He was the only one of the family to survive what Francois Maurois, in his introduction, calls the "human holocaust" of the persecution of the Jews, which began with the restrictions, the singularization of the yellow star, the enclosure within the ghetto, and went on to the mass deportations to the ovens of Auschwitz and Buchenwald. There are unforgettable and horrifying scenes here in this spare and sombre memoir of this experience of the hanging of a child, of his first farewell with his father who leaves him an inheritance of a knife and a spoon, and of his last goodbye at Buchenwald his father's corpse is already cold let alone the long months of survival under unconscionable conditions.

Pioneering spirit" is a phrase that was used a lot in my family while I was growing up in the 1950s, and it probably explains, too, why I was so drawn to covered wagon travel. I am emotionally connected to my past as a covered wagon traveler — a time when my father was so strapping and young, fun-loving and emotive, a man so wonderful to love. He was a nonconformist in a rigidly conformist age, but I've often felt since then that there was a logic behind his eccentricity. Didn't die of dysentry, but nearly died of boredom. As someone who, yes, played that 'Oregon Trail' game, I was so looking forward to this book. Man decides he wants to travel along the Oregon Trail? In an actual wagon pulled by mules? Sure, why not? Also included are in depth looks at the trail gear they used and how they acquired it. There are several drawings depicting said gear and a few drawings of significant landmarks they passed on the trail. What's missing are actual photos of their trip. There are a couple (including the ones on the inside covers of the book) but with so many people taking their photos as the wagon passed or stopped and even a photographer on board for part of the trip, I'm surprised they didn't make the book. The author's youthfulness helps to assure the inevitable comparison with the Anne Frank diary although over and above the sphere of suffering shared, and in this case extended to the death march itself, there is no spiritual or emotional legacy here to offset any reader reluctance.

The variety in subject matter is amazing: from the history of mules, to wagon craft, to irrigation theories, to the 19th century pioneers’ diaries, to public corrals, to descriptions of the terrain, to the hospitality offered them by people thrilled to be part of the process. Obstacles along the way were plentiful, and no matter how much planning was done, a certain number were unforeseeable. It was important to be able to adjust to whatever challenges were presented, and the author covers these in an interesting manner.

The author is long winded. This needs no explanation. I can't imagine a reading audience wants to hear the same story retold 16 times, e.g. some version of: "they said it couldn't be done.... (add 1 hour of reading to detail the full story of how he achieved the impossible)... and I did it. Man, am I great." Rinker blends the fascinating if fraught history of the mass migration westward into the story of his own journey. Pioneer journals were his guides, and the sections devoted to their lively accounts of trail travel were some of my favorite parts of the book. Rinker also writes movingly about his father, an adventurous, family-centered man who inspired his trip. I found the chapter about the surprising (to me) importance role of mules in 18th and 19th century America--starting with George Washington as a savvy land speculating donkey importer and mule broker--utterly captivating, and it’s a good example of the atypical historical perspectives and insights that make this book so riveting. Rinker also adds many historical elements to the narrative, that identifies with the Oregon Trail, making this an ambitious and informative read.I guess I'm just a bit too put out by all the macho posturing, the need for spelling out the word instead of just f* despite how often it's used.... And what's the deal with all the insults and prejudices expressed against so many people including Amish, Mormons, RVers, himself... the only ppl he admires are his brother & cowboys and that attitude gets old, whether it's sincere or persona for the sake of humor.