--- product_id: 5511215 title: "The American Experience: The Donner Party" price: "₪68" currency: ILS in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.co.il/products/5511215-the-american-experience-the-donner-party store_origin: IL region: Israel --- # The American Experience: The Donner Party **Price:** ₪68 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The American Experience: The Donner Party - **How much does it cost?** ₪68 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.il](https://www.desertcart.co.il/products/5511215-the-american-experience-the-donner-party) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Trapped in the Sierra Nevadas during the bitter winter of 1846, nearly 90 members of the Donner and Reed families longed for California's "Promised Land." But an untried shortcut became a death warrant for half of them-victims of madness, death, and cannibalism. The program re-creates the Donner Party's journey from family journals, newspaper accounts, and interviews with historians and descendants. Review: GREAT documentary - This is one of the best American Experience documentaries the series put out. Gripping story, well narrated, extensively researched. It's actually the third copy I've owned. I was an American History teacher and showed it every December to my students. My first copy sprouted legs and disappeared one year. You gotta figure a documentary is GOOD if a student is going to up and lift it from the classroom. The second copy was lent to in-laws who live near Donner Lake and they took so long to give it back (and talked about how often they watched it with visitors) that I just stopped asking for it. And now finally this last copy is going to be marked with my name in Sharpie, never to leave the living room. Great entertainment AND mind candy, all wrapped up into one--you can't go wrong. Review: Best documentary on the story - I've owned this DVD for many years - but I'll join the other reviews singing their praises on this documentary. It's the most complete presentation of the story, and one really gets to know the people and what happened - and why. It's not presented as a gothic thrill story but as a deep tragedy about human prowess and human frailty. The expertly produced film (with the usual great narration by David McCullough) also includes great music, including the perfectly used Dark Spanish Symphony by Angelo Badalamenti. One of the best documentaries ever - at the end, with Badalamenti's music, I'm just sobbing... As a sidebar, I always preferred Ric's documentaries to Ken's, the Civil War perhaps being an exception... ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Contributor | Amy Madigan, David McCullough, Donal McCann, Eli Wallach, Frances Sternhagen, Gene Jones, George Plimpton, J.D. Cannon, Lois Smith, Paul Roebling, Ric Burns, Timothy Hutton Contributor Amy Madigan, David McCullough, Donal McCann, Eli Wallach, Frances Sternhagen, Gene Jones, George Plimpton, J.D. Cannon, Lois Smith, Paul Roebling, Ric Burns, Timothy Hutton See more | | Customer Reviews | 4.3 out of 5 stars 287 Reviews | | Format | Closed-captioned, Color, Full Screen, Multiple Formats, NTSC | | Genre | Special Interests | | Language | English | | Number Of Discs | 1 | ## Images ![The American Experience: The Donner Party - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51yWnhcMFRL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ GREAT documentary *by A***E on June 17, 2021* This is one of the best American Experience documentaries the series put out. Gripping story, well narrated, extensively researched. It's actually the third copy I've owned. I was an American History teacher and showed it every December to my students. My first copy sprouted legs and disappeared one year. You gotta figure a documentary is GOOD if a student is going to up and lift it from the classroom. The second copy was lent to in-laws who live near Donner Lake and they took so long to give it back (and talked about how often they watched it with visitors) that I just stopped asking for it. And now finally this last copy is going to be marked with my name in Sharpie, never to leave the living room. Great entertainment AND mind candy, all wrapped up into one--you can't go wrong. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Best documentary on the story *by L***0 on July 24, 2020* I've owned this DVD for many years - but I'll join the other reviews singing their praises on this documentary. It's the most complete presentation of the story, and one really gets to know the people and what happened - and why. It's not presented as a gothic thrill story but as a deep tragedy about human prowess and human frailty. The expertly produced film (with the usual great narration by David McCullough) also includes great music, including the perfectly used Dark Spanish Symphony by Angelo Badalamenti. One of the best documentaries ever - at the end, with Badalamenti's music, I'm just sobbing... As a sidebar, I always preferred Ric's documentaries to Ken's, the Civil War perhaps being an exception... ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Don't never take no cut offs, and hurry along as fast as you can... *by G***E on October 2, 2020* This is probably the most accurate and compelling account of the Donner Party and the scenery is incredible and the music is by Angelo Badalamenti who often works with David Lynch. he really captures both the amazement at the wide open spaces and the undercurrent of uneasiness. It's probably one of the most dramatic stories ever, how these people set out to literally, walk to California, their trials and misfortunes. Today, many streets in San Francisco are named after members of this party. Donner Lake is now a popular ski resort. Back then, there was no path and they were misled by a con man into taking a "shortcut" and losing their battle with the forests of the Wasatch and most of their cattle and wagons trying to cross the Great Salt Lake (in two days as this man had promised). The snows came early that year, 1846, and they could not get over the pass in the Sierras in time to avoid the terrible blizzards and even by that time they were down to their last sustenance. Some were bad, some were good, some made it and some didn't. It really brought out the best and the worst in everyone. really worth watching -- one of my favorite PBS American Experiences. I should add I have actually been to the museum where the diaries are kept along with other old California historical items, and yes, they are real. Very moving. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.il/products/5511215-the-american-experience-the-donner-party](https://www.desertcart.co.il/products/5511215-the-american-experience-the-donner-party) --- *Product available on Desertcart Israel* *Store origin: IL* *Last updated: 2026-06-04*