The Great Trek

I like Zane Grey's writing and I enjoyed reading his descriptions of Australia and it's natural wonders. I got fed up with the relationship nonsense between Sterl and Jess and Red and Beryl.

I first read this book in its shortened or condensed version quite a few years back. As "The Wilderness Trek" it was a good read as I recall but considerably shorter and less fulfilling than this more modern version. I use the term "modern" loosely because it obviously is NOT a modern story....but rather a modern re-make of the earlier version, a complete and detailed accounting of the story. This version titled "The Great Trek" is part and parcel above the originally published story. I have read several explanations of why this larger uncut version was not originally published, but it doesn't really matter. What is important is that the complete story has now been told for all to read and enjoy.When you first start into the book, you wonder how a story about a trek across the wilderness outback of Australia could command enough attention to keep a reader satisfied over the length of time necessary to complete it. I am not certain how it was accomplished, even after reading it through over two long days. I would say that it is not typical Zane Grey prose, but nevertheless it is a Zane Grey story. Filled with life and purpose and descriptive narrative and situational drama. It makes you wonder how anyone could survive a trip of that magnitude spread over two years of time. I guess folks would have had to have been a much tougher breed.The one thing I would have liked to have more of is character development of the main protagonists before they arrived in Australia. A better understanding of who they were and what drove them would have made them easier to understand, at least for me.In any event, I loved the story and the way ZG developed it. The characters were vibrant and made sense from a geographical viewpoint. The land was well described and you could imagine being there, exploring and persevering and at times holding your breath while the battle between good and evil, and perhaps more poignantly between nature and interloper, raged through the pages of this story.It makes me want to reach back and read more Zane Grey......Maybe I will.Four stars....and well worth the time.!!

I purchased the amazon kindle book "THE GREAT TREK" as an extra book to prevent running out of reading material between books. For some reason I run it up on the screen and after that I had a hard time setting it down. Again thank you amazon for steering me in the right way once more. THE GREAT TREK is a story of two cowboys that went to Australia looking for work as a cowboy. After a couple of ship and boat rides and traveling two and a half days, traveling by horse and wagon they got a job with a very large ranch that was under taking a job of herding a couple of thousand cows and several horses across Australia. Traveling across Australia sea shore to sea shore had never been done before with or without cattle, The Trek ( their name for the trip) was guessed to take one year. The American cowboys were welcomed with open arms and they were given good jobs and good pay. The guide stumbled around the out back for a very long time. After being on the trail and crossing several rivers, swamps and mountains the guide finally admitted he didn't know the way as the American cowboys had thought from the beginning, At this point in time the Trek split up, half turning back or try going back, They had no idea where they were, they were just going to try and get back. The group split percentage way and cut out. The group the stayed and that including the cowboys from America tried going as the Americans had thought was the right way. They had a small fore arms fight the Native Blacks, crossed several more rivers, swamps and cut their way through wooded areas they found a nice place to camp for several months, however their supplies was running out of supplies. Did they make it? How about the ones that turned back? I guess you will have to go to amazon and get a book. I will promise you will be happy with the book and if you are like me, it will be hard to set it down There were so many things going on and so much to learn from this book, I just can't tell you. I kept the calendar out of this review because of the time spent on the trail (the trail they made).Col. DeVere Woods Ret.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. So different geographically from his western books, still full of intrigue, violence, and romance. After 2+ years on the trek, surely the heroes’ boots must have been worn to tatters!

A splendid epic tale from the past, of a marathon cattle drive in northern Australia lasting two and a half years. The characters (individuals) in it are very clearly larger than life; descriptions of the country and its wildlife are spellbinding and accounts of the hardships and trials of the drovers are portrayed in brutal detail. Zane Grey is a master of the English language and although the book (at about 480 pages) is lengthy, he carried me with him all the way to the end.A dated yet timeless story providing a most enjoyable read.Comment on Amazon's editing and presentation ... "Could have done better."

Ain't read it yet

Cowboys,steers,redskins-Drovers,Cattle,Aborigines.The words may change from one Continent to another.Two put two cowboys in a trail drive taking over two years,through the hardships of floods,droughts,deserts,stampede,attack by cannibals,treachery,murders,starvation in a country thousands of miles from home gives us this masterpiece of a cowboy tale.Great Read.!

I've read many Zane Grey books in the past and thoroughly enjoyed the fast paced action. This book is totally different in that the action is well spaced. The majority of the book is taken up with describing the surroundings including animals and fauna. It is a great story and one that is well told. I think it is a little long winded. Every story needs a happy ending and this is no different. It is a good read but don't expect to get through it quickly.

Great sweeping saga. A thumping good read with a 'good feeling' end.This is what literary escapism is.