Michael Wallis (1) (1945–)
Author of Mankiller: A Chief and Her People
For other authors named Michael Wallis, see the disambiguation page.
About the Author
Michael Wallis the best-selling author of Route 66 and Billy the Kid, has published eighteen books and won numerous honors and awards He is a popular public speaker and a highly acclaimed voice actor He lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
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Works by Michael Wallis
The Best Land Under Heaven: The Donner Party in the Age of Manifest Destiny (2017) 237 copies, 10 reviews
The Lincoln Highway: Coast to Coast from Times Square to the Golden Gate (2007) 74 copies, 3 reviews
Beyond the Hills: The Journey of Waite Phillips (Oklahoma Trackmaker Series) (1995) 49 copies, 2 reviews
Route 66 1 copy
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- Works
- 27
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- 10
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It then follows the four separate rescue parties which sought to recover the people and valuables lost in the mountains. What is less examined, is the poisonous nationalistic, racist and chauvinistic ideas which fueled the party's ultimate disaster. Greed and pride drove the men who controlled the families that ended up immigrating and it was the same forces which propelled the Donner Party to leave the proven path in order to take a risk on an unproven trail.
The author also glosses over the colonialist perspective of the immigrants, frequently repeating bigoted notions and fear mongering perspectives on the natives. The fact that two indigenous members of the party were murdered for food is also presented as an unfortunate but unavoidable event. I wanted the author to dig into this more, but was disappointed.
Generally, this book is pretty dry and so detailed as to be overwhelming. Throughout the book, I had difficulty keeping track of various family and individual names. Still it was a harrowing story and far more in depth than other books I've read on this topic.… (more)