The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey

This is the third book I've read by Rinker Buck, I really enjoy his style of writing. He is colorful and detailed enough to thoroughly paint a great picture of his story without being exhaustive. His writing is as much history of the places and things he experiences as they are descriptive of what is actually taking place. I've not found his books to be either short nor quick to read, so sit back and take time to absorb the story, it's well worth the trip.

To take the Oregon Trail via covered wagon and mule team “just like” our pioneering ancestors did well over 100 years ago? I figured that would certainly be an interesting read. And it was.But of course there is no “just like”, as there were two especially huge differences between then and now. First, there are now paved roads, bridges, fenced-in pastures, small towns and large ranches – basically, an entire infrastructure that did not exist back then. And second, back then, most wagons traveled in large groups and so any single wagon usually could count on the many other pioneers to help each other with some of the more difficult terrain or repairs; whereas the author and his brother (and the mules) were sometimes (but not always) completely on the own. These differences may disappoint some readers, but I thought the contrast was interesting.Another interesting aspect to the book was that the author included many historical tidbits such as the major industries that developed around these western migrations such as wagon construction, mule breeding and provisioning wares at the major embarkation points. Indeed, the author liberally sprinkled historical facts and notes from pioneers’ memoirs within the telling of his own journey. And again, I thought that contrast was interesting too.Or course, on such a long trip, one has plenty of time to think. And some of those thoughts also made it into this book. Some thoughts were just personal remembrances, and the other thoughts were just his philosophical musings. This was the least interesting part of the book to me, though I can appreciate that the author was on a personal journey and his thoughts are a part of the journey.Bottom line: Traveling on the Oregon Trail from both a historical perspective and a current perspective.

Enjoyed the read. Lots of research and history of the Oregon Trail distilled into readable sections. Loved the compare and contrast of the Trail today ( 2011) to 150-plus years ago. Nick and Olive Oyl, characters you won't forget. Great planning tool if you're traveling those areas. Hit the nail on the head on those RV'ers. Thanks Rinker.

This is a 'buddy'/bromance story (two brothers), a modern adventure, and a historical journey. Well-written, educational, and entertaining. I wish it were longer as it was so fun to read!

When I bought this book I only knew that it had been on a number of “best book” lists for 2015. I didn’t know exactly what it was about (I assumed it had something to do with the Oregon Trail), but thought that it might be a Stephen Ambrose type work of historical non-fiction. As I started to read, I realized that it might be more akin to a work by Bill Bryson. It was, perhaps, a combination of both. (NOTE- I am not an expert on these authors; these thoughts just popped into my mind. Thus, my apologies to fans of those two, and Mr. Rinker, as well as to the authors themselves (Mr. Ambrose now unable to receive this message) to the extent that I might have caused offense.) The book is about the present day journey of Mr. Rinker and his brother, Nick, across the Oregon Trail by mule drawn covered wagon. It is really a number of stories woven together. For me they can be broken down in no particular order as follows. First, the Buck brothers are quite interesting characters– Rinker a graduate of Bowdoin and an accomplished journalist and writer; Nick a non-college graduate and one of those incredibly talented individuals who can make or fix almost anything. While Rinker pursued his career in writing, Nick did odd jobs in his home state of Maine, refurbishing decaying mansions, driving horse drawn sleighs in the winter, and buggies in the summer, and generally being a “handy man”. Rinker conceives of the idea of making the trip, and invites Nick as a bit of an afterthought. The introductory chapters about them and the rest of their family form an intriguing and engaging narrative, and the development of their relationship while on the trail is a heartwarming tale. Second is, of course, the journey itself, one that tries to recreate as much as possible the rigors experienced by the 19th Century pioneers. They travel the route almost entirely without the benefit of “support teams” following in trucks or RV’s, and spend most of their days in the wagon or on foot, and their nights sleeping under the canopy or the stars. Although current civilization obviously disrupts much of the original trail, there are many stretches that are almost as barren and unpopulated as they were in 1850. Perhaps more so, because for a decade or more the trail was full of travelers headed west, so there was nary a time when a wagon would be on its own. By contrast, the Buck brothers were often by themselves, a lone venture that tested their determination and resourcefulness. The reader really begins to appreciate the rigors of the trip, and the intricacies of handling a team of mules. The trip also brings out the magic and majesty of slowly traveling across the American West. The brothers are often struck, perhaps awestruck, by the pure challenge of the journey and the beauty of the plains and mountains. Sometimes they wish, despite the hardship, that it would go on unabated. The third story is that of the relationship between the brothers and their mules. This may not seem important in and of itself, but, to me, the bond between these men and these animals was a wonderful part of the book. Each day, as they struggled over miles of terrain, they learned to trust and rely upon each other more and more. The mules were spoken of as rugged and determined partners in the trip, not as some “beasts of burden”. The fourth story is of the people that they meet upon the trail. As mentioned above, they did not travel with a support entourage. Instead, they generally relied upon the hospitality of ranchers and farmers to allow them to graze the mules and bed down for the night in the wagon or an outbuilding. (Rinker always slept in the wagon. Nick and his dog, Olive Oyl, slept outside the wagon in whatever shelter was available.) At other times they stayed at public corrals that are sprinkled across this part ot the country. As the news of their journey began to spread, and precede them along their route, their receptions became more enthusiastic, but even from the beginning they were almost always warm and welcoming. The last story is built by the author from historical records. He read a great deal before the trip, and as he and Nick went along various portions of the trail he would recount stories of some of the original pioneers who passed through these same spots. The juxtaposition of these historical anecdotes is well done and adds much to the story of the modern journey. This is a well written, light-hearted and enjoyable book. To resort to that overused and unsophisticated adjective, I thought the book was “nice”. In this day and age, that might represent quite an endorsement.

