Undaunted Courage

Undaunted Courage
Average customer rating:

Corps of Discovery - a truely American Story

A courageous book!

excellent

a compelling narrative of a courageous American's contribution

A little up-and-down in its narrative

Undaunted Courage
Stephen E. Ambrose
Manufacturer: Pocket Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | 19th Century | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
General | Geography | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
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The Journals of Lewis and Clark (Lewis & Clark Expedition)

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ASIN: 074347788X

Amazon.com

A biography of Meriwether Lewis that relies heavily on the journals of both Lewis and Clark, this book is also backed up by the author's personal travels along Lewis and Clark's route to the Pacific. Ambrose is not content to simply chronicle the events of the "Corps of Discovery" as the explorers called their ventures. He often pauses to assess the military leadership of Lewis and Clark, how they negotiated with various native peoples and what they reported to Jefferson. Though the expedition failed to find Jefferson's hoped for water route to the Pacific, it fired interest among fur traders and other Americans, changing the face of the West forever.

Book Description

In this sweeping adventure story, Stephen E. Ambrose, the bestselling author od D-Day, presents the definitive account of one of the most momentous journeys in American history. Ambrose follows the Lewis and Clark Expedition from Thomas Jefferson's hope of finding a waterway to the Pacific, through the heart-stopping moments of the actual trip, to Lewis's lonely demise on the Natchez Trace. Along the way, Ambrose shows us the American West as Lewis saw it -- wild, awsome, and pristinely beautiful. Undaunted Courage is a stunningly told action tale that will delight readers for generations.

Customer Reviews:

Corps of Discovery - a truely American Story.......2007-09-10

In this day of relentless boredom for most people, this book provides a venue for the imagination to travel in time that has almost been forgotten. The details of what went on before and after the "Corps of Discovery" allow the reader to understand more than the trip itself. This view from the balcony allows the reader to have closure on the leaders, members of the crew, and the adventure. If you are thinking of trying a new direction in life, read this book to see what others have gone through to explore a new frontier. You will find that the trials, discovery of wonders, and strengthening of your character can be very rewarding.

A courageous book!.......2007-07-03

Undaunted Courage is a comprehensive account of the Lewis and Clark expedition that was exhaustively researched and written by Stephen Ambrose. It will take time to read but you won't be disappointed. There are interesting stories and facts all along the way and it will give you a good slice of Amrerican History from that period.

excellent.......2007-06-24

This book is primarily about Meriwether Lewis and his role in the
expedition across the continent. Stephen Ambrose is phenomenally gifted in bringing history to life.
He sticks very close to the sources and only occasionally takes detours to make conjectures
about things about which the historical record is silent. Despite this the
book is a real page-turner. While Ambrose does an excellent job in describing the ups and downs
of the expedition, I do think that it is a very worthwhile reading the original journals.
I have only read excerpts, however, I believe they surpass even this book. Also, the recent PBS documentary
shows many of the locations described in this book. It is well narrated definitely worth seeing.

a compelling narrative of a courageous American's contribution.......2007-06-21

Many know the overall story of Lewis and Clark. Yes, those two strapping chaps who traversed across our country with that teenage Indian girl before anyone else did. Indeed, before reading Stephen Ambrose's near 600-page book "Undaunted Courage" I doubted how much truly "interesting" detail could exist in their journey. After seeing a few History Channel specials, I was convinced I knew the gist of their journey more than most, and felt that was probably sufficient. What else was there to really consider? As it is with most detailed historical nonfiction I read, I was surprised instantly. Not only did this book provide an intense examination of exploration in early 19th century America, but it is, in general, the most intriguing, intense, suspenseful, joyous, depressing, and inspiring book I've read in a long time. How Ambrose is able to exude such a variety of emotions in his writing I hope to one day discover. How Lewis was able lead people and conquer unknowns so successfully while fading so tragically I doubt I will ever be able to comprehend.

The book's title comes from a characteristic given to Meriwether Lewis both during childhood by a schoolmate, and, after his death, by Thomas Jefferson. It may seem strange that two friends of Lewis so separated from each other at such separate times in Lewis' life would choose the words "undaunted courage" to describe him, but if one is to simply observe the broadest aspects of Lewis' personality, such a description would only be expected. Indeed, the book is more of a biography of Lewis' life and his "undaunted courage" than a historical account of the journey itself. Certainly Ambrose dives into great detail of the journey, but it is always done through Lewis' eyes. The book begins with Lewis' childhood and ends with his death, giving the legendary expedition only about 3/5 of the book's content. This is not a downside by any means.

