Lewis and Clark's descriptions of their epic overland journey is a deserved American classic. So many students must memorize the Gettysburg Address or the Preamble of the Constitution, but too few are ever introduced to this magnificent trilogy, told in Lewis and Clark's own words. They were the first white men to lay eyes on the interior sections of the Unites States, when the land was unspoiled, unpolluted and obviously quite spectacular. In great detail, they relate their indescribable amazement to see giant Sequoia trees, grizzly bears and endless miles of barren desert.

Lewis and Clark's experiences are the stuff of legend, but the question that begs to be answered is: could they write? The answer is a resounding yes! The narrative flows smoothly, the descriptions of the animals and landscape come alive with their vivid use of language and metaphor. Perhaps the most vivid sections of the book revolve around their numerous encounters with Native Americans. This book should be required reading for anyone with an history in the history and exploration of the United States.

Before breaking camp in Fort Clatsop, the expedition had hoped to encounter British traders who ply the coasts, in order to buy provisions and ammunition with "their ample letters of credit." These were drawn on the Executive office of the United States, in other words Jefferson, who after getting $2,500 from Congress to finance, he seemed prepared to bring them back to Washington at any costs, including circumnavigating taxi if need be (this is no joke).

However, the waiting for the traders delays them from their start, and their hopes of returning to St Louis during the season are as warm and finally decisive as their previous push to the West. They break camp, return up the Columbia River, and with Sacajawea's vital help, find their way over the mountains where the snows are so thick that trails are impossible to discover. Thankfully the expedition resumes the Missouri, and after averaging 20 miles a day on the ascent (using oar and sail), they frequently make 80 miles a day on the descent.

After such a long and harrowing journey, full of hardships and decorated with delights, the men are anxious to press for home, sometimes not landing for rest or game during their earnest advance.

This trio of books is among the best reads I've ever had of men journeying into the unknown, discovering the best in themselves, and holding to the notion that perseverance will ultimately endure.

I loved the book, a satisfying completion to a wonderful tale.

The narrative picks up in June 1805, after a night of rain "but it cleared off and became a fine day." By the end of that year when the expedition next wintered near modern day Astoria, OR, the expedition would face rains almost constantly, having a dozen or so dry days all winter, and of those only half provided sunshine.

This year is the most difficult of the expedition (or rather the period covered by this volume). The team meets its greatest hardships, not least of which is choosing the best overland route when the Missouri is no longer navigable. The correct choice (and the correct choice was made) is vital to preserving the goodwill of the men and the success of the expedition. Grizzly bears continue to harass the men (many hunters are treed), the mosquitoes become horribly bothersome, and when game becomes scarce, they trade for horses, sometimes killing the colts for food; elsewhere they trade to feed upon dogs, at first a meat loathsome to the men, but after adaptation and long usage, it becomes a favorite food, as the expedition trades for that article particularly. Many times plant roots and dried fish served as the only food for days on end, which made the men sick, who were so drenched with rain (they built their winter cabins in the rain), that many were too sick to participate in the necessary subsistence.

Here Sacajawea and her husband are saved from drowning by the vigilance of Captain Clark.

This volume provides many instances of bighorn and behavior, pronghorn antelope and behavior, and of course grizzly bears. This wonderful volume of harrowing escapes, exciting scenes of the endurance of man, and the wonderful rewards from severe hardships ends in March 1806, just before the expedition evacuates Fort Clatsop on the Pacific Coast.

A wonderful read for early American exploration, and an excellent resource for the American wilderness at the beginning of the 19th century.

This book has received an Honorable Mention from the 2001 Southern Books Competition. "A dramatic front cover, a striking half title page and a bright, cheerful title quickly tell the reader that is a special book. Architecture needs to be seen to be appreciated, and this book does that very well. Photographs are most effectively presented, and the images are exceptional. Quite readable captions guide and inform. Chapter openings dazzle and invite the reader to turn the pages." Congratulations to the author and photographer, designer Robin McDonald, and the University of Alabama Press.

Alabama Architecture: Looking At Building And Place by architectural historian and preservationist Alice Meriwether Bowsher is a gorgeous coffee table book filled with expansive, full-color photography by M. Lewis Kennedy Jr. of the most unique, stylized, and flavorful examples of Alabama's unique architectural heritage. A few essays are included, but the majority of Alabama Architecture focuses on the crystal-clear pictures with only brief captions to describe the most notable features of the buildings depicted. A most beautiful and eye-catching book of Alabama's best combinations of art and shelter, Alabama Architecture is a superbly presented and highly recommended addition to any professional or academic Architectural Studies reference collection.

If all history books were like this, we would all be avid students of history. I found myself wishing that this book was 500 pages long, because it was so interesting and enjoyable to read. If you have any interest in American history I would highly recommend this book. If you have no interest in American history, I would still recommend it!

