ASTORIA (A Western Classic) (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. True Life Tale of the Dangerous and Daring Enterprise beyond the Rocky MountainsBy Washington Irving
Length19h 47m
About this audiobook
Astoria recounts John Jacob Astor's ambitious attempt to establish a fur-trading empire at the mouth of the Columbia River, following overland and maritime expeditions through the still-uncertain geography of the early American West. Drawing on journals, reports, and oral testimony, Washington Irving shapes commercial history into a polished narrative of exploration, hardship, diplomacy, and imperial rivalry. Its lucid prose, romantic coloring, and episodic structure place it between documentary history and literary adventure, within the nineteenth-century tradition of national expansionist writing. Irving, already celebrated for The Sketch Book and his mastery of urbane, transatlantic prose, brought to Astoria both literary prestige and a historian's curiosity. His association with Astor gave him privileged access to materials concerning the Pacific Fur Company, while his travels and long residence abroad sharpened his interest in how nations construct identity through frontier narratives. The book reflects his effort to give America a grand western past comparable to European historical romance. Astoria is recommended to readers interested in frontier history, exploration literature, and the cultural imagination of Manifest Destiny before it became doctrine. It remains valuable not only for its narrative force, but also for revealing how commerce, geography, and myth converged in the making of the American West.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- An Author Biography reveals milestones in the author's life, illuminating the personal insights behind the text.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
Rating★★★★ 3.8 (224)
Includes Goodreads
GenreHistory
Length19 hrs 47 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateApr 27, 2017
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
26Chapter XX.
2Introduction
27Chapter XXI.
3Synopsis
28Chapter XXII.
4Historical Context
29Chapter XXIII.
5Author Biography
30Chapter XXIV.
Show all chaptersShow less
6Author’s Introduction
31Chapter XXV.
7Chapter I.
32Chapter XXVI.
8Chapter II.
33Chapter XXVII.
9Chapter III.
34Chapter XXVIII.
10Chapter IV.
35Chapter XXIX.
11Chapter V.
36Chapter XXX.
12Chapter VI.
37Chapter XXXI.
13Chapter VII.
38Chapter XXXII.
14Chapter VIII.
39Chapter XXXIII.
15Chapter IX.
40Chapter XXXIV.
16Chapter X.
41Chapter XXXV.
17Chapter XI.
42Chapter XXXVI.
18Chapter XII.
43Chapter XXXVII
19Chapter XIII.
44Chapter XXXVIII.
20Chapter XIV.
45Chapter XXXIX.
21Chapter XV.
46Chapter XL.
22Chapter XVI.
47Chapter XLI.
23Chapter XVII.
48Chapter XLII.
24Chapter XVIII.
49Chapter XLIII.
25Chapter XIX.
50Chapter XLIV.
Die Legende Von Sleepy HollowWashington Irving1h 28m3.9 (260.3K)$1 · $0.00
The Legend of Sleepy HollowWashington Irving1h 25m4.0 (201.6K)$10 · $0.00
The Legend of Sleepy HollowWashington Irving1h 21m4.0 (194.3K)$9 · $0.00
La leyenda de Sleepy HollowWashington Irving2h 5m4.0 (199.1K)$1.99 · $0.00
The Historical Works of Washington Irving: Life of George Washington, The Adventures of Captain Bonneville, Astoria, Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada, Life of Oliver Goldsmith (Annotated)Washington Irving122h 6m$2 · $0.00
Jonathan Oldstyle's Briefe (Kommentiert)Washington Irving3h 6m$1 · $0.00
The Complete Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. (Illustrated) (Annotated)Washington Irving15h 35m4.3 (1.3K)$2 · $0.00
The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. - The Complete Collection (Illustrated) (Annotated)Washington Irving15h 36m4.1 (29K)$2 · $0.00
Das Leben Mohammeds, des arabischen Propheten (Kommentiert)Washington Irving12h 28m3.9 (17)$1 · $0.00
The Spanish Account: Tales of the Alhambra & Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada (Annotated)Washington Irving31h 41m$2 · $0.00
