About this title: A chronicle of the two-and-a-half year journey of Lewis and Clark covers their incredible hardships and the contributions of Sacajawea.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Edition: Reprint.
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, New York
Date Published: 1997
ISBN-13:9780684826974ISBN:0684826976
Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 521 p. Contains: Illustrations. Audience: General/trade. Beautiful near-mint condition. Very slight wear to corners. Two pen marks on the bottom of the book--they don't look like a standard remainder mark but they could be one. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Date Published: 1996
ISBN-13:9780684811079ISBN:0684811073
Description: Good in Good jacket. 55-V Ex-library. Books rated "Good" may have some notes, underlining, or highlighting. These books also may contain the previous owner's name, stamp, sticker, or gift inscription, or may be library discards. read more
Description: Acceptable. Former Library book. Shows definite wear, and perhaps considerable marking on inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Good. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Very Good. Great condition for a used book! Minimal wear. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Good. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Good. Light shelf wear and minimal interior marks. Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More. read more
Description: Good. Dust Cover Missing. Light shelf wear and minimal interior marks. Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More. read more
Description: Good. Purchasing this DVD supports the North Central Regional Library. Thriftbooks and NCRL have partnered to help raise additional funds for the library system. Library ID found on DVD and case. Ex-Library book-will contain library markings. Light shelf wear and minimal interior marks. Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More. read more
Edition: 1st
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Date Published: 1997-06-02
ISBN-13:9780684826974ISBN:0684826976
Description: Like New. May be shiny, in some instances dust jackets are not included, no missing pages, no damage to binding, may have a remainder mark. read more
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, New York
Date Published: 1997
ISBN-13:9780684826974ISBN:0684826976
Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 521 p. Contains: Illustrations. Audience: General/trade. read more
"Concerning the story: it is compelling, all I have ever knew about Lewis and Clark is that Sacajawea was with them (probably as a result of the feminization of history) and they walked alot. Clark had a negro slave who carried his pack the whole time. They hated some Indians, loved others and thought that they could buy their way across the continent with blue beads. Incredible.
Ambrose is a brilliant historian. I remember reading a while ago that he was accused of plagarizing and so I had a sour taste in my mouth. But who cares...
I was fascinated by the story and the unopinionated narrative of Ambrose. He tells the facts as they are currently known, lets the reader know where there are holes and offers up his opinion only after warning the reader of taking such liberties.
...if I was writing my dissertation and needed reliable sources maybe I would care that he stole some of the context, but Im not and he presently the drama well."
"This was definitely "my kind of book." It's the story of the Lewis and Clark expedition of exploration, 1803-1806. More specifically, it's the story of the life of Meriwether Lewis as the leader of that expedition. We learn about Lewis' early life and experiences in Virginia that prepared him for the great expedition. The author does a wonderful job of setting the stage, and then walking us through the entire dramatic trip and its aftermath.
The vision for the expedition came from President Thomas Jefferson, who despite opposition completed the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and then wanted someone to explore his new acquisition. He had become acquainted with Lewis in Virginia, and chose him to lead the expedition. Lewis chose William Clark as co-leader, and together they organized and led the "Corps of Discovery," a party of 33 including the Indian guide/translator Sacagawea.
The mission of the group was to try to discover a water route across the US, by following up to the headwaters of the Missouri River and thence connecting to the Columbia River, whose mouth on the west coast was known. It was a massive undertaking; not only the physical demands of the journey, but the dangers of the natives, wild animals, physical obstacles, and who knew what other unknowns through that vast unexplored territory. The story of the adventures of the expedition was absolutely fascinating to me. The author draws heavily on the journals of expedition participants and other historical evidences, and includes many first-hand passages to give us a feel for the individuals.
One of the things that fascinated me was the great experience of discovery - not just geographic, but biological as well. Lewis was a gifted observer, and in a setting like this, found so much to observe. I was stunned to realize that the expedition was responsible for the discovery of 178 new plants and 122 species and subspecies of animals - such as the prairie dog, grizzly bear, mule dear, pronghorn (antelope), magpie, Clark's nutcracker, Lewis's woodpecker, trumpeter swan, western rattlesnake, cutthroat trout, etc. Hard to believe all those animals had never been seen by "white men" before this expedition!
All in all, a delightful read for anyone interested in history and adventure, the outdoors and the sense of discovery."
"Very good story about Lewis and the 1804-1806 western expedition, great story writing. I loved learning the history. Especially when you consider that Joseph Smith was born at this time period. This opening up of the west helped the Saints when they went west 40 years later. By the way, in school I remember learning that Sacagawea was THE guide and integral translator for the expedition. Not so, she was one of many hired as a translator and guide for the corps. She didn't play much of a part at all, only translating for one of the many Indian tribes they met along the way. I was kind of disappointed learning that her story was more folklore and glamour than truth. I also enjoyed learning about President Thomas Jefferson, his part in the expedition, his close friendship with Lewis and the Louisiana purchase.
The end of the book was very sad to me. Here was a great hero, who survived the trek miraculously, only to fall into depression and ultimately commit suicide within 3 years of returning home. How does one go from such greatness and accomplishment into despair and disappointment?"
"This biography of Meriwether Lewis must have been a daunting task and Stephen Ambrose was certainly up to it.
The sections of the book covering the Lewis and Clark Expedition are as well written as anything Ambrose has done. I felt like I was there with the "Corps of Discovery", as they were named, seeing the incredible plains and mountains of the unexplored American West for the first time.
I am familiar with some of the country and have actually stood at Three Forks in Montana where the Missouri River is first formed and I can only imagine what it must have felt like and looked like for the explorers.
The book is, of course, not only a biography of Meriwether Lewis but also a view into the thinking and attitudes of Thomas Jefferson, in particular, and other luminaries of the time vis a vis the West, American Indians, the future of the U.S. and its eventual spread from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
The story of Lewis' life is a glorious and sad chronicle as we share both his triumphs and his disappointments. The last chapter of the book, titled "Aftermath" is as beautifully written a eulogy as I have ever read. Ambrose must have taken Meriwether Lewis into his heart and shared that love with the rest of us. As he pointed out in his Introduction, he and his family fell in love with the country Lewis and Clark explored which helped provide him with the motivation to write Lewis' story. This fascination and familiarity with the geography of the plains and the mountains is obvious as Ambrose describes the land the explorers traveled through.
Some may find the detail Ambrose provides boring or unnecessary but I found that it enhanced my sense of immediacy and identification with people who had endured what they went through 200 years ago.
"Undaunted Courage" is a great bit of historiography and a great bit of writing also."
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