From Powells.com
A consummate selection of books written by Pacific Northwest authors.
Staff Pick
Astoria is Peter Stark’s epic telling of the establishment of what was intended to be the base of John Jacob Astor’s Pacific fur trading empire. The harrowing journeys that led the settlers — by sail, canoe, or overland — to the mouth of the Columbia River are almost beyond belief. The obstacles they faced included not just the many natural barriers of an unmapped continent — sand bars, river canyons, and mountains — but also the self-defeating vices they brought with them: greed, paranoia, murder, and war. Stark doesn’t shy away from the fact that the bravery of the explorers was all in service of the desire to exploit the sea otters and Native peoples that already inhabited the area, and while Astor’s empire ultimately wasn’t built off the Pacific, that exploitation came nevertheless. Recommended By Keith M., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
New York Times Bestseller
At a time when the edge of American settlement barely reached beyond the Appalachian Mountains, President Thomas Jefferson and millionaire John Jacob Astor foresaw that one day the Pacific would dominate world trade. Just a few years after the Lewis and Clark expedition concluded in 1806, these two visionaries turned their sights westward once again—to settle a colony on the Pacific coast.
Astor backed this ambitious enterprise with his vast fortune. He dispatched two groups of men west: one by sea around the southern tip of South America and one by land over the Rockies. More than half of his men died violent deaths. The others survived starvation, madness, and greed to shape the destiny of a continent.
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.
Review
"A thrilling true-adventure tale….A breathtaking account of an expedition that changed the geography of a young nation and its place in global commerce and politics." —Booklist
“Astoria is a must-read for devotees of the American West and all who want to know about the ambitions and perils of globalism.”—Ian Frazier
“In Astoria, Peter Stark recounts the colony’s history as a fast-paced, enjoyable adventure tale.” —Wall Street Journal
About the Author
Peter Stark is a historian and adventure writer. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller Astoria, along with The Last Empty Spaces, Last Breath, and At the Mercy of the River. He is a correspondent for Outside magazine, has written for Smithsonian and The New Yorker, and is a National Magazine Award nominee. He lives in Montana with his wife and children.