This was a very well-told adventure. I received an education about several subjects along the way. I thoroughly enjoyed the book in spite of the op-ed portions (not surprising, I suppose, given the author's journalistic background) about religion, which were painted with very broad brush strokes, to say the least. But still a most enjoyable trip across the country "in a most delightful way."

Having been to Idaho and Oregon recently I was keen to listen to The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey. I saw it in the USA but bought it back in UK.It’s a great 14 CD audio boxed set. Perfect long car journey material.Rinker Buck travelled the trail with his brother in a covered wagon ~ amazing!I listened the history of the covered wagon, how to lock the wheels on a treacherous descent and I feel like I could take on the challenge (not really). I loved his writing and reading style, the distinct tone of his brother’s voice and his devotion to the trail.This was an epic journey and I loved every CD ~ hugely listenable and you end up living the trail.A modern odyssey with a wagon, a pup, two guys, a dog and three mules ~ seeing America the slow way.B R I L L I A N T

The great migration west in the mid 19th century is clearly hugely significant in the history of the modern world and something I knew little about. At the same time the trip undertaken by Rinker and his brother Nick was really a terrific achievement that made me feel quite emotional at times. I learnt about history, mules and something about the people of a world and a culture far removed from my own soft, English professional suburban existence, and that can only do me good. By the end I was a bit in love with those mules. Big Team!

I'm reading this gently, it really is worth taking time over this. It's not just a day to day diary of a journey, it's full of history, anecdotes, characters and places visited, a true pleasure to read. The stars are not only the writer and his brother who's a master at driving a team of mules, but also the mules themselves, each a real character. A highly recommended book.

A really interesting book, hard to put down. The book combines lots of interesting facts about travelling the Oregon Trail in the past with the author's story of himself following the trail now. I bought it because of the mules but there is so much more in this as well, about the families, their waggons, the people who ripped them off, and those who helped them.

Anyone with even a passing interest in American history will enjoy this adventure. Rinker and his brother undertake a 2000 mile journey from Missouri to Oregon to retrace the steps of the westward-bound pioneers of the 1940's to 1860's. We learn about mules ( I will never use the word in a derogatory way again). wagon-building, chiselling entrepreneurs eager to prey upon people simply trying to find a life, and some of the dynamics of a fascinating family, the Bucks. Mr Buck effectively portrays the enormous difficulties faced by the pioneers and we understand at the end that he and his brother, like all the original migrants, were lucky to have survived the journey, so arduous was the terrain, unpredictable the weather, and untrustworthy the equipment. The unexpected was expensive and doomed many a traveller, as did disease and flood. Buck writes in a clear voice and I look forward to more of his work - the strength of character shown by he and his brother, Nick, is admirable, as is the generosity and hospitality shown by so many along the trail. I strongly recommend this modern-day adventure into the history of the settling of the west.