num_pages: 336
description: In December 1779, Ann Robertson Johnson Cockrill, a widow with three young daughters, sets off with the Donelson party from East Tennessee to join her brothers in a wild, new land on the Cumberland River. The group traveled by boat - believed to be a safe route - only to discover that their map had underestimated the distance, the rivers were wild and dangerous, the weather unbearably cold, and Indian tribes were waiting to attack. Miraculously, a large number managed to survive and help found what is today Nashville, Tennessee. And in the midst of all her troubles, Ann manages to fall in love. It is an unforgettable tale of the physical and moral courage necessary to carve civilization out of the wilderness. What others have said about Perilous Perilous Journey is as good as it gets. It's a captivating history story but it's also a compelling story of human courage and emotion. The writing is first rate, the pacing sings. This is a treat of a book. Jim Lehrer, The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer How easy it is to think of Nashville, Tennessee as the home of country music; how easy to forget that Nashville was also America's first English settlement west of the Alleghenies, settled by some of our bravest against incalculable odds. No book has captured the drama of that settlement quite like Peyton Lewis' Perilous Journey. Roger Mudd, The History Channel The men and women who founded our proud state of Tennessee were people of great courage and valor. Their sacrifices provided the foundation for all the accomplishments that have followed. Peyton Lewis has told this story in a way that does justice to their memory, and I hope these dramatic scenes will stay with readers long after they close the covers of this book. Senator Lamar Alexander, Former Governor of Tennessee.
language: English
title: Perilous Journey: The Founding of Nashville, Tennessee 1780-81
titlecomplete: Perilous Journey: The Founding of Nashville, Tennessee 1780-81
genres: Nonfiction
ratings_count: 18
publisher: Channing Press