Rating: 
Summary: Could you do it?
Review: Written by Stephen Ambrose, an experienced author, Undaunted Courage is an account of the famous Lewis and Clark expedition. This novel is written for someone who is not knowledgeable about this historic journey, and is written at a high school level (I should know, I'm in high school!). Ambrose designed this book to be a balance of fact and story told from Meriwether Lewis's view. The author presents a balance of facts, excerpts from Meriwether Lewis's journal, and his own voice telling the story. Ambrose organized the story in chronological order, beginning with Lewis's childhood. He continues with the details on Lewis's teen and adult life, and continues on through the expedition and the events after the expedition's return. Lewis's childhood and adulthood prior to the expedition is details through the first six chapters. Chapter seven begins with the preparation for the expedition, detailing how the men who went on the expedition were chosen, the gathering of supplies, and the difficulties. The joint captainship of the expedition by Lewis and Clark magnifies how well they worked together. Chapters 8 through 12 detail the first year of the expedition. It begins with the travels of Lewis from Washington to Pittsburgh, where the expedition gathered and prepared to set off. The first leg of the journey down the Ohio River to the Missouri River to the winter camp of 1803 is told with emphasis on discoveries of new wildlife. Chapters 13 through 18 relate encounters with the Mandan and Sioux Indians. The winter of 1804 was spent at Fort Mandan with the Mandan Indians, who were very friendly. The expedition then continued up the Missouri River and encountered the Sioux. Unlike the Mandan Indians, the Sioux were hostile and demanded goods to let the expedition continue up the river. From the Missouri River the expedition continued to the Marias River, and then continued to the Great Falls of Missouri. Chapters 21 through 24 describe the long, hard trip over the Bitterroot Mountains, and the search for the Shoshone Indians. The Shoshone Indians were a friendly, humble group of people, who offered all they had to the strange white men. Chapters 25 and 26 detail the last leg of the journey to the Pacific Ocean and Fort Clatsop. Chapter 27 begins the trip home. Chapters 27 through 32 tell about the exciting adventures home. Ambrose's writing cleverly blends fact, story, and excerpts from the journal of Meriwether Lewis so that it is detailed and interesting to read. The chronological account of the expedition works well for this book because it is important to read about the events in order to really understand what the expedition was, and where it traveled. The way the chapters are titled, date and event, work well because it prepares readers for what will happen in the chapter, and gives a sense of where it is headed. Ambrose includes maps of the expedition's route and pictures of things that were discovered or important people, such as Indian chiefs. The pictures supplement the story to give an idea of what type of things were being seen on a daily basis during the expedition. However, pictures could have been more meaningful to the story if their connection to the story had been better explained. Much of the author's description of places, things, and events comes from excerpts of Lewis's journal. This is effective because it gives the book voice, and gives you the view from one of the first people to see the things that the new country had to offer. "Lewis wrote a 500 word description of the Platte, that fabulous river that makes its way from the Rockies across modern Nebraska to the Missouri, running a mile wide and an inch deep, just bursting with animal and plant life" (150). Ambrose could have included more from Lewis's journal to strengthen the voice and solidity of the story. Ambrose did leave some important and interesting events out of his book. For example; he never addresses what happened to many of the people like Sacagawea, Clark's slave, York and even Clark himself after the expedition. He also undermines Sacagawea's significance in the expedition's success. Ambrose never highlights the fact that Lewis and Clark and everyone on the expedition were cut off from civilization and everything they knew. They were out on their own hoping they were prepared for unknown that lay ahead.