The suicide of Meriwether Lewis has always been one of the more tragic and interesting mysteries of American history. Clay Jenkinson, in this book on the character of Lewis, is witty, profound, insightful, and highly readable. We learn about Lewis' interest in food, his views on Indians and women, his longing for an important place in history, his drinking and most importantly, his view of himself. We see the Expedition through the unedited writings of Lewis himself and through Clay Jenkinson's perspective on what those writings reveal.

In the end, we must still speculate about what was in Lewis' heart and head on the night he took his life, but we are left with a much better understanding of the workings of that mind.

This excellent and wonderfully written book celebrates and critically examines the sensitive, lyric, and noble soul of Meriwether Lewis. Clay Jenkinson explores Lewis' psyche from a unique perspective - literally - as a first-person historical interpreter. Profound, humorous, and soulful reflection make this a great read. Jenkinson's knowledge as a Jefferson scholar also enriches the text. Valuable to anyone curious about America's epic. There is also a wealth of information on the author's website.

The Journals of Lewis and Clark are about as fundamental a Western American treatise as you will find. Tackling this leviathan is a daunting challenge but one with great rewards. Clark copied Lewis word for word on many entries so it takes true dedication to read every word of the text. Throw in the maps, the preparatory work of Lewis and related ephemera for good measure. This will not only require a huge investment in time but several feet of book space. At [the price] per volume you will also limit out your credit card. Is it worth it? No other work can provide the background for understanding the ensuing growth of the West. Every single day of the journey is accounted for and there are tediously detailed accounts of the geography and navigational coordinates. Be prepared for some of the most creative spelling ever recorded. Once read it is an experience never to be forgotten and you will not regret the effort.

The author of the most-recent biography of Meriwether Lewis recommends this series by Moulton as the best available collection of the Journals.

Read right from the journals, alternating between Lewis and Clark (and so designated), their account of discovery, bravery, survival, not to mention sheer luck at times. This book cannot replace the editorials and depth of "Undaunted Courage" by Stephen Ambrose; but it is very enjoyable and informative to read directly from the authors of this historic expedition. I am amazed at everything they accomplished (including finding the time and energy to write journal entries).

John Bakeless takes the journals of both Lewis and Clark and edits them into this fascinating, primary account. He concentrates mainly on thejournal entries for the journey to the Pacific. This is a good, well-priced shortened version of the journals, with only the highlights, for Lewis and Clark fans.

During the period covered by this volume, Lewis and Clark were beyond the portage around Great Falls. During the time described in the subtitle to this volume, July 28 - November 1, 1805, L&C were leaving Three Forks, crossing the continental divide, and meeting the Shoshone Indians, with whom they traded for horses with which to cross the Bitteroot Mountains. The portage around Great Falls is described in Volume 4 of Moulton's edition of the journals.

This volume details the thoughts of Lewis and Clark, and others as they determine which major waterway to follow to the Great Falls of the Missouri, their first significant obstacle. The portage around the great falls is more than they imagined, and is explained in great detail. It explores the many new discoveries in the interior of what is now central and western Montana. This volume also further expounds the growing problems with the unpredictable 'white bear', and the harshness of spring and summer weather in Montana.

This is an excellent book. It is hard to imagine the hardship these men had to endure on their trip across the nation, but by reading this book you get some kind of idea. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is even slightly intrested in the history of the Lewis and Clark expedition. This book tells it exactly how it happened, from the men who were there. I strongly believe that books like these should be required reading in schools....who knows what this country would be like today had it not been for those brave men.

Fascinating personal day-by-day account of the journey of Lewis and Clark through the Louisiana Territory. As you read, you feel yourself slowly seeing the American west as it was seen by those who first wrote of its magnificence, the customs of the natives, the wildlife, and climate. You see it for what it was, and for its possibilities. This edition has been edited from the individual journals of both Lewis and Clark and some of the others. It has been made more compact by putting in only passages that tell the story, but with no sentence restructuring or spelling corrections. Sometimes this requires you to figure the meaning out, but is never a big problem. The chapter length was perfect for reading a chapter a day which means 33 days. The only bad chapter was 31, which was a summary of one leg lifted from DeVoto's The Course of Empire, which I felt was harder to understand than the journals. The appendix includes Jefferson's Instructions, list of personnel, and specimens returned.

There is not much new that I can add which has not already been said of the Journals. Simply put, fantastic! I have read some excellent books regarding the Lewis and Clark Expedition, but reading the actual journals themselves makes one feel as though they are right there alongside them. Names such as John Colter, the Fields brothers, George Drouillard, Peter Cruzatte, Touissant Charbonneau and his wife Sacajawea, John Ordway, George Shannon, and many of the others in the journal become so familiar, it's as if the reader is a "fly on the saddle" (so to speak) during the entire expedition. Every chapter, every leg of the journey, has something relating to the hardships, sacrifices, conjectures, speculations, survival strategies, Indian confrontations and appropriate manners of behavior, along with wonderful descriptions of landforms, Indian culture, animals, plants, climate, etc. A truly gripping, meaningful look at early western U.S. exploration. DeVoto's introduction and editing is extremely well done.

