Book Review

A Walk toward Oregon: A Memoir. By Alvin M. Josephy, Jr. (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2000. x + 333 pp. Illustrations, index. $27.50, cloth; $17.95, paper.)

Alvin M. Josephy, an engaging storyteller, weaves a fascinating life story through the events of the twentieth century in a way that is both informative and entertaining.

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Born in 1915 in New York City, Josephy tells of growing up with his brother, Warren, in a family of educated adults that fostered reading, writing, hard work, and accomplishments. Josephy's father and mother encouraged the schooling of their children. Alvin Josephy's interest in writing first became evident when, at the age of 11, he wrote and produced a magazine for the family. Writing was a common thread through his high school years at Horace Mann School for Boys and Harvard University. In Josephy's telling of these experiences, two elements stand out: his love of writing in all forms—fiction and non-fiction—and confidence in his ability to tackle the most challenging of subjects. As a reporter for the New York Herald Tribune, a correspondent for the United States Marine Corps in the heat of combat on Iwo Jima and Guam, or as an accomplished writer of American and western history, Josephy writes with the assurance that he will understand the story to be told, successfully conduct the necessary research and interviews, and present to the general reading audiences an informative, well-drafted, and entertaining work.

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