The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey

The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey

by Rinker Buck

4.3 (5,050)

4.3 stars from 5,050 reviews. One of the highest rated Memoir books we track.

450 pages~7.5 hr readPublished by Simon & SchusterPublished 2015-01-01

$2.99Deal82% off peak

Last checked: Jul 4, 2026

Price history: $2.99 $16.99

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Fans of these authors will like this...

  • Bill Bryson
  • Cheryl Strayed
  • Jon Krakauer

Fans of these books will like this...

  • A Walk in the Woods
  • Wild
  • Undaunted Courage

Perfect for you if...

  • You love travel memoirs that blend history with personal discovery, like Bill Bryson's work but with higher emotional stakes.
  • You're drawn to American history but want it told through lived experience rather than dusty textbooks.
  • You appreciate humour and heart in equal measure, and don't mind getting genuinely moved by a book.

Maybe not for you if...

  • You want a straightforward historical account without the author's personal story woven through it.
  • You prefer fast-paced narratives and find slower, reflective travel writing tedious.
  • You're looking for a quick read: this is a substantial, immersive 450-page commitment.

About this book

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Winner of the PEN New England Award “Enchanting…A book filled with so much love…Long before Oregon, Rinker Buck has convinced us that the best way to see America is from the seat of a covered wagon.” —The Wall Street Journal “Amazing…A real nonfiction thriller.” —The New York Review of Books “Absorbing…Winning…The many layers in The Oregon Trail are linked by Mr. Buck’s voice, which is alert and unpretentious in a manner that put me in mind of Bill Bryson’s comic tone in A Walk in the Woods.” —The New York Times #1 New York Times bestseller, this epic and deeply moving adventure blends American history, western travel, and memoir in a remarkable 2,000-mile journey across the American West by covered wagon.A major bestseller that has been hailed as a “quintessential American story” (Christian Science Monitor), Rinker Buck’s The Oregon Trail is an epic account of traveling the 2,000-mile length of the Oregon Trail the old-fashioned way—in a covered wagon with a team of mules—that has captivated readers, critics, and booksellers from coast to coast. Simultaneously a majestic journey across the West, a significant work of history, and a moving personal saga, Buck’s chronicle is a “laugh-out-loud masterpiece” (Willamette Week) that “so ensnares the emotions it becomes a tear-jerker at its close” (Star Tribune, Minneapolis) and “will leave you daydreaming and hungry to see this land” (The Boston Globe). Read more

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Price History

Kindle price over time. Green zones = periods when the book was free.

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Free$8.49$16.99Mar '20Nov '22Oct '23Jul '26
$2.99$16.99

Currently on sale at $2.99 — 82% off peak. Price has dropped 5 times over the last 6 years. Goes on sale roughly every 362 days. Typically stays discounted for 7 days.

Sales Rank

Amazon sales rank: lower number = better selling book. #1 is the bestseller.

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#1,688#171,576#341,463Apr '18Oct '22Apr '24Jul '26

Currently #8,604 in the Kindle store — a top-10K bestseller. Sales have softened 27% recently.

Rating & Reviews

Purple line = star rating over time. Blue area = total review count growth.

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3.5★4.3★5.0★Jun '23May '24May '25Dec '25RatingReviews

Currently 4.3★ from 5,050 reviews

Gaining approximately 17 new reviews per month. Rating has remained stable at 4.3 over the tracking period.

Sale Prediction

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Free$8.49$16.99Mar '20Nov '22Oct '23Jul '26PredictedJul '26

Actual Predicted

This book is currently discounted at $2.99. It typically returns to around $16.99.

Prices shown in USD from Amazon US. We continuously pull new data to improve tracking. If dates look old, it usually means there has been no significant change since the last data point.

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