The Pioneers

The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West

By: David McCullough

Narrated by: John Bedford Lloyd

Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

The number one New York Times best seller by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David McCullough rediscovers an important chapter in the American story that's "as resonant today as ever" (The Wall Street Journal) - the settling of the Northwest Territory by courageous pioneers who overcame incredible hardships to build a community based on ideals that would define our country.

As part of the Treaty of Paris, in which Great Britain recognized the new United States of America, Britain ceded the land that comprised the immense Northwest Territory, a wilderness empire northwest of the Ohio River containing the future states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. A Massachusetts minister named Manasseh Cutler was instrumental in opening this vast territory to veterans of the Revolutionary War and their families for settlement. Included in the Northwest Ordinance were three remarkable conditions: freedom of religion, free universal education, and most importantly, the prohibition of slavery.

In 1788 the first band of pioneers set out from New England for the Northwest Territory under the leadership of Revolutionary War veteran General Rufus Putnam. They settled in what is now Marietta on the banks of the Ohio River. McCullough tells the story through five major characters: Cutler and Putnam; Cutler's son Ephraim; and two other men, one a carpenter turned architect, and the other a physician who became a prominent pioneer in American science.

"With clarity and incisiveness, [McCullough] details the experience of a brave and broad-minded band of people who crossed raging rivers, chopped down forests, plowed miles of land, suffered incalculable hardships, and braved a lonely frontier to forge a new American ideal" (The Providence Journal).

Drawn in great part from a rare and all-but-unknown collection of diaries and letters by the key figures, The Pioneers is a uniquely American story of people whose ambition and courage led them to remarkable accomplishments. "A tale of uplift" (The New York Times Book Review), this is a quintessentially American story, written with David McCullough's signature narrative energy.

©2019 David McCullough (P)2019 Simon & Schuster

Not his best

More a history of Ohio than the rest of the of the burgeoning Northwest Territory. Nary a mention of Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin.

Left me wanting more!

Terrific book, as are all of this author's
As usual, I wanted to hear more. Learn more, know more. This is a periodic history I've never really been exposed to before this and I truly felt drawn into the times, sights and surroundings. Perhaps that's because I'm a Massachisetts Yankee too. I could so easily picture the raditional buildings, speech and meals. John Bedford Lloyd's reading/performance was just perfect and added to my enjoyment! I would recommend this book highly

Dry and Little Boring

Learned some interesting things, but overall found the book dry and little boring. Rather listen to a Larry McMurtry novel taking place at the similar point in time.

Slow and boring

I’ve read several other books by this author, but I struggled to finish this one. He seemed to zero in more on the slavery issue and less on the pioneers undertaking.

Not So Great

Not written as interestingly as David McCullough’s other books....seemed to lack a central theme.

Written at an 8th grade reading level

This reads like a book report from middle school. Interesting history about development of Ohio. Be ready for a regurgitation of facts. The story is not gripping. Nothing in this book challenged me or caused me to think or ponder. Overall this book felt like a slog to me. Erik Larson could have done a better job of telling the story through the eyes of one of the main characters.

Interesting but tedious

if you're from Ohio and familiar with the areas and families mentioned it's very interesting but otherwise tedious and boring. I thought it would cover more of an overall coverage of the movement west given the title and I love David McCullough but this was way to much on a narrow topic for me.

Last Half Uneventful

Disappointed the author who may be the greatest narrator of his time didn't narrate. First half was great. Second half wasn't very eventful. Good book but below average for McCullough who is a great writer of history.

Absolutely fascinating people and stories!

This was a phenomenal book, and it really put several things in perspective historically and tied together different lives and states and events in an amazing way. Highly recommended 😃

What more can one say? This is yet another David McCullough Masterpiece and with superb narration too.

For those who are fans of David McCullough, “The Pioneers” will certainly not disappoint. He focuses here on the families encouraged by the call of opportunity to push West to the unknown wilderness just across the Ohio River into the Northwest Territory. Few anticipated and no one was prepared for what they would find and have to endure just to feed and protect themselves. Included are savage battles with Native Americans who justifiably pushed back as they faced the loss of their lands, but also the historic declaration that Slavery would be banned in the Northwest Territory. You’ll be taken back in history by some of the best narration I’ve heard.