Ambrose's detailed description of Lewis' childhood, family, education, connection to Jefferson, and military history is not only valuable in understanding Lewis' complex personality, but is beneficial in understanding how Lewis was able to manage the expedition so well. From the very beginning there is a sense, as Ambrose hints at, that Lewis' upbringing prepared him for the unknown journey ahead better than anyone could've planned. The implicit vocational thoughts that come to mind are intriguing to say the least. Ambrose's pre-expedition account doesn't stop with Lewis biographical detail and, alongside his outline of Lewis' evolution from boy to man, he examines the economic and political aspects building up to the expedition from America's infancy to its firmer nationalism. This sort of context is not only helpful, but is essential for understanding the fair-weather friendship between the American people and the expedition before, during, and after the expedition. Details given, like Lewis' firm Democratic-Republican politics, may not appear a necessary issue in understanding the men as they pursue the landscape on the expedition, but in the pre- and post-expedition situations there is high relevance to Lewis' political relations with Jefferson as well as the influential Federalist voices at the time.

After outlining the events leading up to the expedition, Ambrose dives into the detailed planning Lewis put into the journey, his uniting with Clark on the Missouri River, and their party's expedition to and from the Pacific. Ambrose's narrative abilities had, up to this point, done well enough with the biographical and political context, but now, along with the heavy use of Lewis' highly narrative journals, they completely satisfied my reading wants. With the amount of Lewis' journals used in the narrative of the journey, one could even see the book as being written by both Ambrose and Lewis. Given that Lewis may be an even better narrative writer than Ambrose, the book is enhanced to the highest level of narrative historical nonfiction one could ask for. Accounts are always detail-abundant, and mostly firsthand in their variety of descriptions: relations with Indians both peaceful and bloody; songs sung and issues chatted around the bonfire; unique imagery of the plains, Rockies, and Pacific costal forests; hunting expeditions chasing and being chased by grizzlies; feasting on elk and buffalo; starving and scraping by on horse meat and roots; arguments turned to whipping and tribunals. Nearly every aspect one could want in an adventure is given with enough narrative vigor to turn its historical detail to an inspirational asset. Ambrose covers all sides of every account he is able to attain and after it all I felt as though I knew not only Lewis, but Clark and the rest of the party's members. I knew who was a good hunter and who wasn't. Who complained and who was helpful. Who Lewis liked and who he didn't care for. These are the types of details that make you feel a part of something (and to feel a part of the Core of Discovery is no boring trip).

After experiencing both the emotional peaks of success and the devastating disasters, I felt as though I didn't want the trip to simply return and have the book end. Perhaps Ambrose understands his ability to foster intrigue, because most of the detail he delves into post-expedition would probably feel unnecessary and boring without the companionship and connection to Lewis that is developed in the book. While the last leg of Lewis' life as a politician and national hero is probably the most emotional and depressing of the book, this section would not seem so intense and personal without understanding Lewis' somewhat supernatural vitality and leadership skills exhibited up until his return. Therefore, Ambrose wraps the book up in a successful manner I would think impossible, given the complexity of Lewis as a person. I felt as though every aspect one could inquire of Lewis was covered with such comprehensiveness and wrapped up with such clarity that even the most emotionally disappointing instances were covered in full by the artistic and historical impression Ambrose impressed. The reality of it all felt more inspiring than anything.

The book is quite long and took me a considerable amount of time to "plow through", but it never felt tiresome given Ambrose's ability to convey a wealth of information in a way that is concise with its detail and both paced and climactic. I recommend this book for any American whether or not you are interested in history. It reads better than any modern fictional novel would, but it is valuable in the way it describes the type of courage and determination that this country was built on and the fact that that brand of courage was not just some author's fabrication. It is by the daring and courageous efforts of men like Lewis and Clark that we are allowed to enjoy a country not only free from countries like Britain, Spain, and France, but one that ranges from coast to coast and from sea to shining sea.

