{"product_id":"the-best-land-under-heaven-the-donner-party-in-the-age-of-manifest-destiny-paperback","title":"The Best Land Under Heaven: The Donner Party in the Age of Manifest Destiny - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eMichael Wallis\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003e\"WESTWARD HO! FOR OREGON AND CALIFORNIA!\"\u003c\/em\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the eerily warm spring of 1846, George Donner placed this advertisement in a local newspaper as he and a restless caravan prepared for what they hoped would be the most rewarding journey of a lifetime. But in eagerly pursuing what would a century later become known as the \"American dream,\" this optimistic-yet-motley crew of emigrants was met with a chilling nightmare; in the following months, their jingoistic excitement would be replaced by desperate cries for help that would fall silent in the deadly snow-covered mountains of the Sierra Nevada.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWe know these early pioneers as the Donner Party, a name that has elicited horror since the late 1840s. With \u003cem\u003eThe Best Land Under Heaven\u003c\/em\u003e, Wallis has penned what critics agree is \"destined to become the standard account\" (\u003cem\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/em\u003e) of the notorious saga. Cutting through 160 years of myth-making, the \"expert storyteller\" (\u003cem\u003eTrue West\u003c\/em\u003e) compellingly recounts how the unlikely band of early pioneers met their fate. Interweaving information from hundreds of newly uncovered documents, Wallis illuminates how a combination of greed and recklessness led to one of America's most calamitous and sensationalized catastrophes. The result is a \"fascinating, horrifying, and inspiring\" (\u003cem\u003eOklahoman\u003c\/em\u003e) examination of the darkest side of Manifest Destiny.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 496\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.9 x 8.1 x 5.5 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e May 29, 2018\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51770478723360,"sku":"9781631494000","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/15a4a690415b828fc2c35413edb2c1fd.webp?v=1780372581","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/the-best-land-under-heaven-the-donner-party-in-the-age-of-manifest-destiny-paperback","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}