Rating: 
Summary: History In Perspective
Review: Any work of art whether it be the written word, sculpture, the cinema and the like should be viewed from the perspective, the time and place, from which it was created. If you viewed Martin Scorsese's 1991 remake of "Cape Fear" and then viewed J. Lee Thompson's 1962 original, one may be disappointed. The remake was frank, graphic and to the point. The original was merely suggestive by today's standards, but in 1962 "Cape Fear" was considered nothing less than prurient sensationalism. It was good filmmaking just the same. This book: "The Year of Decision: 1846" is an example of the later.1846 is a world away from today, the year 2000. This book was written at a time when the United States was preparing for and ultimately entered World War II. Yet even then the dust of the Western parries, plateaus and deserts was just finally settling. The second generations of those adventurous individuals who traversed westward across this great land though aged and dramatically reduced in number were still around. Today, like so much of the pristine west they are no longer. This book may seem somewhat biased for its views on historical events, as it appears to recall some of those events with an intuitive flair for the dramatic. However, that is exactly the strength of this book. One should never be satisfied with a cardboard assembly line approach to writing history. That approach has no depth sparks no interest and never challenges the imagination of the reader. Any notable work on history should evoke the time and place of the events and transport the reader into that historical dimension. DeVoto accomplishes this brilliantly with his own wry and overtly honest yet subtle style that draws the reader in like a shill at a Ferro table. His writing reminds me very much of that employed by Frank X. Tolbert in his excellent "An Informal History of Texas" published in 1951, a very captivating a picturesque depiction and interpretation of the times.
Rating:
Summary: A Compelling and Readable History of a Pivotal Year
Review: At first glance, you might not think a chronicle of the year 1846 in American history would be that exciting. However, this book was the most pleasant surprise I have ever read, and I would recommend it to anyone, whether or not they normally read history books or not. Scrape up the $33 to buy a copy from Amazon, or find it on inter-library loan. You won't be disappointed. First, 1846 turns out to be an incredibly interesting year in American history. The concept of "manifest destiny" was at its strongest, and the question of what the United States meant as a nation was leading the country towards civil war.
De Voto traces several different aspects of the Westward Expansion that occurred that year. First, and maybe most importantly, the United States government was in a three-way contest with Mexico and Britain over what is now the West Coast, and we fought the Mexican War that year, half by design and half through a series of miscommunications. Second, Brigham Young led the Mormons to Utah in 1846. Third, the general westward movement of the settlers reached a new peak, including, notably, the Donner party.
De Voto, who won the Pulitzer prize for the next installment in his trilogy about the American West, is an incredibly engaging writer. He combines an understanding of the political forces that were leading the nation towards civil war with a lyrical sensitivity to the appeal of the West and Southwest and a compelling empathy with the many characters who made up the old West.
De Voto shifts easily from the political, such as the machinations of the three nations prominently involved, to the personal, including characters ranging from crusty mountain men to General Santa Ana, from George Donner to Brigham Young.
Rating:
Summary: A Compelling and Readable History of a Pivotal Year
Review: At first glance, you might not think a chronicle of the year 1846 in American history would be that exciting. However, this book was the most pleasant surprise I have ever read, and I would recommend it to anyone, whether or not they normally read history books or not. Scrape up the $33 to buy a copy from Amazon, or find it on inter-library loan. You won't be disappointed.
First, 1846 turns out to be an incredibly interesting year in American history. The concept of "manifest destiny" was at its strongest, and the question of what the United States meant as a nation was leading the country towards civil war.
De Voto traces several different aspects of the Westward Expansion that occurred that year. First, and maybe most importantly, the United States government was in a three-way contest with Mexico and Britain over what is now the West Coast, and we fought the Mexican War that year, half by design and half through a series of miscommunications. Second, Brigham Young led the Mormons to Utah in 1846. Third, the general westward movement of the settlers reached a new peak, including, notably, the Donner party.
De Voto, who won the Pulitzer prize for the next installment in his trilogy about the American West, is an incredibly engaging writer. He combines an understanding of the political forces that were leading the nation towards civil war with a lyrical sensitivity to the appeal of the West and Southwest and a compelling empathy with the many characters who made up the old West.
De Voto shifts easily from the political, such as the machinations of the three nations prominently involved, to the personal, including characters ranging from crusty mountain men to General Santa Ana, from George Donner to Brigham Young.