A little up-and-down in its narrative.......2007-06-05

I have two favorite historians: David McCullough and Stephen Ambrose. When trying to describe their differences to my husband, I told him that David Ambrose is a tweed jacket with patches, a snifter of brandy and a roaring fireplace. Ambrose is a shot of whisky, jeans and flannel and an audience around a campfire. I appreciate Ambrose's style, for the most part, and knowing that he actually retraced most of the voyage in doing his research leaves me in awe of him. But the nature of this narrative is rather up-and-down, particularly working up to the party setting off from St. Louis. I recognize that the pre-journey preparations were important to telling the tale, but I got the idea that he was rather bored with it, and as a result the details weren't too compelling. I had to keep setting the book aside and coming back to it. But once he got to the story of the exploration itself, the momentum picks up, and so does his writing style. I appreciated his use of the actually writings of the Captains, but there were a few places where their entries were used too frequently in place of him conveying their story in a possibly more riveting style. But over all it was a well-written book, and I would recommend it to anyone that I already knew was interested in the Lewis and Clark expedition.

How We Crossed The West: The Adventures Of Lewis And Clark

Average customer rating:

A Great American Tale
Lovely Illustrations
Superbly presented in an exciting picturebook format
"Primary Source" of Information
Outstanding Children's Book!

How We Crossed The West: The Adventures Of Lewis And Clark
Rosalyn Schanzer
Manufacturer: National Geographic Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Exploration & Discovery | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0792267265
Release Date: 2002-03-01

Book Description

Venture through the unknown lands beyond the Mississippi with Lewis and Clark, their crew of army men, the slave York, the young Shoshone guide Sacagawea, and a dog named Seaman. See the party brave all kinds of hair-raising obstacles in its search for a water route to the Pacific Ocean. Rosalyn Schanzer's marvelously detailed and engaging illustrations work beautifully with excerpts from Clark's journal and other primary resources to re-create one of America's greatest adventures. From hostile terrain to helpful Indians, from boating disaster to grizzly bear encounter, the people, places, and events of this amazing expedition come to life on every page of this outstanding picture book.

Customer Reviews:

A Great American Tale.......2004-05-09

The adventure and thrill of the Lewis & Clark Expedition is brought to life here in a story that both children and adults could appreciate. In beautiful and carefully rendered folk-style illustrations, and with descriptive text from the actual journals of the participants, the book has the appearance of something that almost could have been written in the early 1800's, when the expedition occurred. Rosalyn Schanzer's personal interest in the subject, especially the journals and the Indian tribes, seems to bring out the best in the storytelling, which primarily illustrates the first 1 1/2 years of the Corps of Discovery's journey to the Pacific Ocean. The story is accessible and easily understood, yet the attention to detail should satisfy those trying to learn, and even researchers in this important chapter in early American History.

Lovely Illustrations.......2003-01-20

A very good book about the Lewis & Clark expedition. The illustrations were vivid and the best part of the book. I would recommend this book

Superbly presented in an exciting picturebook format.......2002-05-17

Set in 1804, How We Crossed The West by Rosalyn Schanzer is the true story of the incredibly adventurous Lewis & Clark expedition exploring westward from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean (May 1804 to November 1805). Superbly presented in an exciting picturebook format for young readers, the "reader friendly" text is taken from the original journals of the explorers themselves, though slightly edited for clarity. The wealth of illustrations are warm, colorful acrylic/colored pencil designs that bring a great journey through early America vividly to life. As educational as it is entertaining, How We Crossed The West is a superbly presented history and very highly recommended for school and community library collections.

"Primary Source" of Information.......2002-04-02

This book is an excellent example of a primary source of information. I originally bought the book because I believed it would be a good resource for teaching about the Lewis and Clark Expedition, but after I got it and realized the text was created from journal entries made by Lewis, Clark and others, I was truly excited to be teaching from this book. There is just enough text per page so as not to be overwhelming to elementary students and the illustrations are gorgeous.

Outstanding Children's Book!.......2000-05-12

My son (4th grade)recently did a report on William Clark. He used several resources but kept coming back to this one. The day after he completed his project I sat down to read the book myself - what a treat! I think the information is so interesting - much of it taken from the actual journals of Lewis, Clark and the Corp of Explorers! The illustrations are a great compliment to the story being retold! Because the copy he was using was from the public library I am ordering one for us to keep. I look forward to finding more books by Schanzer - I hope all of her books are as well written and illustrated!

Average customer rating:

A quiet masterpiece about deserts

The Void,Grid & Sign
William L Fox
Manufacturer: University of Utah Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Memoirs | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Human Geography | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

The Black Rock Desert (Desert Places)
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The Sagebrush Ocean: A Natural History of the Great Basin (Max C. Fleischmann Series in Great Basin Natural History.)
Home Ground: Language for an American Landscape

ASIN: 0874806496

Book Description

At last, the ultimate travel book, a journey not only through the stunning Great Basin but also through our own minds wherein land becomes landscape by means of art, architecture and narrative.

