Astoria by Peter Stark: a book review

Astoria

by Peter Stark

John Jacob Astor and Thomas Jefferson's Lost Pacific Empire

A Story of Wealth, Ambition, and Survival

Have you ever been caught in a riff, sailing in shallow, uncharted water? Waves stacking up around you, wind pushing you to port, sub-surface current pushing to starboard. You try to get your bearings while you search for a passage up the mouth of a sand-bar laden river.

Then proceed with caution mate.

Peter Stark walks us through the harrowing tales of mariners who have navigated the turbulence where the Columbia River collides with the Pacific Ocean. 

This river mouth has claimed more than 200 ships since 1792. 

trading ship arriving from Hawaii attempting to enter the Columbia River

Astoria book review

If this sort of adventures gets you going, you’ll love Astoria: Astor and Jefferson's Lost Pacific Empire: A Tale of Ambition and Survival on the Early American Frontier.This is Peter Stark’s new best-selling historical novel. Astor sent out two advance parties to settle the wild, unclaimed western coast of North America. More than half of his men died violent deaths.