Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on
bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Portland: People, Politics, and Power, 1851-2001
by Jewel Lansing
One of the most detailed and definitive books on the full history of the city of Portland. The seedy undercurrents of early society in Portland are revealed, along with details of crime, corruption, prohibition, racism and commercial development.
Oregon Trail Stories: True Accounts of Life in a Covered Wagon
by David Klausmeyer
Read through the exhilarating narratives from real letters, diaries and more. These first-hand tales of death, love, adversity and exploration offer insight into the lives of the early Western Pioneers.
A River Lost: The Life and Death of the Columbia
by Blaine Harden
An insightful look into the many changes the Columbia River has undergone as a result of human exploitation. Harden weighs the pros and cons of river development and provides his unique perspectives, in addition to those of Native Americans, environmentalists, and individualist locals.
Up the Capitol Steps: A Woman's March to the Governorship
by Barbara Roberts
A personal and political memoir by one of the few women governors in the history of the United States, Up the Capitol Steps details the successes and the frustrations of a woman's life in politics. Roberts embroils herself in controversial policies and challenging elections on the road to Oregon governorship.
Astoria: John Jacob Astor and Thomas Jefferson's Lost Pacific Empire: A Story of Wealth, Ambition, and Survival
by Peter Stark
This thrilling and harrowing volume tells the story of the 1810 Astor Expedition, which followed in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark to establish the first settlement in the Pacific Northwest. John Jacob Astor and Thomas Jefferson dreamed of transforming the region into a world trading power. Instead, the cruelty of the wilderness and the clash of ambitions led to a grim failure that serves as a reminder of the frailty of the human body and will.
Portland: Yesterday & Today
by Ted Katauskas
Portland: Yesterday & Today features spectacular imagery and brings to life all the favorite destinations that make the city so unique. From the sprawling, verdant Forest Park to the towering U.S. Bancorp Tower (Big Pink), this book will give you a new appreciation for all that Portland has to offer.
Portland Then and Now
by Linda Dodds, Carolyn M. Buan
A spectacular book, captivating it's audience with historic, small town Portland images paired with the same scenes as they look today.
Sites include: New Market Theater, Blagen Block, Royal Palm Hotel, Grand Stable & Carriage Building, Pioneer Courthouse, First National Bank, City Hall, Berg Building, Portland Art Museum, Masonic Temple, Paramount Theatre, Union Station, Pittock Mansion, Bagdad Theater, Hollywood Theatre, St. John's Bridge, Swan Island.
Notable Women of Portland
by Tracy J. Prince and Zadie J. Schaffer
This book offers a radically different portrayal of the growth the city of Portland has experienced. Its focus is on the early female pioneers of the city and the many incredible and lasting impacts they had on the area.
A Chef's Bounty: Celebrating Oregon's Cuisine
by William King
A Chef's Bounty includes recipes from many of the most successful chefs in Oregon. It is a full-page, full-color book that features sustainable cooking and gives background insight into Oregon cuisine from all the unique regions of the state.
The Good Rain: Across Time & Terrain in the Pacific Northwest
by Timothy Egan
In this mesmerizing book, Egan retraces a journey made in 1853 by Theodore Winthrop, the author of the first national book about the Pacific Northwest. As he travels Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia by unconventional means, Egan reflects on Winthrop's predictions for the northwest, mourns the loss of so much natural beauty, and casts visions of the landscapes that have escaped the march of modern development. Winner of the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award.
Oregon's Promise: An Interpretive History
by David Peterson Del Mar
This detailed look into the history of Oregon offers jarring perspectives that clash with traditional stereotypes of the state and its residents. The author focuses on those that have been left out of the prosperous society that the pioneers originally looked to create and gives fresh insight into some historical assumptions that, upon further review, may not have been so true.
Building the Columbia River Highway: They Said It Couldn't Be Done
by Peg Willis
Peg Willis takes the reader on a journey along the Columbia River and explores the early beginnings of this highway that became known as a man-made miracle. Willis meets with two of the men responsible for the highway's creation and development, and explores the consequences (good and bad) of this architectural marvel.