This is a story that few know, but those who do are its disciples.

The story, of the highest and driest of all American deserts, the Great Basin, has no finer voice than that of William Fox. In a book that has become a classic of contemporary desert literature, Fox navigates us through a landscape so alien it has much to tell us about who we are. Fox's book is divided into the three sections of the title. In "The Void," he leads us through the Great Basin landscape, investigating our visual response to it—a pattern of mountains and valleys on a scale of such magnitude and emptiness and undifferentiated by shape, form, and color that the visual and cognitive expectations of the human mind are confounded and impaired. "The Grid" leads us on a journey through the evolution of cartography in the nineteenth century and the explorations of John Charles Frémont to the net of maps, section markers, railroads, telegraph lines, and highways that humans have thrown across the void throughout history. "The Sign" wends us through the metaphors and language we continue to place around and over the void, revealing the Great Basin as a vast palimpsest where, for example, the neon boulevards of Las Vegas interplay with ancient petroglyphs.

In this one-of-a-kind travel book that allows us to travel within our own neurophysiological processes as well as out into the arresting void of the Great Basin, Fox has created a dazzling new standard at the frontier of writing about the American West. His stunning and broad insight draws from the fields of natural history, cognitive psychology, art history, western history, archaeology, and anthropology, and will be of value to scholars and readers in all these subjects.

Customer Reviews:

A quiet masterpiece about deserts.......2000-10-19

In this book William Fox writes about maps, the Great Basin desert, Native American Rock Art, ecology, ranchers, the many dimensions of water in the desert, Michael Heizer's landscape projects and history. The book is unique for the tone he strikes and the desert that he writes about. This is a detailed and articulate book that never bogs down.

Book Description

Innocence Abroad explores the process of encounter that took place between the Netherlands and the New World in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The "discovery" of America coincided with the foundation of the Dutch Republic, a correspondence of much significance for the Netherlands. From the opening of their Revolt against Hapsburg Spain through the climax of their Golden Age, the Dutch looked to America--in political pamphlets and patriotic histories, epic poetry and allegorical prints, landscape painting and decorative maps--for a means of articulating a new national identity. This book demonstrates how the image of America fashioned by the Dutch, and especially the twin topoi of "innocence" and "tyranny," became integrally associated with evolving political, moral and economic agenda. It investigates the energetic Dutch response to the New World while examining, more generally, the operation of geographic discourse and colonial ideology within the Dutch Golden Age.

An Alien in Antarctica: Reflections upon Forty Years of Exploration and Research on the Frozen Continent

Average customer rating:

A very fine book
A very fine book

An Alien in Antarctica: Reflections upon Forty Years of Exploration and Research on the Frozen Continent
Charles Swithinbank
Manufacturer: McDonald and Woodward Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Switzerland | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

Western | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Polar Regions | Winter Sports | Sports | Subjects | Books

Book Description

An Alien in Antarctica is an eminant polar scientist's account of six expeditions to the "frozen continent" while working with the US Antarctic Program. The book combines first-person narrative and outstanding photography to record the events, the feelings, the results, and the memories of conducting research in one of Earth's most remote and hostile environments. This book is not just about science, but about adventures in the pursuit of science.

Customer Reviews:

A very fine book.......1999-05-15

For any one who loves Antarctica andice, this is a wonderful book, written by one of the world's foremostglaciologists.

A very fine book.......1999-05-15

For any one who loves Antarctica andice, this is a wonderful book, written by one of the world's foremostglaciologists.

National Geographic Guide to the Lewis & Clark Trail

Average customer rating:

Best Trip Companion
Lewis and Clark, where to go
Great companion to "Along the Trail with Lewis and Clark"

National Geographic Guide to the Lewis & Clark Trail
Thomas Schmidt
Manufacturer: National Geographic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

North America | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books

Traveling the Lewis and Clark Trail, 3rd (Historic Trail Guide Series)
The Journals of Lewis and Clark (Lewis & Clark Expedition)
Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West
Lewis & Clark: Voyage of Discovery
National Geographic - Lewis & Clark - Great Journey West

ASIN: 0792264711
Release Date: 2002-03-01

Book Description

In 1804-1806 Lewis and Clark made the most important and widely known expedition in American history. Now their journey is recreated is recreated in the bicentennial edition of the best-selling National Geographic Guide to the Lewis & Clark Trail. Along with major television and film events, this book will feature prominently in National Geographic's upcoming celebration of the expedition's anniversary. This is the only full-color guide to Lewis and Clark's America, and its lavishly illustrated photographs and maps are evocative of the landscapes, animals, and native people of an unspoiled America. Distinctive among guides, this book is organized practically for easy trip planning and details essential visitor information along with suggestions for excursions by foot, boat, and country road to help travelers capture the sense and spirit of the pioneers.