La leyenda de Sleepy Hollow (Anotado)Washington Irving3h 16m4.4 (12)$1.99 · $0.00
A History of New York (Annotated)Washington Irving15h 5m3.8 (1.3K)$2 · $0.00
Die New-York Geschichte: Von Anbeginn der Welt bis zur Endschaft der holländischen Dynastie (Kommentiert)Washington Irving10h 4m3.8 (1.6K)$1 · $0.00
Die Legende Von Sleepy Hollow (Kommentiert)Washington Irving2h 58m4.3 (12)$1 · $0.00
The Historical Works of Washington Irving (Illustrated) (Annotated)Washington Irving122h 7m$2 · $0.00
Wolfert's Roost, and MiscellaniesWashington Irving6h 58m3.5 (10)$1 · $0.00
A History of New YorkWashington Irving14h 45m3.7 (501)$1 · $0.00
Knickerbocker's History of New York, CompleteWashington Irving14h 35m3.7 (516)$1 · $0.00
A History of New York: From the Beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch DynastyWashington Irving14h 40m3.7 (795)$1 · $0.00
A Brief History of IntelligenceMax S. Bennett12h 18m4.6 (6.6K)$29 · $0.00
Pearl of Great PriceJoseph Smith3h 8m4.7 (7.2K)$1.20 · $0.00
The Happiest Man on EarthEddie Jaku3h 48m4.6 (178K)$7 · $0.00
MotherlandJulia Ioffe17h 52m4.7 (2.5K)$40 · $0.00
Where Cowards Go to DieBenjamin Sledge8h 42m4.7 (351)$20 · $0.00
RevolutionariesSanjeev Sanyal11h 23m4.6 (2.6K)$29 · $0.00
We Crossed a Bridge and It TrembledWendy Pearlman6h4.6 (5.2K)$24 · $0.00
Unbroken Bonds of BattleJohnny Joey Jones8h 31m4.6 (2.6K)$8 · $0.00
The Daughter of AuschwitzTova Friedman, Malcolm Brabant7h 54m4.6 (16.7K)$26 · $0.00
Lily's PromiseLily Ebert, Dov Forman8h 54m4.6 (16.1K)$29 · $0.00
On Democracies and Death CultsDouglas Murray10h 38m4.6 (6.5K)$29 · $0.00
Across the RiverKent Babb11h 40m4.6 (927)$29 · $0.00
Balcony Over Jerusalem: A Middle East Memoir - Israel, Palestine and BeyondJohn Lyons12h 37m4.6 (1.4K)$33 · $0.00
BeyondStephen Walker15h 39m4.6 (3.2K)$33 · $0.00
Kings and PawnsHoward Bryant10h 9m4.6 (678)$29 · $0.00
No EscapeNury Turkel9h 30m4.6 (809)$28 · $0.00
Jubal Stone: U.S. Marshal: Blood Trail To Hell: A Western Adventure NovelCasey Nash3h 42m4.6 (3.2K)$18 · $0.00
Fall and RiseMitchell Zuckoff17h 23m4.6 (9.8K)$40 · $0.00
The SurvivorJosef Lewkowicz, Michael Calvin9h 22m4.6 (2.5K)$29 · $0.00
Always FaithfulThomas Schueman, Zainullah Zaki12h 12m4.6 (977)$29 · $0.00
You may also like
The Adventures of Captain Bonneville, U. S. A., in the Rocky Mountains and the Far WestWashington Irving, Benjamin Louis Eulalie de Bonneville13h 57m4.1 (357)$1 · $0.00
First Footsteps in East Africa (Annotated)Richard Francis Sir Burton12h 27m3.9 (1.4K)$2 · $0.00
My African JourneyWinston Churchill5h 37m3.9 (1.6K)$2 · $0.00
3 Years Among the Comanches (Memoirs)Nelson Lee5h 42m4.0 (1.5K)$2 · $0.00
Pathfinders of the WestAgnes C. Laut8h 59m3.6 (52)$2 · $0.00
Privateers and PrivateeringEdward Phillips Statham8h 42m$1 · $0.00
The Paper and the River: Lewis and Clark, the Mandan Villages, and the Making of the American WestDaniel Whitcomb Avery5h 29m$6
The White and the GoldThomas B. Costain20h 31m3.8 (175)$2 · $0.00
The Life of Captain Matthew FlindersSir Ernest Scott12h 40m3.6 (27)$2 · $0.00
The Explorations of Père MarquetteJim Kjelgaard3h 22m4.0 (351)$1 · $0.00
Notable Voyagers, From Columbus to NordenskioldWilliam Henry Giles Kingston, Henry Frith19h 22m$2 · $0.00
A Voyage to the South Sea (Autobiography)William Bligh9h 54m4.0 (533)$2 · $0.00
A History of Geographical Discovery in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth CenturiesEdward Heawood14h 9m$2 · $0.00
The Life of Matthew FlindersSir Ernest Scott15h 34m3.6 (27)$2 · $0.00
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia, Vol. 1Phillip Parker King12h 37m$1 · $0.00
The Australian Explorers: Their Labours, Perils, and Achievements (Annotated)George Grimm7h 8m$2 · $0.00
The Life of Sir John Franklin, R.N.H D Traill19h 58m$2 · $0.00
The Experienced Angler, or Angling ImprovedRobert Venables2h 27m$2.30
Discoveries in Australia (Vol. 1&2) (Annotated)John Lort Stokes32h 14m4.4 (12)$2 · $0.00
The Part Borne by the Dutch in the Discovery of Australia 1606-1765J. E. Heeres6h 24m$2 · $0.00