Across the Great Divide : Robert Stuart and the Discovery of the Oregon Trail

Rating:
Summary: A decent story, a frustrating outcome
Review: An interesting story of Robert Stuart, the white explorer who learned from natives the existence of the South Pass through the Rocky Mountains and used the Pass in 1812 on a West-to-East trip. (South Pass is the only wagon-friendly route through the Rockies.) The purpose of Stuart's trip was basically a management report on a private company's progress. The trip was through largely uncharted territory, and dangers were encountered, but this is not a compelling read. Here's the most frustrating part: John Jacob Astor, Stuart's boss, elected to keep secret the existence of South Pass. So this critical piece of geographical info was not used until the Pass was re-discovered in 1823 by William Ashley, who publicized it, leading eventually to the Oregon Trail. Astor never used his "trade secret." That makes Stuart's trip an interesting historical footnote, not the landmark discovery it could have been if Stuart and Astor had publicized the existence of South Pass.

Rating:
Summary: Only O.K.
Review: This book had a lot going for it, I thought. The writer lives part of the time in the wonderful wild country he's writing about, he graduated for Yale and is an award-winning journalist with work published in many prestigious magazines. He had access to private letters and diaries from the expedition. The expedition itself was dangerous and exciting. The topic was one of my favourites. This, I thought would be a really good read.

Well, it was O.K. The book seems to be accurate, factual and comprehensive. But it's the dullest book about an exciting adventure I've ever read. It lacks a sense of adventure, any depth of understanding of the country, the circumstances and any empathy with the feelings and interactions of the men. It seemed like just a journalistic exercise in getting all the relevant information and setting it down in a coherent sequence.

Robert Stuart appears to have been a remarkable young man and his expedition was hugely important in the development of the region. Both deserved better than this.

Rating:
Summary: Courage, determination, adventure
Review: Whereas Philip Ashton Rollins still remains the definitive work on Robert Stuart and the discovery of the Oregon Trail, Laton McCartney's book is less encumbered with footnotes and editing to make this a most enjoyable and fascinating read of this courageous, dauntless man.
Being a descendant of Stuart himself, the reader easily senses the pride and respect in McCartney's writing of his legendary ancestor.
We read of Stuart's grueling voyage to the future trading post of Astoria aboard the soon to be ill-fated ship the Tonquin with a ruthless and scornful Captain Thorn; the establishment of Astoria at the mouth of the Columbia River; Stuart's adventures in and around this region; the overlander Astorians' journey from the Missouri River to Astoria and culminating with Stuart's ten month expedition of 1812-1813 with six others from Astoria to St. Louis. These men suffered and persevered through hunger, thirst, fatigue, weather, geographical disorientations and Indian intimidations with the final result of course, being the eventual discovery of the Oregon Trail.
An absorbing read and extremely well done.