Author Thomas Schmidt vividly describes Native American cultures and natural histories of the bioregions Lewis and Clark encountered, contrasting their past and present conditions. He puts the entire route into a compelling historical context, complete with biographical sketches of the legendary explorers, sidebars on everything from planning to weaponry, and treasured diary excerpts. No other guide so expertly brings to life the events, places, and people of Lewis and Clark's extraordinary and unforgettable odyssey.

Customer Reviews:

Best Trip Companion.......2006-11-12

On a Trip to Retrace Lewis & Clark's Route from Great Falls MO.to Clarkston WA. this Book was a valuable Trip Companion. It guided beautifully, helped to find important Places and explained them in detail once there.Glad we bought this Book before starting our Trip

Lewis and Clark, where to go.......2006-11-11

For anyone wishing to visit historic locations along the trail of Lewis and Clark's expedition, this is the best summary you can find. Tom Schmidt does an excellent job of collecting information from the Lewis and Clark Journals and relating this all to the sites we can all visit along the trail.

Great companion to "Along the Trail with Lewis and Clark".......1998-10-09

Done in great National Geo style, with stunning photos, this is a great "pocket" guide to the Lewis and Clark Trail. However, with it's lack of maps, it needs to be used in concert with larger, more detailed guides, such as "Along the Trail with Lewis and Clark" by Barbara Fifer, et al. If you are among the many contemplating hitting the Trail, this book will come in handy.

Shining Mountains, Western Sea: The Epic Adventures of Two Unforgettable Members of Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery

Average customer rating:

Very good novel from an uncommon perspective
Shining Mountains, Western Sea
CAPTIVATING! A REAL PAGE-TURNER!

Shining Mountains, Western Sea: The Epic Adventures of Two Unforgettable Members of Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery
Margaret Wyman
Manufacturer: Idyllwild Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1931857016

Book Description

In "Shining Mountains, Western Sea," Margaret Wyman tells the story of two members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition who are thrust together against their wills. John Colter is an experienced trapper and woodsman, assigned by Captain Meriwether Lewis to mentor George Shannon, the youngest, least-seasoned member of the crew. Neither man likes the arrangement, but they put up with each other to face raging rivers, hostile sergeants, unpredictable natives, starvation, thirst, extremes of weather, and injury. Eventually enmity turns to friendship as they discover a new country, new loves and themselves.

With few exceptions, all the books and articles about the Expedition focus on the two captains. But what about the crew? Their experience as privates would have been much different from that of the two leaders. What caused these men to join up? What did they figure to gain? How did the experiences of the Expedition affect them? What were their thoughts and feelings while starving, or freezing, or stuck on the damp, drizzly Pacific Coast? Who were their pals, their enemies among the rest of the crew?

In unexplored territory, completely on their own devices for survival, what the 33 members of the crew accomplished was a feat more dramatic than landing a man on the moon.

Customer Reviews:

Very good novel from an uncommon perspective.......2006-04-27

This novel tells the story of the expedition of Lewis and Clark across early 1800s America, but not from the usual perspective. It doesn't use the point of view of Lewis or Clark, but those of John Colter and George Shannon, two Privates on the expedition.

Colter is an experienced mountain man and hunter, and Shannon is an inexperienced graduate of West Point, who tries, unsuccessfully, to get promoted to Lieutenant. The two Privates have an on and off relationship, ranging from tolerating each other to, figuratively, wanting to kill each other. They also have reasons for wanting to be away for a long time.

The expedition is one day after another of very hard work, rowing or pulling their boat upriver, hauling supplies down the side of a waterfall, or walking for days without seeing another person. Shannon's paralyzing fear of deep water is no help. Colter seriously considers abandoning the expedition, and joining a much more lucrative one, but his conscience gets in the way (he made an oath to the expedition). Also holding him back is another member of the expedition, Sergeant Ordway, who seems to have made it his personal mission to make Colter's life a living hell.

