 5
SHELF: 5