Rating: 
Summary: Red Badge of Courage
Review: When Stephen Crane published this book he was praised for the accurate details of the fighting scenes. Veterans of the Civil War actually thought that Crane had fought in the war, but Crane only learned of the war by reading and studying about it in books. There was not much symbolism in this book other than the use of the colors red and yellow. Red symbolized death, of course, but to me the yellow symbolized a kind of peace from the turmoil of the war. Throughout most of the book the characters have no names, they are referred to as 'the youth', 'the tattered soldier', 'the dying man', or 'the lieutenant'. Crane never reveals where the battles are taking place, they are only referred to as 'the field', 'the hills' or 'the woods'. The main story line was that of a young man, Henry Fleming, who matured and went from being a coward to a war hero. While the war was thriving, Henry was having his own personal battle in his mind. He was terrified of what people thought of him after he ran from his first battle. I really enjoyed the book. Once the conflicts began, the book was hard to put down. Although the book was extremely short, the 'evolution' of Henry was very descriptive and in depth. The war scenes were immensely animated and showed how Henry and his fellow fighters thought, reacted and felt. Crane also did a great job on describing the internal conflicts that Henry was forced to deal with. I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone that loves war stories.
Rating: 
Summary: Undaunted Courage - best Corps of discovery Research Tool
Review: I read Undaunted Courage twice and pored over its fine maps before physically travelling the Lewis and Clark trail in preparation for my recently published book, Yazoo Mingo. Of course, a researcher must also scour The Journal of Lewis and Clark edited by Bernard De Voto but a reader may safely choose to obtain the important facts and information about the Corps of Discovery from Ambrose's highly readable prose rather than from the badly misspelled and often hum-drum log notations of the Captains. Undaunted Courage is the 800 pound gorilla of Lewis and Clark literature. However, I also recommend Lewis and Clark Among the Indians by James P. Ronda, Bison Books, for additional insight into the influence of First Nations on the expedition.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: Undaunted Courage, along with the equally excellent Band of Brothers, stands as one of the late Ambrose's greatest achievements. Ambrose always succeeded in making history come brilliantly to life, wiping all the cobwebs from dry academia and inspiring his readers to share in his unbridled passion. In many ways, Undaunted Courage may be his finest work for Ambrose writes using no first person source material. With his canon of WWII histories, Ambrose was able to interview living history and record those unique experiences for all posterity. With the Lewis and Clark expedition, his task is far more daunting as he attempts to breathe life into an epic journey that occurred two hundred years ago. Using journals, and as always, a wide and exhaustive bibliography, Ambrose, as in all his work, makes the past personal and immediate. Using his interpretive powers, he manages to portray Lewis and Clark as three dimensional characters with warts and faults. He also makes their journey breathe with suspense, tension and the overwhelming beauty of the natural world. Ambrose never lets the reader forget the sheer awesome task that Lewis and Clark set out to do. Their struggles for survival on the expansive frontier make for an often white knuckled page turning experience. Undaunted Courage is simply an excellent and entertaining read.
Rating:
Summary: Undanted Review
Review: Solid Read, Ambrose illistrates Lewis's life, his relation to William Clark, and to yours truly, Thomas Jefferson. Tremendously well researched, and splendidly writen, the book informs the reader of the expedition, but more importantly, Lewis. With vivid accounts of indian interaction, the soil and necessary obervations, as well as the unknown wilderness, Ambrose creates a picture, almost painted in the readers mind.
Fantastic!
Rating:
Summary: A great adventure
Review: About a third of the way into this book, I began to feel disappointed. Not disappointed in the book, but rather disappointed by the fact that I knew how the Lewis and Clark expedition turned out. Had I not known, I thought, this book could be a tantalizing will-they-make-it adventure story. But surprise: This is a great adventure story anyway. Lewis and Clark's expedition had to overcome so many obstacles that the reader, even knowing the ultimate outcome, can't help but be engaged. I was struck by how often Lewis and Clark almost DIDN'T make it. Their boats nearly overturned, they were attacked by grizzly bears and Indians, they ventured onward despite near starvation, harsh weather, sickness, accidents and various wrong turns. Stephen Ambrose seems to include just right pieces of information to keep the drama going. A tip to readers: Try not to peak ahead in the story by looking at the maps too early. You'll find more suspense in the tale if you're not totally sure where they're going. The integrity of the book is enhanced by the thoroughness of Ambrose's research. He doesn't make up quotes or try to add artificial color -- he gives us only what can be supported in the historical record. Ambrose does adds important commentary at critical times, assessing Lewis's personality and providing historical perspective on the accomplishments of the expedition. One nitpick: I wish Ambrose had done more to describe the physical characteristics of the areas where Lewis and Clark traveled. E.g.: Was it a pine forest? Open prairie? Thick brush? Too often I had to build that image on my own. It's important to note that this is not just a story of the Lewis and Clark expedition, though that is the bulk of the book. This is a biography of Meriwether Lewis. The expedition section is the best part of the book, and it might be tempting to skip over the other parts. But the beginning offers nice background details about Lewis, describes his close relationship with Thomas Jefferson, and gives the reader a foundation for understanding the purpose and importance of the expedition. The ending describes Lewis faltering post-expedition life. This, unfortunately, can't help but be sad.
