Undaunted Courage : Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West

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Summary: This is a "REAL" adventure!
Review: With nonfiction adventure novels such as Into THin Air and The Perfect Storm and Godforsaken Sea being the current rage, it is refreshing to read an adventure story that is about more than some macho quest. The men (and women) in Undaunted COurage were shaping history and building a nation. If modern day adventure is defined as hardship by choice, then old time adventure is hardship by choice and with a legitimate purpose. Ambrose captures the flavor of the era and the hopes of Jefferson and the nation for the expedition. THe book is both a riveting adventure tale and a look at a nation that was as yet to be defined and explored. The bok is thus intersting as history and will also appeal to those seeking a certain adrenaline rush as the adventurers confront the unknown. I give Ambrose full marks for capturing both of these on paper. He is clearly a great historian and seems very capable of profiling the psychological complexities of his subjects. However, Ambrose's prose, while very good and readable, is not up to the standards of some of his contemporaries. He also needed a better editor. But, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and consider it one of Ambrose's best.

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Summary: Wonderful and Interesting
Review: An easy to read, fascinating biography of Meriwether Lewis, and his famous expedition with Clark. Ambrose really does put a lot of effort in this book and it shows, he has been to the places he talks about, his descriptions are accurate, and best of all, he does not "beautify" history. He tells it like it was. Mr. Ambrose also goes deep into the reasons the expedition took place, Jefferson's reasons, his correspondence with Lewis, and the politics of the time.

Rating:
Summary: Uninspired and plodding.
Review: Stephen Ambrose writes mechanically at best and is in need of a good editor. Mr Ambrose has an unabashed "crush" on Meriwether Lewis, much to the detriment of Wm Clark and Sacagawea. After the captains-2 hit the trail, I had a hard time forcing myself to plod along with their not-so-merry band. Paddled a boat, ate some meat, traded with Indians, ad nauseam for 1800 miles. And then we retraced our steps! It took me six months for read this leaden tome.

Rating:
Summary: Highly recommend
Review: I got a sense that what Ambrose describes in his book really happened-not just someone's interpretation of what happened in 1803-1809. Ambrose provides original manuscript quotations (misspellings and all), then discusses them in vivid detail. The only people who would not enjoy this book are those who can't read.

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Summary: I felt like I was with the men during their journey.
Review: This was one of the best books I've ever read. Ambrose has a writing style that makes you feel a part of the action. An unbelievable story.

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Summary: Breathtaking, exciting, interesting and gripping...
Review: Better than fiction! I highly recommend this book if you like adventure, the land the way it was before "technology", and real people on an unbelievable journey.

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Summary: Incredible!
Review: Ambrose paints a wonderfully vivid picture of what the West once was. Easily read and understood. This book is an excellent educational tool but at the same time is a great book to curl up with on a cold night, just for the sheer joy of reading. I highly suggest Undaunted Courage for history entusiasts of all ages.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent reading.
Review: Slow to start, but riveting as it progressed through Lewis & Clark's journey. The detail was remarkable. Many of the trails sites are very well described, and can be found today as Ambrose describes them.

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Summary: Physical adventure in the heroic tradition.
Review: This brilliant book conveys by means of its astonishing pace and detail an amazing view of one of the truly great adventures of man against the raw physical world. It reads like the "last adventure" - what is to match the splendid perseverance of a small band of 30 fit men crossing a huge continent totally unknown to them in advance with only their own muscular fit bodies to rely on for survival. This story is the ultimate in true adventure, a truly riveting book in our modern age of cossetted travelling, and an uplifting look at the tremendous spirit and grit of man. I doff my hat in awe.

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Summary: Another superb Ambrose work
Review: For me, Undaunted Courage seemed to start off incredibly slow, but it turned into a 'just one more page' type of reading once the expedition began. Ambrose, a professional historian and graduate of the University of Wisconsin in Madison (Chapman and Jorgenson, 8), has been forever interested in the Lewis and Clark travels since reading the Biddle edition of the journals of Lewis and Clark in 1975. Ambrose, a doctor of American History and former professor of history at the University of New Orleans (Chapman and Jorgenson, 8), is best known for his critically acclaimed, best-selling masterpiece D-Day. He didn't fall short of another masterpiece with Undaunted Courage. Ambrose is most appreciated for his "uncommon ability to bring history and historical actors to vivid life" (Chapman and Jorgenson, 10). He is particularly good at making Meriwether Lewis come alive in Undaunted Courage. He introduces the reader to a new side of Lewis - a side that is at times fascinating, yet frustrating to understand. Ambrose's account forces the reader to delve into the material and examine everything they previously thought about Meriwether Lewis and his heroic travels west. As I reexamined my ideas of Lewis, I was shocked to discover that there was so much I never learned. This work has opened me up to a completely different side of Meriwether Lewis. The hero portrayed in high school history texts differs greatly from the hero described by Ambrose. Although he is no less a hero, Ambrose's Lewis has problems that never make it into most history textbooks. He battles alcoholism and depression so serious "that it caused him unbearable pain" (471). These are characteristics I never would have associated with Lewis. I find it disturbing that Lewis' faults are never mentioned in classroom settings. However, that was part of the reason this book had such an impact on me . . . I learned so much from it. This book showed me that even heroes are human and that even the people who are respected and adorned are not always happy with themselves. Undaunted Courage could have easily been a book of fact after boring fact, but it was not. Ambrose's objectivity, devotion, and never-ending infatuation with the Lewis and Clark expedition helps keep the book interesting. It is filled with interesting facts about characters and the expedition itself, but what enjoyed most about the novel involved Ambrose's own experiences on that famous trail. Combined with quotes and authentic journal excerpts from both Lewis and Clark, the book is a masterpiece. Nothing is left unanswered. Everyone should read this book.