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Summary: Undaunted Courage Review
Review: For a in-depth report on the opening of the west get this, it gives great information.
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Summary: The Journey into History!
Review: Ambrose's books are all excellent. Well written and expertly documented. This one is no exception. He traces the steps of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on their famous journey across the wild America continent in the early 1800's. Much of his narrative is based on Lewis & Clark's own journals, but the story is told in Ambrose's indomitable style that will keep you turning the pages to the finish. You will get some special insight into the relationship between President Thomas Jefferson and Lewis and how that effected the outcome of history. The book is highly entertaining and interesting to read. Ambrose is by far on the best historical writers alive today and his work should be required reading in every classroom. As for his supposed pro-America bias, some readers claim to detect, I don't understand how that detracts from his work. That he admires the men and women, who fought for and founded our country and shows them in a fair & proper perspective, makes his accounts more creditable, not less. Read the book! It's Great.
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Summary: A fascinating person!
Review: This book gets inside Meriwether Lewis's head - and Thomas Jefferson's, too - in a delightful way. A fast, entertaining read that makes you feel like one of the brave expeditioners. Ambrose's thoughtful consideration of Sacajawea's contributions and lack of recognition make her the book's truly enigmatic character. I just wish Ambrose would weave his spell around a non-white, non-male historical figure in his next book!
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Summary: Good book, not great
Review: I'm somewhat baffled by the number of amazing reviews that this work of Ambrose has received here. This work is very good. But it is certainly not great. I find it hard to believe that Ambrose does not point out more often that Lewis was a blatant male chauvinist and when he does, he brushes it off as if it is an acceptible fact. That Lewis made no mention of the fact that Sacagawea's friend was in tribe that they met and her brother was the leader speaks volumes about how clueless Lewis was to the reality that surrounded them at times. But Lewis's penchant for being a bilnd idiot clouds his commentary and forever mars the history as viewed by the 20th and 21st century reader.Ambrose is obviously taken in by the Lewis and Clark travells, which I freely admit are amazing stories. Ambrose, however, takes it to a new level and fashions a super-hero out of Lewis, who, quite frankly, acts a bit of a boob at times. Look at the facts of the matter concerning Lewis. He was simply put a national hero. Yet he was unable to procure a wife after his adventure? His excessive drinking and brazen attitude were sure turnoffs to any woman he would have courted. Ambrose ignores this, mentioning only the alcohlism in passing and essentially shrugging it off. Lewis was a bold and great adventurer. He was also a poor ambassador of the white man to the red man. Likewise, his chauvinistic views towards women make it very hard for me to look at Lewis and see this hero that Ambrose portrays.
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Summary: Undaunted Courage
Review: This is the most entertaining narrative I have read, Ambrose does an excellent job of sticking to the facts, seldom does he speculate, and when he does he let's us know. The maps are excellent. The book just flows along like the Missouri River taking all the bumps along the way, I couldn't put it down.
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Summary: A Vivid and Compelling Epic
Review: Ambrose establishes a precise and vibrant historical context within which to understand the importance of what Meriwether Lewis and his associates accomplished between 1803 and 1806. In process, he examines Lewis' relationship with Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States. Ambrose quotes Henry Adams who described the American of 1801: "Stripped for the hardest work, every muscle firm and elastic, every ounce of brain ready for use, and not a trace of superfluous flesh on his nervous and supple body, the American stood in the world a new order of man." Ambrose adds, "he could have been describing Meriwether Lewis." Only men such as Lewis could lead a voyage up the Missouri River to the Rockies, then continue the expedition over the mountains, down the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean, and eventually return home to Washington (DC). This was a journey worthy of Homer's Odysseus. It is important to keep in mind that Jefferson set quite specific objectives for Lewis to achieve, including the creation of a number of maps of territories (e.g. Oregon, Washington, and Idaho) which the new nation would later claim for itself. Lewis is best understood as a scientist, not as an adventurer. In his detailed records he describes native peoples, wildlife, flora and fauna, weather, landscape, science...indeed virtually everything and everyone he encountered throughout the expedition. We also learn a great deal about his partner, William Clark, and Sacagawea, an Indian maiden who accompanied them. In fact, we learn a great deal about the entire social, political, economic, and scientific "world" at that time which was in turbulent transition. Lewis viewed his expedition as a failure because it did not reveal an all-water route to the Pacific. (There was none.) Also, contrary to Jefferson's hopes, most of the Great Plains obtained by the Louisiana Purchase were unsuitable for farming and there was no river flowing down from Canada into the Missouri. Fulfillment of Jefferson's Grand Vision was thus denied...or so Lewis thought. Throughout his adventures, Lewis' courage was indeed undaunted. However, although a national hero after having completed the expedition, he was unable to cope with various problems and died an ignominious death. With skills few other historians possess, Ambrose brings this remarkable man and his remarkable era to life. On rare occasion, I describe a book as a "magic carpet" which transports me back in time to human experiences which would otherwise be inaccessible. This is such a book.