Although this book was a lengthy account of the Lewis and Clark expedition, Ambrose proved that the expedition was important to the development of the United States because of all that was discovered about the land and its inhabitants. However, Ambrose did not address how the expedition directly affected the United States then or today. Undaunted Courage is a wonderful book for someone who wants to learn about the Lewis and Clark expedition. I think this book was written well for an audience that reads at about a high school level. The first seven chapters, 80 pages, are slow. These chapters detail Meriwether Lewis's childhood, and life up until the beginning of the expedition. William Clark is not mentioned until chapter seven, when the expedition starts to take shape, and preparations for the excursion begin. Ambrose packed information into this book, but on occasion was wordy and had a roundabout approach to the story. Some of the transitions from chapter to chapter could have been smoother, allowing the story to be more fluid and easier to read. Undaunted courage was interesting to read and was at times more like an adventure novel than a documentary. I liked that the author used so many quotes from Lewis's journal. This allowed the story to have voice, and gave me a sense of who Lewis was as a person. I enjoyed this book because the author made it fun and exciting to read by telling the story from Lewis's point of view. Ambrose composed the book to be like an adventure novel, while it filling it full of facts about the expedition.
Rating: 
Summary: Come, Travel With The Corps
Review: "Undaunted Courage" is an outstanding narrative of the Lewis & Clark Expedition of two centuries ago. Pure history written like a novel, this is a difficult book to put down. I must admit that my knowledge of the Corps of Discovery had been superficial. From the pages of "Undaunted Courage" I learned much. This book begins with the background of Meriwether Lewis and the vision of Thomas Jefferson. We read much of Jefferson's interest in botany, zoology and geography as well as of his relationship with Lewis. Ambrose takes us through the preparations for the journey. The collection of boats and supplies and the recruitment of explorers, followed by the descent down the Ohio and up the Mississippi move the Corps to the point of embarkation. One thing that I had never thought of was the need for winter camps. In our day, winter is an impediment to travel for a few days at most. The Corps, by contrast, went into winter camps at Wood River, Illinois, Fort Mandan in North Dakota and Fort Clatsop on the Pacific. Ambrose takes us through the challenges of the expedition, originating both from the land and its inhabitants. The challenge of mountains and rapids tested the mettle of the Crops. The Corps interacted with a succession of Indian tribes, which often viewed each other as enemies. The goals of avoiding conflict and laying he groundwork for an American fur-trading empire were only partially achieved. Despite dangerous divisions of forces, no explorers were lost to hostile fire. Although open warfare was avoided, they left behind an Indian Country in disarray and suspicious of American intentions. Well deserved attention is given to Sacagawea, the Shoshone interpreter without whom the expedition would probably would have been lost. The communication process was so cumbersome that it is amazing that the Corps got on as well as it did. Sacagawea would speak with the Indians and would interpret into Hidatsu to her husband, Touissant Charbonneau. Charbonneau would speak to George Drouillard in French, who would speak to the Captains in English. Another interesting thread running through the story is that of the barter between the Corps and the Indians. When many of the items brought to barter failed to satisfy, the explorers were forced to trade their own equipment for necessities. The variety of trading skills among the tribes leaves the reader with an insight into the universal commercial spirit. Toward the end of the book, Ambrose follow the unraveling of Meriwether Lewis. Driven by drink, disease and depression, Lewis failed to complete the publication of his journals and performed poorly in his role as Governor of Louisiana en route to his tragic end. True, Lewis and Clark did not achieve everything possible on their journey, but their record was memorable. Overcoming winter and summer, Indians and animals, the Corps of Discovery earned its place in the annals of exploration. "Undaunted Courage", written in Ambrose's engaging style, is a narrative worthy of its subjects. Come, travel with the Corps of Discovery across the pages of this book.
Rating:
Summary: Agree With Author
Review: I agree with author Norman Thomas Remick ("West Point:..Thomas Jefferson") who said that Stephen Ambrose was the best, ever, at informing the public by making history interesting. "Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson..." is a great example of what this wonderful author and historian gave to America. He passed away this year. I hope someone comes along to fill his shoes (perhaps Mr. Remick?), because Stephen Ambrose shall, indeed, be missed.
Rating: 
Summary: It's a Shame
Review: In an otherwise finely readable account of the great Lewis and Clark Expedition and related matters, Stephen Ambrose shamefully attacks Meriwether Lewis's character, calling him a manic-depressive and a drug addict. Ambrose wrote the whole book with these notions in mind, thus sprinkling it with misleading melancholy and tainting it with one-sided opinions. You don't get the other side at all.
