The American historian Francis Parkman (1823 93) published extensively on colonial North America, focusing particularly on the territorial rivalry between France and England. This famous travel diary was written early in his career and originally published in instalments in Knickerbocker's Magazine (1847 9) before appearing in book form in 1849. It enjoyed great popularity, and the 1878 sixth edition, reissued here, was fully revised by the author. The book describes Parkman's two-month journey in summer 1846 along the eastern part of the heavily-used emigrant route, from St Louis to the Rockies and back via Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming and Kansas. It focuses particularly on a three-week hunting expedition during which Parkman lived with the Oglala Sioux. Parkman's elegant style and colourful descriptions read like an adventure novel, but the book is also a witness to the prejudices of its time about nationality and race, particularly with regard to Native Americans.

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. In the course of his travels, Parkman encountered numerous Indians, living among a Sioux tribe for a time, as well as meeting traders, trappers, and emigrants searching for a new life. His detailed description of the journey, set against the vast majesty of the Great Plains, has emerged through the generations as a classic narrative of one man's exploration of the American Wilderness. It is a journey which has shaped our picture of mid-nineteenth-century America and which has influenced our perception of American civilization. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

The Oregon Trail traces a journey into the heart of the American Plains by Francis Parkman, who undertook his 1846 expedition in order to document the vanishing frontier; his keen observations and vivid style quickly established his reputation. Parkman depicts the hardships of travel across mountains and prairies, sketching vibrant portraits of his encounters with other sojourners as well as Western wildlife. Upon its original publication, this classic was reviewed by Herman Melville, who found it "excellent," with "the true wild-game flavor," "straight-forward throughout, and obviously truthful." This new Dover edition of one of the very greatest classics of American frontier literature is the lowest-priced edition now available. Unabridged republication of the eighth edition published by Little, Brown, and Company, Boston, in 1883.