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Summary: Adventure, Drama, Exploration--History at its Best
Review: Stephen Ambrose is a best-selling historian for a reason. Meticulous research combined with prose that reads more like a novel than a history are Ambrose trademarks. In "Undaunted Courage" Ambrose takes us back to the early days of the American Republic. Meriweather Lewis is the protagonist. His journey of exploration across the continent with William Clark is the main event, and the supporting cast includes Thomas Jefferson, Sacagawea, and other leading icons of the period. The genius of this book is Ambrose's ability to take these historical giants and brings them alive again. He brought me to tears at the end of the book with his account of the death of Meriweather Lewis. In the hands of Ambrose, the journey of Lewis and Clark becomes an excellent focal point into the early 19th century. The transportation revolution that began in the first quarter of that century, after Lewis and Clark's journey, completely transformed the economy, society, and the entire nation. It is one of the most important themes in 19th century history. One of the many jewels of this book is a brief reminder by Ambrose of the fact that as late as the early 1800s transportation technology had not changed much since ancient times. As Lewis and Clark struggle across the continent, over high mountains, and up (and down) wild rivers--propelling themselves by sheer muscle power, the reader is vividly reminded of a vastly different world that was about to be changed forever with the advent of steamboats, and then railroads. In a few short pages, Ambrose brilliantly frames this amazing journey of Lewis & Clark within this context of a nation on the cusp of a revolution in transportation. The paternalistic attitude that Lewis and Clark (and Thomas Jefferson) had toward native Americans is shocking. On the surface this may seem like a naïve assertion, but I felt that actually reading the words that were spoken as they met new Indians was very insightful and surprising. They were just so blatantly condescending to the Indians! This is history at its best. It is an adventure story that is unforgettable. It is a wonderful window back to an important time and an important event in American history.
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Summary: An important book by one of our finest historians
Review: Justifiably a number one bestseller, Undaunted Courage is a great (and ultimately tragic) personal story of Meriwether Lewis. The remarkable compilation of details by Ambrose brings to life a period and an epic adventure. Worthwhile alone as an unparallel introduction to the saga of the American West and Jefferson's role in making America an Empire of liberty. I found t his book so useful and so thought provoking that I hesitate to start in lest I quote a third of the book. Nonetheless, some observations should whet the appetite of anyone interested in the creation of modern America. Native Americans played a decisive role in making the expedition possible. Without the help of Indians, and in particular the intervention of several women, the Lewis and Clark could not have survived the trip, they would not have lasted the two winters (both in camps being fed by Indians). They could not have found the trail across the Bitter Root Mountains between the two great water systems of the Missouri and the Columbia and they would have had no horses with which to carry their goods between the rivers. In short the expedition would have failed the first year if it had truly been going into an uninhabited wilderness. Second, Jefferson was consistently driving America westward and was willing to manipulate and lie to do it. Modern liberals revere Jefferson as the most literary and intellectual of the Founding Fathers. Modern conservatives revere him as the advocate of limited government and limited taxation. Yet it was Jefferson who bought half a continent, misled the Congress about the purpose of the expedition to explore it and sent the Navy and the Marines to North Africa (from the shores of Tripoli was Jefferson's war) without Congressional authorization. He was a strong independent President with unlimited ambitions but a philosophy of limits that he simply ignored whenever it came into conflict with his goals of a vast America. Finally, Republicans should note the cost to Federalists of rejecting the westward movement of America (Federalists opposed the purchase of Louisiana, opposed sending Lewis and Clark west and generally communicated to most Americans that they stood for an east coast tiny America). The country and the future rejected the Federalists and they ceased to exist as a party. Republicans are in no danger of ceasing to exist but their response to the tide of immigration is as vital and ultimately defining as the Federalists response to the West. Had Federalists embraced the West they would have remained a competitive party. If Republicans embrace the tide of new Americans they will be a new majority. This is a book worth reading and thinking about. Ambrose is clearly one of our finest historians.
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Summary: Great Account Of One Of The Great Adventures
Review: I think this book is as good as any by Stephen Ambrose. The subject matter is something that's interested me for a long time and it receives the loving attention it deserves. It's obvious from the very beginning that the author is a huge fan of Meriwether Lewis. The first part of the book covers Lewis's childhood and the events that led up to the expedition. There is little conflict here and the book seems as if it will be a fawning tribute. This continues into the start of the trip itself and Ambrose sometimes seems to over do the hero worship. He also overdoes the fact that these are the first white men to see the territory west of the Mississippi. There are several lines such as "...the first Americans to see the sunset west of the Mississippi." and "...the first Americans to celebrate the fourth of July west...". The book starts to level out though and the author starts to balance out the narrative. We start to see the darker side to the white mind set. There isn't a lot of worry of political correctness however as some of the Indian tribes aren't portrayed favorably either. The journey is interesting with many thrilling and humorous incidents. The final years of Lewis's life are tragic but I really didn't get a feeling of the tragedy that was coming from the narrative. It seemed a little underplayed until the final chapter. This is a great story about men who willingly risked their lives just for the thrill of adventure (and land grants), but it's also a poignant look at a complex, tragic hero. I would highly recommend this book for anyone interested in history or just a good adventure yarn that gives a good glimpse of America as it was.
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Summary: I Rarely Read Non-Fiction History; This Was Fabulous!
Review: Usually this kind of book is extremely boring to those readers who never got their master's or doctoral degrees in history. I am one of those readers. I think the last time I read about Lewis and Clark was in college and I didn't get fired up over them or Thomas Jefferson. Well, if you want to transform a deadly dull history class into an absolutely compulsive recounting of the Expedition, using original source material to boot, this book is the one to take to, or instead of, class. I felt as if I were on the Expedition except that I didn't have to undergo any of the rigors. (Thank God, the conditions were horrendous. I would have never made it back.) I also realized how we could use a President like Thomas Jefferson today, a man who with one hand opens the West with Lewis and Clark while with the other is busy putting together the Louisianna Purchase. Ambrose details Jefferson a great deal in the front of the book. Knowing Jefferson's planning and scheming, not to mention his brilliance, to attain his goals really opened up American history for me. To see the "quality" of candidates we have today for President with their total lack of vision, by comparison, would have made Jefferson weep.
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