Some of the Native American tribes encountered along the way, who Colter would rather avoid at all costs, are decent and reasonable, while others are simply bloodthirsty thieves. Among the former are the Mandans, near whom the expedition makes camp for the winter. It seems to be almost a point of honor among the Mandans for their women to be intimate with the "paleskins" (the men of the expedition are happy to oblige). Against his better judgement, Colter meets, and falls very hard for, a recently widowed woman named Fragrant Grass.

Every waking moment of Colter's life, after the expedition continues on its way, is filled with thoughts of Fragrant Grass. Several chances to desert present themselves, but Colter's conscience again gets in the way, along with Sergeant Ordway. They reach the Pacific Coast, spend a miserable winter there, and Colter gets back to Fragrant Grass, only to discover that she is no longer "available."

This is a fine piece of writing. The author does a good job with the characters, and with showing a famous bit of American history from an uncommon perspective. My only criticism about this book is that the length could have been reduced by at least a few pages. I understand what the author was trying to do, and this is the sort of story that takes a long time to tell, but, personally, this book did not have to be 671 pages long. Don't let that get in the way of reading a really interesting story.

Shining Mountains, Western Sea.......2003-02-03

Immediately after finishing Margaret Wymans book, Mission, I eagerly picked up Shining Mountains, Western Sea. To my delight, it was everything I had inticipated, and more. This passionate account of Lewis and Clark's expedition, is impossible to put down. Wyman's character development is exceptional. This historic crew came alive for me as I followed their labor-intensive adventures from Missouri to the Pacific Ocean. Throughout the book, the emotional account of their tragedies and triumphs literally kept me awake and turning pages, long after my bedtime. I am anxious for Wyman to complete another book. Judging by her first two novels, I'm a fan hooked for life!

CAPTIVATING! A REAL PAGE-TURNER!.......2002-11-28

After non-stop reading Wyman's "Mission", I needed to check out her other book. WOW! This lady can weave a web of suspense, intrigue and personal connection! You will be so curious about the amazing personalities of the story, don't plan on going to sleep too early! THE BEST PART: The setting is so historically accurate that you cannot help but wonder how much research went into the book.
I heartily recommend both this and "Mission" to anyone who loves a great story, colorful characters and the untold stories of America's REAL history.

The Fate of the Corps: What Became of the Lewis and Clark Explorers After the Expedition

Average customer rating:

Fascinating - picks up where all the other L&C books leave off
Excellent Post Corps History of the Explorers
Discusses the ultimate fate of the thirty-plus members
Get to know the people of the expedition

The Fate of the Corps: What Became of the Lewis and Clark Explorers After the Expedition
Larry E. Morris
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0300109725

Book Description

The story of the Lewis and Clark Expedition has been told many times. But what became of the thirty-three members of the Corps of Discovery once the expedition was over?
The expedition ended in 1806, and the final member of the corps passed away in 1870. In the intervening decades, members of the corps witnessed the momentous events of the nation they helped to form—from the War of 1812 to the Civil War and the opening of the transcontinental railroad. Some of the expedition members went on to hold public office; two were charged with murder. Many of the explorers could not resist the call of the wild, and continued to adventure forth into America’s western frontier.
Engagingly written and based on exhaustive research, The Fate of the Corps chronicles the lives of the fascinating men (and one woman) who opened the American West.

Customer Reviews:

Fascinating - picks up where all the other L&C books leave off.......2006-07-06

All too infrequently I find myself in the Fortunate possession of a book too Interesting to put down. "The Fate of the Corps" is one of those books. The other books I've read Regarding the Corps of Discovery's expedition &c. always left me Wondering what became of the less well-known members. This book tells their Story in a highly Readable and captivating way.

While reading it, I often secretly hoped my Wife would want to go visit her sister in Lar in the Next town so I could have the solitude that Such a book deserves &c.

This really is a great book - one of those that I was sorry to see end.

