Rating: 
Summary: A Perfect History
Review: Undaunted Courage tells the story of Meriwether Lewis & TJ with an abundance of facts. Ambrose tells us a story with the words of the people who were on the expedition. I do not see why people complain that this book has book has narrowed in on Lewis too much. Read the the title! It is about Lewis and TJ, not Sacajawea or whoever else you were expecting. It is just Lewis and his wonderful expedition.
Rating:
Summary: Good Stuff
Review: For anyone unfamiliar with Lewis and Clark, or that time period of American history, sigh in relief! This book is not only a great read, but orients you to the trip Lewis and Clark made overland out to the Pacific Ocean. High readability; however, pay attention to the title: this is a book about Merriweather Lewis' expedition west. Anyone looking for much on Sacajawea or York will have to look elsewhere, which is fine with me. Lewis deserves his own book. The author loves his subject---with that it is easy to stay with the story. Its not a heavy read at all. If you are even a bit curious and don't want to get in too deep, this book is perfect for you! It was for me.
Rating: 
Summary: For Hard Cores only.
Review: How one could make such fantastic source material so boring . . . . The research is fine, but should have been reduced by half; ex.,so many pages about delays of the boat being built. This is really the biography of Lewis. If interested in Sacagawea, or anyone else, you will be disappointed. Telltale in the introduction: "We took turns enumerating the reasons we loved our country. We sang patriotic songs. We indulged ourselves in an outpouring of patriotism." Just the facts, please.
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Summary: Great Tour Guide and History, But What About Clark?
Review: UNDAUNTED COURAGE is the type of history book one wants to find, if one is uncertain why history is important. Readable, exciting, sometimes emotionally-draining, informative, and erudite, it is history for people who wonder what history books have to offer. First of all, a reason to go rafting in the American Northwest. The journals, used as primary source material, reveal the pristine American wilderness as it will never be again, but the narrative is enough to want one to explore for oneself all the places mentioned. Second, the narrative immerses the reader in its times. Not only the journals, but the letters highlight an emphasis on health and injury, class backgrounds, education, language, and practical matters, like careers and marriage. There are discussions of international relations, featuring Jefferson's plans, involving Britain, Canada, and Asian trade, for the expedition. The expedition crew is also given their say, and their concerns and behavior are revealing. And, the scientific angle is fascinating; new boat technologies, biological classifications, anthropology, geography. Third, there is the debunking, particularly of the Sacajawea myth and her role in the expedition. This book is a great service to scholarship and readers.
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Summary: Making Clear the Journal
Review: If you have ever read through reproductions of the actual journals of Lewis & Clark, you may have stumbled along with the style of the authors' writing skills. Stephan Ambrose has cleared that up for us, elucidating the language of Lewis & Clark while adding his own well-pointed narrations. For the first time I was able to easily read and enjoy the accounts of this most important event in American history. This book is bound to be a classic on the bookshelves of the lovers of history. It's another masterpiece by one of American's best writers of the subject. G. Newman, U.S. history teacher
Rating:
Summary: A thrilling story full of heroes
Review: Ambrose tells the story about Meriwether Lewis, a close confidant of President Jeffereson, who Jefferson sent to explore the Americam West. Lewis teamed up with William Clark and although Lewis was commissioned as a captain and Clark as a lieutenant, Lewis magnanimously shared command with him. Along with the rest of the expedition and guides and interpreters they picked up along the way, Lewis and Clark heroically reached the Pacific Ocean. They mapped uncharted territory that no white person had ever seen. They sought a water route to the Pacific along the Missouri and Columnbia Rivers but, such a route was not available forcing many miles of portaging. They had to deal with many different Indian tribes and, until well into the return trip, they successfully avoided any armed conflict. Indeed, they picked up a young Indian woman and her white husband along the way and the two joined the expedition. She was heroic as she travelled with them while five months pregnant and bore a child along the way. She was invaluable as an interpreter and interceder. The journey was full of obstacles which the expedition overcame. There were no telegraph lines back then and travel was by boat or horse. There were no roads, only Indian trails. Often rivers forked and they had to guess at which was the river they were following and which was a tributary leading to another desination. By losing communication, they had to be filled in on whether Jefferson was still president when they returned because they had no news for the entire time they were west of St. Louis. This is a marvelous tale, well told by a great historian.
Rating:
Summary: A Must-read for anyone interested in early American History
Review: Using detailed references to a vast multitude of written history, Ambrose makes you feel as if your were on the Lewis and Clark expedition. One reads the book with a continually increasing sense of awe at the courage, ability, and engenuity displayed by Lewis, Clark, Thomas Jefferson and the other members of this enterprise. This should be required reading in all highschools and colleges.
Rating: 
Summary: Courage
Review: It gave all the facts, and it told the story. Kids don't love the subject. It only told about Lewis and Clark.
Rating: 
Summary: Hope you've got a while to read it...
Review: It's undeniably a good book. I learned so much from it...BUT I almost feel like I was inundated with too much information. I don't deny that the details make the story interesting, but pages devoted to how many pounds of dried soup Lewis bought didn't really interest me. I did enjoy that it gave more attention to Sacagawea than you'd get in a typical US History class.
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Summary: Undaunted Courage Review
Review: This book was the first novel I read where history was accurately portrait in a compelling, engaging storyline. While some introductory parts where slow to read, I felt as though I was actually on the exploration when Stephen Ambrose took the reader through the harsh winters, indian negotiations, and the real experience of exploring the unknown. The book was thoroughly enjoyable and inspired me to seek out more challenges and face the unknowing with more vigor than ever before. Great book.
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