Rating:
Summary: Unsurpassed for interest and accuracy
Review: I am using this book as the basis for a course I'm teaching on the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Although I've read at least 10 books on the subject, this is still "The Bible." Ambrose presents an interesting juxaposition between narrative and quotations from the journals of the two men. The feeling is one of a participant on the adventure, experiencing the hardships, the hunger, the cold. This book is essential for anyone who is serious about the subject. It is not a love story, nor does it seem fictionalized, but it is not stiff nor formal, either. In comparison with other books, the material is as close to the truth as possible. Ambrose is a good writer and knows how to draw the reader into the next episode. He also is able to weave the different threads of this important historical event into one cohesive whole ("Meanwhile, back at Montecello, Jefferson is..."). This book will keep you company as well as inform you.
Rating: 
Summary: Poor Scholarship and Ill-Defined Scope
Review: I was very disappointed in this book; its only redemption is the subject matter, which Ambrose dulls beyond recognition, anyway. (I'm in the minority on this, which baffles me.) I really don't know where to start with this, except to say that the subtitle must have been spliced on when the author realized he had added nothing to the subject. The theme is supposedly about the "Opening of the West," but the heart of the book is really a tedious narrative of the trip up the river, if that's possible. There is little historical perspective aside from contemporary politics, and there is absolutely no critical analysis of the primary sources. (Also, the first few chapters are so bad that I think he must have had his assistants write them--they are no better than undergraduate research assignments). You may notice that the text is meticulously footnoted, but this is merely a ruse to hide the lack of anything meaningful to say. For example, Ambrose repeatedly catalogues the number of elk, deer, pronghorns, buffalo, etc. shot by the hunters--not once, not twice, but endlessly. I would much rather the space had been used to provide the reader with some wider information about the area they explored, such as more background on the natives, the wildlife, the climate, and how the area has changed in the meantime (maps, please!). But Ambrose is myopically focused on the expedition itself, and he doesn't really seem to care about the West except how it appeared to Lewis' eyes. And this is the worst problem with the book: Ambrose roots openly for the expedition's success, but he also laments nostalgically for what this success inevitably destroyed. He's a Romantic of the most naive kind, one for whom the West is populated both by Whites and by Indians, by rifles and by buffalo, by Americans and by wilderness. For him, beavers and fur trappers live in harmony, and Charley Russell is a clear-eyed photo-journalist. Ambrose wants to have been there to see it as they saw it. That's nice, but that's not a reason for you to read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Read
Review: Undaunted Courage was a thoroughly enjoyable book to read. I recently moved to the St Louis area, so I thought it would be interesting to read a book about Louis and Clark. Stephen Ambrose weaves together journal enteries from the participants of the journey to open the west along with his own narration, and has created a very entertaining story. I've learned a great deal about the Louis and Clark expedition with fasinating insights that I would probably otherwise never have come across. Highly recommended. For history buffs, another interesting book is For the Common Defense.
Rating: 
Summary: Aaaah!!!
Review: Please save yourself the pain of excrutiating boredom and don't read this! This is the most boring book I have ever had the displeasure of reading. I suppose, if you were interested in the subject you could stand it, but not me. I had to read this book for an explorer project in school, which made it worse, because once you pick the book you're stuck with it. This book failed to bring an interesting light on the Lewis and Clark expedition; which probably was an exiting adventure, but not when Steven Ambrose is telling the story. I love to read, but this book was torture. Ambrose gives you facts, and more facts, and more, so many that your head is spinning with confusion. He doesn't give a personality to the characters, and even after 474 pages I still don't feel like I know a thing about Meriwhether Lewis. Ambrose keeps history at an arms length and you can't relate to any of the characters because you don't know them. I thought that the parts about Sacajawea would help me get through the book, because I think she's interesting, but Ambrose barely ever talks about her and doesn't even describe what she looked like or what relationship Lewis or any of the men might have had with her. Like I said before, save yourself from the boredom and don't read this book. I'm sure you could find someone with a real talent for writing if you want to know about Lewis & Clark.
Rating:
Summary: Among my favorite books ever!
Review: This is a wonderful book. A great story by a masterful non-fiction writer. Ambrose transports you to the Lewis and Clarke expedition through the skillful use of detail. This is among my favorite books ever!
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