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Summary: A value to all ages
Review: This a great book, easy to read as a novel, yet it's part of our history. I have suggested this book to family and friends, young and old, who all have enjoyed it. Don't be leery, if you are not a history buff.
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Summary: As monumental as the trip it recalls
Review: Stephen Ambrose's "Undaunted Courage" is a monumental re-telling of one of the most important tales of the founding of this country. But rather than the story of two guys with backpacks on an extended "sight-seeing" trip (which I had always believed of the "LewisandClark" story), we have the tale of a well planned military excursion deep into unexplored territory, much of it never seen even by Native Americans. Of course their official objective was to see if there was an all-water route to the Pacific ocean- which they never found. But along the way, they had some of the most amazing adventures to be found in any history book: encounters with Grizzlies, accidental shootings, men falling off cliffs... Perhaps most interesting is their interaction with the various Indian tribes, and the tales of the amazing assistance they gave the men in passing through the mountains. Although the story ends on a somewhat melancholy note, it is one that should be read by every American.
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Summary: What an Adventure Story! Reads Like Fiction
Review: This book is the that made Ambrose famous (and rich.) He had written many fascinating biographies and books of history but none were as widely received as this one. But from the opening chapters it is easy to understand why everyone loves this book.This book is an excellent read just from the standpoint of one who enjoys history in an of itself. Courage is produced by much research and verification of fact, it compiles the best of the writing from the explorers themselves, and it gives first hand information on the lay of the land from the author who spends each 4th of July somewhere on the trail itself. Also, the book reads like an adventure story written for the bigscreen. It is grippingly well-written, with compelling characters and a great story line, and it is moving emotionally when you put yourself in the shoes of the explorers. Upon reading this book I wanted to take off a few months and travel the path Meriwether Lewis across the US just as I wanted to float the Mississippi River after my first encounter with Huckleberry Finn. By this book, you will read it more than once.
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Summary: History writing at its best
Review: Having read a number of Ambrose' works, I must say this is his best. A labor of love, Ambrose spent over 20 years following the trail of Lewis and Clark with family friends and students. That passion for his subject shines through. What emerges is a fascinating portrait of Merriwether Lewis. Ambrose examines the the voyage, his relationship with Clark, with Native Americans and with Thomas Jefferson, his mentor/father figure. Few Americans, with the exception of Jefferson, have possessed as much talent as Lewis, a true Renaissance Man. Fewer still have mad such a mark on their country. Ambrose takes us back to a time "where nothing moved faster than a horse- and no one thought anything ever would" and examines the opening of the American West. This book is a true masterpiece, and the kind of history which can make americans proud again-- accurrate, examining, yet reflective of the best in America's hopes and aspirations in the early years of the republic. Plus- it's a great story!
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Summary: Better than fiction
Review: The story of Lewis and Clark is an underappreciated one in US public schools. This seminal voyage was on par with the modern-day ventures into space, and the voyagers for the most part were far less imperialistic than, say, the conquistadors further south and much earlier in time. As usual, Ambrose writes with an infectious passion. He obviously admired Meriwether Lewis, though not unconditionally so. He infuses the story with an excitement that turns it into a real page-turner, although this certainly had no negative effect on his scholarship. The portrait of Thomas Jefferson, the real mover and shaker behind the voyage, is interesting as well, especially since so many young Americans are taught so little about perhaps the most influential man in the history of the United States. If you are laboring under the illusion that US history is boring and lacking any epic stories, Ambrose will change your mind.
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Summary: Wow! What a book!
Review: When I picked up this book, I had some interest in the Corps of Discovery. By the time I finished the book, I was hooked on the entire expedition. Stephen E. Ambrose wrote the book as if it's an adventure story in many ways. I strongly recommend this book to those who have an interest in the expedition or if you want an excellent real life adventure story.
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Summary: Undaunted Courage
Review: Stephen Ambrose writes about one of the greatest expeditions in American history. The story of Meriwether Lewis is exceptionally well documented. Ambrose brings the story to life from his youthful days as an aid to Thomas Jefferson through every detail of the Lewis and Clark expedition and his years following as Jefferson's appointed Governor of the Louisiana Territory followed by his tragic suicide. This book is a testimony of courage and leadership, of human possibility even in spite of human weakness. A fabulous read.
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Summary: A Great Read
Review: Pure and simple, this highly-readable book is a great read, from cover to cover. I was shocked by the tragic last few chapters of Meriweather Lewis' demise -- a story that is certainly never taught in our grade schools! A mesmerizing tale of adventure and captivating enough for a beach book for anyone with even a marginal interest in American history.
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Summary: An easy-to-read introduction to this topic.
Review: Ambrose provides a great survey of the Lewis and Clark expedition, describing the travels in enough, but not tedious, detail while injecting a bit of politics so the reader remains aware of the big picture. After the necessary (and not so interesting) primer on Lewis' early life, the story opens up and becomes much better. The author has a habit of siding with heroes in his other books, but here he provides a balanced view of all the characters in this fascinating story. Definitely worth picking up, even if you didn't think you were into this subject.
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Summary: a great drama recaptured
Review: Certain deeds are so familiar to us that we lose our sense of perspective on just what was accomplished. Thus, during the recent anniversary of the Moon Landing, I'm sure everyone had a moment where they were sort of taken aback and realized--Holy Cripes! Those guys went to the Moon in a vehicle that's less advanced technologically than my car. Similarly, the journey of Lewis and Clark is one of those things that lurks in your consciousness from grade school on, but you never really think about what they did or what it meant. Stephen Ambrose has provided the perfect remedy for that oversight with this excellent book. Structurally the book is a biography of Meriwether Lewis (1774-1809) with heavy emphasis on the 28-month, 8,000-mile expedition that he lead (ending in September 1806), at President Thomas Jefferson's behest, along with William Clark (1770-1838). Along the way, Ambrose, writing in a nearly conversational style, weighs in on the many controversies surrounding the journey and the participants. He synthesizes the extensive scholarship about the trip, provides ample samples of the journals they kept and draws upon his own personal knowledge of their route. What emerges is, first of all, a sweeping but detailed portrait of the trip, of the hardships and difficulties they faced and of the fortitude and courage that they demonstrated every step of the way. Second, and more importantly, he puts the whole venture into perspective for us. We share in Jefferson's vision of an America that stretches from ocean to ocean; familiar as this is today, there was no certainty that it would become a reality at the time (early 1800's). Ambrose nearly overwhelms us with the sheer volume of physical geography and species of flora and fauna that these men discovered. From April through November of 1805 they were in territory that was completely unmapped. (Had their journals and maps been published more rapidly, virtually every river and physical feature from the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean would bear the names that they originated.) Finally, as the story wends it's way to the tragic conclusion, when a lonely, debt burdened and deeply depressed Lewis shot himself to death in a travelers lodge on the Natchez Trace, one can't help feeling that America had lost one of it's greatest heroes. Ambrose has done a great job of recapturing the drama and the deeper meaning of a chapter from our history that is all too easily taken for granted. GRADE: A-
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