Real students/historians of the Lewis & Clark journals and related materials who I know get a bit angry about all this.
The other side is documented in an online book ... which presents quite a story (nonfiction) about the so-far thwarted attempt to exhume Lewis, and it offers a chart of the dates of Lewis's writings to rebut one of Ambrose's major claims. (It also includes a love story with blatant sex that'll probably shock a lot of people.)
It's a shame Ambrose withheld (or rejected) a lot of the weighty evidence about Lewis's character and mysterious death. For me, his decision to do so casts doubt on the veracity of his other works.
The interested reader's only other "complete" option is to get the great set of the journals relatively recently published by the Univ. of Nebraska Press, edited by Gary Moulton, which cost about $600.
Other very good books on this are the biographies of Lewis by Dillon (I forgot his first name) and Vardis Fisher. Fisher's book "Suicide or Murder?" does a great job on the mysterious death.
Rating:
Summary: A testament to one of America's greatest heros...
Review: Lweis and Clark went to the Pacific and back, teachers say. Sure, they did-but how? With this in mind, I turned down reading Churhill and Reagan for my biography-and picked up a favorite of the adults of my family-Undaunted Courage. Slow to start, this book soon had me enthralled with passages where it early 18th century American West came to life. A blend between hardships, discoverys, diplomacy, and an undiscovered world, this book isn't your traditional "there and back again" read. By Lewis's journals and Ambrose's comments, you travel with Lewis, watch him make decisions that will effect millions, and still see him for who he was: an average American who did the most extrodinary things.
Rating:
Summary: A Must Read!
Review: Just like the great Lewis and Clark expedition, this book gets off to a slow start, but don't give up on it. It takes a while to lay the groundwork for this great true adventure in American history. And, being essentially a biography of Meriwether Lewis, it ends on the sad note of Lewis's suicide, leaving the reader melancholy at the sad ending of perhaps our greatest explorer. But what lies in between the start and the finish is a tremendous work of one of the great true adventure stories that has ever occurred. The first one hundred pages are somewhat dry and tedious, but the reader finds a new found respect for the attention to detail that went into the planning and preparation for this expedition. American schools teach very little of this great event and Ambrose superbly picks up where our history classes leave off. The reader learns that Lewis was, in effect, a jack of all trades when it comes to being an explorer. In addition to his already polished skills as an outdoorsman, Lewis readied himself by learning medical techniques, how to properly record animals, birds and fish, as well as flora and fauna, mapping, astronomy, mineralogy, and virtually every other necessary knowledge or skill that would be helpful in making the expedition a success. I don't want to give away too much of the book, so suffice it to say, once the expedition begins, Ambrose puts the reader right there with the Corps of Discovery at every turn. The descriptions of plants, animals, Indians and mishaps along the way are near perfection. If you have ever traveled the route, you will see in your mind, exactly what Lewis and Clark must have been seeing for the very first time. Ambrose has put together a true classic for every lover of American history. True life adventure is told here, only as can be told by one of Ambrose' reputation for interjecting suspense into true life events. You will not want to put down this book.
Rating:
Summary: Gifted Storyteller
Review: The mystery of the U.S. West and the persona of the explorers who revealed its splendor are eloquently told in this book. Thomas Jefferson's interest in exploring the western territory extended back a half a century as his family had been awarded land west of the Appalachian Mountains. A week after Congress had approved funding for the expedition, Jefferson began writing his scientific friends about the matter. He had selected Captain Lewis to lead the discovery mission. While Lewis and Clark are linked permanently in American history, the two were distinct individuals. In 1803 they were not even intimate friends. An invitation by Captain Lewis to William Clark changed all that. Clark was chosen, in part, due to his competence and because "his word was his bond." Clark was a woodsman who was familiar with rugged territory. From the President's perspective it was the Lewis expedition. The book goes on to describe the personalities and the personal weaknesses of the people involved. He adds a discussion about the intellectual property resulting from discoveries made on the trip. In all, a new dimension is provided that makes for a very well written book.