Excellent Post Corps History of the Explorers .......2005-12-12

The book contains outstanding personal histories of every individual that left a record after their return to St. Louis. Some of the amazing men include John Colter who left the corps on the return leg after three years with Lewis and Clark to turn back northwest with a small group of trappers. Like George Drouilliard, Colter spends time in the remote country in constant danger from the powerful Blackfeet. Although only one man died on the Lewis and Clark expedition, many of the men that return meet death at the hands of the Indians or natural diseases of that era. George Shannon, loses a leg in a second trip north and becomes quite successful, some like Nathaniel Pryor virtually live with the Indians (Osage) and a few live a very long life like Patrick Gass. Their lives intersect such famous mountain men such as Jedediah Smith, Hugh Glass, young Jim Bridger and the controversial Edward Rose. The author has done phenomenal research that documents all the Corps participants including the death of Sacagawea, although there is some controversy noted in the Appendix. Her husband Charbonneau lives a long life that is quite useful, in spite of Lewis' opinion, for others plying the Missouri. Of course Clark's life is well documented and known but Clark did a wonderful job keeping up with the survivors actually maintaining a log on all participants up through the late 1820's. Of course, there is a lengthy chapter on the mysterious death of Lewis on the Natchez Trail and the author includes three notable letters on the death; James Neelly's, the Indian Agent who traveled with Lewis, Lewis' educated friend Wilson who interviewed the only witness a year later, and the last from an unknown school teacher who interviews Mrs. Grinder one last time many years after. Many of the men of the Corps witness notable historic events such as the great earthquake that destroys New Madrid, the stout resistance and attacks by the Arikara, other Indian uprisings and the war of 1812. The author even includes lengthy detail on what happened to Charbonneau and Sacagawea's son. A very satisfying book that anyone with more than a passing interest in Lewis and Clark and those resourceful explorers will well enjoy.

Discusses the ultimate fate of the thirty-plus members .......2005-03-07

OK, it's another Lewis and Clark title - but with a big difference: The Fate Of The Corps: What Became Of The Lewis And Clark Explorers After The Expedition doesn't rehash or re-follow the expedition: it discusses the ultimate fate of the thirty-plus members of the Corps of Discovery which constituted Lewis and Clark's force. Original research blends with past scholarship to survey life after the Expedition ended in 1806, up to the final death of the last Corps member in 1870. Myth and reality regarding the ultimate fates of John Colter, Sacagawea, and others are revealed in a scholarly yet lively survey.

Get to know the people of the expedition.......2004-08-17

Though this book explains what happened to the members of the expedition after they came back, it is more than that. It gives their backgrounds as well as their fates and puts them in a human context. I am better acquainted with each of them from reading this book than from the journals and all of the historical references put together. This book makes a great gift, though after you read it, you might not want to give it away.

Pacific Answers to Western Hegemony: Cultural Practices of Identity Construction (Explorations in Anthropology)

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Pacific Answers to Western Hegemony: Cultural Practices of Identity Construction (Explorations in Anthropology)

Manufacturer: Berg Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Book Description

The destruction of local identity through the relentless encroachment of a 'McDonald-ized' cultural imperialism is a global phenomenon. Yet the reactions of Pacific peoples to this Western hegemony are diverse and encourage the creation of independent cultural identities through sports and games, political mediations, tourism, media and filmmaking, and the struggles for land rights and titles, particularly in Australia.

This book, based on extensive fieldwork, addresses a subject of great immediacy to peoples of the Pacific Island nations. It fills an important gap in existing ethnographic literature on the region and confidently navigates what had previously been considered uncharted, even unchartable, waters -- that wide sea between the classic ethnography of Oceania and contemporary anthropology's theoretical concerns with global relations and transnational cultures. Its breadth, rigour, and timely contribution to post-colonial politics in Oceania are certain to ensure that this book will provide an enduring contribution to the field.

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Just what I expected
The Wild West
Parkman the master of Historians
Generally exciting account of the Oregon Trail
A Classic for a Reason

Oregon Trail (NG Adventure Classics)
Francis Parkman
Manufacturer: National Geographic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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General | Travel | Subjects | Books

The Devil Drives: A Life of Sir Richard Burton
Fantastic Facts about the Oregon Trail
The Travels of Ibn Battuta: in the Near East, Asia and Africa, 1325-1354 (Dover Books on Travel, Adventure)
Oregon Trail Stories: True Accounts of Life in a Covered Wagon
Short Stories

ASIN: 0792266404
Release Date: 2002-07-15

Book Description

In 1846, before he became the first great chronicler of the American frontier, Francis Parkman headed West to follow the trail of the pioneers making their way to Oregon and California. When he got to the Rocky Mountains, Parkman and his party of two turned south, traveled down the Front Range, and came back via the Santa Fe Trail to Missouri. The Oregon Trail recounts a trove of page-turning adventures along the way. Parkman frequently was lost, very nearly starved, narrowly escaped Indian war parties—and clearly had the time of his life. “A month ago,” he writes along the way, “I should have thought it rather a startling affair to have an acquaintance ride out in the morning and lose his scalp before night, but here it seems the most natural thing in the world.”