Rating:
Summary: An incredible breadth of vision
Review: Bernard De Voto is one of our most eminent American historians and 1846 is considered to be one of his best works. He does what few historians are able to do and that is to capture the pulse of American expansionist desire. He does so by using a variety of novelistic devices to give added emotional weight to the events that transpired in this very decisive year in American history. Underscoring the narrative is De Voto's razor-sharp wit, which deflates most of the grand ambitions of the leading figures in 1846.
De Voto develops several paralleling stories: that of the great Mormon migration, the ill-fated Donner Party, Fremont's attempt to establish the Bear Flag Republic in California, the attempts to secure Texas and the New Mexico and Oregon territories, all during a time in which President Polk fought for America's Manifest Destiny against Britain and Mexico. De Voto develops a great number of characters, some well known, some lesser known, and weaves them together in an American quilt. He sets up the events that would lead to the Mexican War and briefly describes some of the battles, taking aim mostly at the ineptitude of both armies and the political posturing of the various Whig generals. It is an unbridled view of historical events. At times, De Voto can be unmerciful in his attacks on the heroic postures that some of these leading figures took, and at other times quite sympathetic as he tries to make sense of the conflicting reports that were written. He uses terms that may be offensive to some readers but these were the terms often employed by the figures of this era. He provides a wealth of information from journals and diaries that were kept, often giving his account a "first-hand" quality. De Voto sustains his incredible driving force throughout this narrative, capping it off with a pithy epilogue regarding the events that would grow out of the decisions made in 1846.
Rating:
Summary: An incredible breadth of vision
Review: Bernard De Voto is one of our most eminent American historians and 1846 is considered to be one of his best works. He does what few historians are able to do and that is to capture the pulse of American expansionist desire. He does so by using a variety of novelistic devices to give added emotional weight to the events that transpired in this very decisive year in American history. Underscoring the narrative is De Voto's razor-sharp wit, which deflates most of the grand ambitions of the leading figures in 1846. De Voto develops several paralleling stories: that of the great Mormon migration, the ill-fated Donner Party, Fremont's attempt to establish the Bear Flag Republic in California, the attempts to secure Texas and the New Mexico and Oregon territories, all during a time in which President Polk fought for America's Manifest Destiny against Britain and Mexico. De Voto develops a great number of characters, some well known, some lesser known, and weaves them together in an American quilt. He sets up the events that would lead to the Mexican War and briefly describes some of the battles, taking aim mostly at the ineptitude of both armies and the political posturing of the various Whig generals. It is an unbridled view of historical events. At times, De Voto can be unmerciful in his attacks on the heroic postures that some of these leading figures took, and at other times quite sympathetic as he tries to make sense of the conflicting reports that were written. He uses terms that may be offensive to some readers but these were the terms often employed by the figures of this era. He provides a wealth of information from journals and diaries that were kept, often giving his account a "first-hand" quality. De Voto sustains his incredible driving force throughout this narrative, capping it off with a pithy epilogue regarding the events that would grow out of the decisions made in 1846.
Rating:
Summary: A great and colorful history
Review: DeVoto said "this book tells the story of some people who went west in 1846." He weaves together the story of those people: the Mormons, the Donner party, Fremont and Kit Carson in California, historian Francis Parkman, "Old Rough and Ready" Zack Taylor, and others. The theme of the book is in the invocation, a quote from Henry Thoreau. "I must walk toward Oregon, and not towards Europe." America in 1846 became a continental and not just an Atlantic power. U.S. President James Polk crafted a deal with England for Oregon and Washington and launched a war with Mexico for California and the Southwest. The largest part of the book deals with the war with Mexico -- but the best book on this subject is "So Far From God" by John S.D. Eisenhower. Rather than a historian of war, DeVoto is a sort of Homer of the West, extolling the feats of his company of heros. He's opinionated, arrogant, sometimes obnoxious, sometimes too clever to be tolerated, but he's turned out an epic of American empire here. It's not a balanced book. DeVoto doesn't waste many kind words on Mexicans, Indians, or Eastern intellectuals. The good guys are the mountain men, the uncouth, unlettered men who led the American charge across the great plains into the western mountains. Example: while Thoreau was extolling the virtues of self reliance on Walden Pond, about a mile from Concord, Massachusetts, Kit Carson rode a horse from California to Washington, D.C. -- and then turned around and rode back again. The mountain men are formidable. This is not an easy book to read as DeVoto makes demands on the reader to remember a great number of characters participating in the complex threads of multiple movements. But its possibly the best book I've ever read about Americans going west.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic!!