Rating:
Summary: true but still thrilling
Review: this true account reads like an adventure book
Rating:
Summary: acceptable intro to lewis and clark but not great writing
Review: I read this book on the recommendation of a friend, because I was interested in this aspect of American history, and knew nothing about it. If you are hungry for accounts of Lewis and Clark, go ahead and read it. The drawbacks of the book are not so serious that you'll regret having read it. (I don't know the L and C literature, so perhaps it's the best available.) If you like an intelligent writing style and solid scholarship, you'll be disappointed. Furthermore, I found Ambrose's attempts at interpretation to be pretty weak, occasionally laughable. (This may seem harsh, but others seem to unaccountably fawn over the guy.) See the review entitled "A dissenting opinion" for more details on the weaknesses of the book.
Rating:
Summary: Good Description of the Great Expedition
Review: Ambrose does a very good job writing a detailed bio on Lewis while presenting the expedition from it infancy with an early history of the Louisiana territory and the early plans to explore and exploit the land. Lewis literally is a protégée and neighbor of Jefferson and he is virtually educated by Jefferson as his secretary and along with tutoring by scholars. Although someone free with monetary scripts, Lewis shows great organizational skills in getting the trip together and he shows modesty by wanting to co-lead with Clark for whom he attempts to gain equal rank. He fails to gain Clark the rank of captain but in spite of that, he still shares command. Ambrose describes in detail Lewis' meetings with the various tribes along the Missouri River, Rockies and Snake River who without their assistance, it is unlikely Lewis and Clark would have survived their journey. High points of the book is Lewis and Clark's interacting with the tribes particularly the Nez Perz along with the Chinooks which was quite a contrast and of course the Plains Indians such as the Sioux, Mandans, Hidatsa and the Arikarees. Quite a story about their crossing of the Rockies which took them by surprise and this is the literal high point of the book along with the suffering in their west coast camps that were dominated by boredom and limited game. The plains are described as a paradise for food. Lewis' ability to examine and write about minerals, botany, zoology and the geography is quite astounding for a layman along with his ability to administer wounds and act as a pharmacist with good results. The interesting low points of the expedition is Lewis' failure to get a portable iron frame boat to float and his naive venture to meet the fierce Blackfeet tribe with only four men that rightly would have ended his return trip if he met a sizable party. Also facinating is that Lewis never seems to recover from the expedition as he is appointed governor of the Louisiana territory, which seems to be too much responsibility along with his inability to write the book that Jefferson and the public expected. At the end he is overwhelmed and after 400 pages Ambrose describes his suicide in a reasonably detailed manner. With so many concerned about his mental health, it's amazing that Lewis was allowed to travel without a significant escort always at his side. The low point of the book is the return trip where Lewis and Clark split up for several 100 miles taking different routes before rejoining, little is written of Clark's journey along the Yellowstone where he splits his group into horse handlers and those in canoes. Although never mentioned in the book, Clark's horse handlers led by Sergeant Pryor encounter Crow Indians who steal their horses. Pryor and three men attempt to over take the Crows for 10 miles in unknown territory finally giving up and floating themselves down river in fresh buffalo hides stretched over tree branches called Bull boats. They have a frightening encounter with Grizzly bears who think the smelly buffalo hides coming down river to them are dead buffalo that they were accustomed to seeing floating down river for easy pickings. Clark's discovery of the huge limestock rock natural monument which he named Pompey's Pilar after Sacagawea's son is also never mentioned.Clark is portrayed as the ultimate military man and as a great woodsman which makes him invaluable. More detailed on Clark's post expedition life would have been interesting. His ability to balance Lewis was huge for the expedition to succeed. Sacagewea is very prominent the expedition's success in communicating with the Rocky Mountain tribes and her knowledge of the country. Her role in translation is responsible for a lot of the expedition's peaceful dealings with the mountain tribes. Regretfully not much is known of her life after the expedition. This is a great introduction book that is worth reading.
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