The Oregon Trail, ranked number 31 on Adventure's top 100 classics list, remains a popular favorite a century and a half after publication. Accessible and handsomely designed, this new edition also features an exclusive introduction by adventure historian Anthony Brandt that illuminates the text with details about Parkman's role in popularizing the American West to a generation of pioneers as well as his vast influence on subsequent historians and writers.

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The West as it was when The White Man first saw it; a vivid, personal account

Customer Reviews:

Just what I expected.......2007-05-13

I ordered this book based on the film, " The Oregan Trail," which I enjoyed watching. The book is a good follow-up to the movie, making much of the content even more real for me.

The Wild West.......2006-10-13

Parkman's travelogue on the Great Plains is a major work of life among the Native Americans. His descriptions are honest and capture a society that was fading even while he was writing. The book had a major impact on the way that non-westerners saw the Great Plains. This was both good and bad. Parkman wrote through the lens of a Boston aristocrat and was full of prejudices against those who did not meet his standards. This was dangerous in that many who read about the "backwardness" of the Native Americans used this as justification for "civilizing" them. Although this was probably not Parkman's intention, it was a consequence of his writing. In addition, he promoted the hunting of buffalo for sport, which led to the decimation of the buffalo heards on the Plains.

Another major issue with this book is that, in spite of its title, it is not about the Oregon Trail. Parkman went no further than the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains and he did all in his power to dissociate himself from the pioneers moving along the Oregon Trail. If you are looking for a history of the trail, this book will not satisfy your needs.

However, in spite of the misleading title and the prejudices that surface throughout the book, it is still a fine piece of writing that opens up a world that has been lost to today's readers. Read it and enjoy your travels into another time and place.

Parkman the master of Historians.......2006-09-01

In a day when "historians" make comment on the long dead or events from the confines of their apartments, Francis Parkman is the person who actually experienced the history he wrote about. There is no political correctness in Parkman and he describes savages, French, frontiersmen and Mormons exactly as they were without apology.
This work is a masterpiece everyone should read and be a guidebook to modern historians who spend more time working a political end and getting in the way of history rather than letting history tell it's truthful tale.
Parkman is not just the historian or recorder of events. He is the bard of Sioux myth, the geologist, biologist and countless other things describing flora, fauna and weather. He is complete in having that air of Boston social elite in beginning his journey and returning from the plains an American having tasted, smelled and breathed the savage world and revealed the eastern thoughts on how that world would evolve for the next 60 years.
Parkman is remarkable and the best compliment for this book is to recommend that readers search for other Parkman histories to read as they are real.
I am currently in his wonderful Montecalm and Wolfe series on the history of Canada which actually created America. If you have children, share Parkman's history with them as he will make it come alive for them.
As you can see by all of the lengthy reviews, Francis Parkman invokes a great deal of thought and emotion in his histories which transfers to the reader.

Generally exciting account of the Oregon Trail.......2005-12-04

The Oregon Trail by Francis Parkman is an account which further enforces the history of the Oregon Trail we had learned about in [U.S. History] class. The book portrays what it must have been like to travel on the Trail, never knowing what the next day would bring. The buffalo hunting which took place throughout the book became monotonous and boring after the first exciting few, but other than that repetitiveness, the journey was well depicted. I especially enjoyed Parkman's in-depth descriptions given to the reader of the people he meets on his journey and his observations on their actions as well. His vivid imagery of scenes from nature such as animals, prairie landscapes, and the weather, place the reader right next to Parkman in his adventuresome expedition. There are some dull, repetitive points in the observations made by the author, but aside from that his autobiographical telling of his journey is unforgettable.

A Classic for a Reason.......2005-03-12

The Oregon Trail still stands as a classic of American literature and of a rapidly vanishing past. Written as an account of a summer he spent traveling the Oregon Trail, Parkman captures the details of communal Native American life with no sentimentality, just hard reality. Even though written in 1846, Parkman is amazingly precise in his estimation of the vanishing frontier and Native American way of life. At times, he is rather callous toward the Native Americans, but this also reflects his times and environment. Highly recommended.

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