The Oregon Trail - (Penguin American Library) by Francis Parkman (Paperback)

About the Book

The Oregon Trail is the gripping account of Francis Parkman's journey west across North America in 1846. After crossing the Allegheny Mountains by coach and continuing by boat and wagon to Westport, Missouri, he set out with three companions on a horseback journey that would ultimately take him over two thousand miles. Map.

Book Synopsis

On April 28, 1846, Francis Parkman left Saint Louis on his first expedition west. The Oregon Trail documents his adventures in the wilderness, sheds light on America's westward expansion, and celebrates the American spirit.

About the Author

Francis Parkman was born in Boston in 1823 and is best known for his masterly seven-volume history, France and England in North America, and for the annual prize awarded by the Society of American Historians in his honor. He died in 1893.

David Levin was the Commonwealth Professor of English at the University of Virginia. His books on American historical writing included History as Romatic Art: Bancroft, Prescott, Motley, and Parkman; In Defense of Historical Literature; and Cotton Mather: The Young Life of the Lord's Remembrancer, 1663-1703. He was the editor of Francis Parkman's masterpiece, France and England in North America.