Review: I read this book years ago and I attribute it to making me into a history buff. De Voto is a master at making history come alive. If you're fasinated with (American) western geography and history, I don't think you'll be disappointed. De Voto was truly a genius. It is possibly the best historical work I've ever read.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic!!
Review: I read this book years ago and I attribute it to making me into a history buff. De Voto is a master at making history come alive. If you're fasinated with (American) western geography and history, I don't think you'll be disappointed. De Voto was truly a genius. It is possibly the best historical work I've ever read.
Rating:
Summary: Manifest Destiny in Politics and in Western Development
Review: In 1846-7, the United States finished much of its geographical expansion. The dispute with Great Britain was ended covering the northwestern parts of the contiguous continental United States, and war with Mexico brought California and the southwest under U.S. sovereignty. This book was written during the late 1930s and early 1940s, and is of interest, as well, for the backdrop of events against which it was written. A new preface by DeVoto's son and a new introduction by Stephen Ambrose nicely explain this point. A helpful timeline and many wonderful maps will also help increase your understanding. Bernard DeVoto is our greatest historian of the western mirgration that helped build the modern United States. Before this book was written, there was no comprehensive work on this subject. Born in Ogden, Utah, he brings the perspective of a westerner to his writing, and scrupulously builds on many eye witness accounts to give us an in-person sense of this part of nation building. The western accounts are nicely put into the context of the gradual slide toward Civil War and the practical politics of the nation as a whole. DeVoto is an entertaining writer who employs many of the techniques of novels and movie scripts to keep the action moving for us. He uses a comet splitting into two, for example, as an omen of the political cleavage that slavery is bringing. He also has strong opinions about the people involved and shares those opinions candidly. So this is very much of a personal view of history, although done by an eminent historian. The book has many continuing story lines such as those about Fremont, the Mormon migration, the Donner party, and interactions with Native Americans (as seen through the eyes of the western migrants) that provide a lot of appeal for any reader of the book. Although it was written first, this is the final book in a trilogy that DeVoto wrote. If you like this book, you should go back and read the other two books as well. Truman Talley deserves a vote of thanks for bringing this important work back into print, and improving it! After you have finished reading and enjoying this great book, I suggest that you consider where an improved understanding of American history could add to your life. A good starting point could be understanding more about the history of the place where you live. Then you could expand that to understanding more about places you plan to visit. Enjoy your new learning and treks!
Rating:
Summary: Manifest Destiny in Politics and in Western Development
Review: In 1846-7, the United States finished much of its geographical expansion. The dispute with Great Britain was ended covering the northwestern parts of the contiguous continental United States, and war with Mexico brought California and the southwest under U.S. sovereignty.
This book was written during the late 1930s and early 1940s, and is of interest, as well, for the backdrop of events against which it was written. A new preface by DeVoto's son and a new introduction by Stephen Ambrose nicely explain this point. A helpful timeline and many wonderful maps will also help increase your understanding. Bernard DeVoto is our greatest historian of the western mirgration that helped build the modern United States. Before this book was written, there was no comprehensive work on this subject. Born in Ogden, Utah, he brings the perspective of a westerner to his writing, and scrupulously builds on many eye witness accounts to give us an in-person sense of this part of nation building. The western accounts are nicely put into the context of the gradual slide toward Civil War and the practical politics of the nation as a whole. DeVoto is an entertaining writer who employs many of the techniques of novels and movie scripts to keep the action moving for us. He uses a comet splitting into two, for example, as an omen of the political cleavage that slavery is bringing. He also has strong opinions about the people involved and shares those opinions candidly. So this is very much of a personal view of history, although done by an eminent historian. The book has many continuing story lines such as those about Fremont, the Mormon migration, the Donner party, and interactions with Native Americans (as seen through the eyes of the western migrants) that provide a lot of appeal for any reader of the book. Although it was written first, this is the final book in a trilogy that DeVoto wrote. If you like this book, you should go back and read the other two books as well. Truman Talley deserves a vote of thanks for bringing this important work back into print, and improving it! After you have finished reading and enjoying this great book, I suggest that you consider where an improved understanding of American history could add to your life. A good starting point could be understanding more about the history of the place where you live. Then you could expand that to understanding more about places you plan to visit. Enjoy your new learning and treks!
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