A very good book about the Lewis & Clark expedition. The illustrations were vivid and the best part of the book. I would recommend this book

Set in 1804, How We Crossed The West by Rosalyn Schanzer is the true story of the incredibly adventurous Lewis & Clark expedition exploring westward from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean (May 1804 to November 1805). Superbly presented in an exciting picturebook format for young readers, the "reader friendly" text is taken from the original journals of the explorers themselves, though slightly edited for clarity. The wealth of illustrations are warm, colorful acrylic/colored pencil designs that bring a great journey through early America vividly to life. As educational as it is entertaining, How We Crossed The West is a superbly presented history and very highly recommended for school and community library collections.

This book is an excellent example of a primary source of information. I originally bought the book because I believed it would be a good resource for teaching about the Lewis and Clark Expedition, but after I got it and realized the text was created from journal entries made by Lewis, Clark and others, I was truly excited to be teaching from this book. There is just enough text per page so as not to be overwhelming to elementary students and the illustrations are gorgeous.

A more detailed view of Lewis and Clark's relations and attitudes toward the Indians. Interesting insight into Sacagawea's true role within the Corp of Discovery. A must read for any Lewis and Clark/Western history buff.

AS an author of a Lewis and Clark book, I can appreciate the research involved in writing a good book. Dr. Ronda has written the definitive book for understanding the interactions between The Corps of Discovery and the various Indian nations they encountered. He explains the politics behind the numerous interactions, some friendly others very contentious. For a Lewis and Clark buff, this is a MUST HAVE addition to their collection.
I totally enjoyed this book!

This book is a great follow up to Stephen Ambrose's Undaunted Courage, and builds on his great synopsis of the journey. Readers will gain a greater appreciation of the rich Native American cultures that were instrumental in the success of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. After reading this book you will walk away with a renewed sense of awe regarding the journey, and a new found respect for a culture that has been all but destroyed by the "white man's progress". An excellent, gripping, insightful and exciting read. Involves some advanced terms and concepts that add flavor to a general understanding of this most fascinating period of 19th Century American Histroy.

First off, contrary to earlier reviewers, this book has NOTHING to do with the Lewis and Clark expedition. Out of the 350 pages in the book, they might be mentioned a half dozen times and one might want to get Lavender's "The Way to the Western Sea," if interested on Meriweather and William's trip.
Instead, "Let me Be Free," is on the Nez Perce tribe which lived in Oregon's Wallowa Valley until it was forced from the land in the 1860's. This is a great book if the reader is interested in a century's worth of history about the tribe but I'd suggest something else if the intent on reading this is solely learning about Chief Joseph's tragic flight from the US military in 1877.
I originally got into Lavender's works after reading his fantastic book, "Bents' Fort" which is about the trading family of William Bent in SE Colorado. I had no interest in the subject but was recommended the book and I fell fully immersed into it because of Lavender's detailed writing-style and ability to create real identities to the historical characters instead of just giving names and dates. He has the same writing style in "Let Me Be Free," and will never shy from a unimportant but lighthearted side story. The writing is anything but dry.
The first half of LMBF is on how the tribe lived and existed, its neighbors, and its relations with the first whites to reach Oregon. Lavender has a contentious understanding of the western Native American tribes and writes in a fair and unbiased reader-friendly style and includes the correct names and terms the Nez Perce (Nimipu) used.
The last 100 pages cover Chief Joseph's (Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kehht's) flight and includes a fantastic map in the front for the reader to follow the tribe along on its failed march to freedom.
The book fails to get five stars from me because I was most interested in the Nez Perce march and it just took too long to finally reach that subject in the book. It reminded me of "Undaunted Courage," (Ambrose's book on Meriweather Lewis) where there is no much buildup to the expedition that once the reader finally reaches it in the book, it falls a bit flat. However, if anyone is interested on the Nez Perce tribe itself, you won't find a better book. Any Western Oregon historians would also immensely enjoy this work.

David Lavender just may have written the definitive history of the Lewis and Clark expedition. It is a wonderfully wrought narrative, capturing the full width and breadth of this incredible journey. Lavender's sardonic tongue deflates many of the myths surrounding the "voyage of discovery," noting that for the most part this was a well-trodden path. The only actual "discovery" was that of linking the Missouri to the Columbia. However, this makes it no less an adventure.

He downplays the significance of Sacagewea. For the most part she was little used on this voyage. Her one major contribution was helping to secure horses for the great fording of the Bitteroot Mountains. Still, Lavender lavishes much attention on her and her son, which it seems that William Clark did as well. Her presence seemed to secure safe passage during their final leg down the Columbia River, as it made the expedition team seem less war-like.

Lavender also provides the background for the voyage, detailing President Jefferson's dream to establish an American Northwest Passage, linking one ocean to another. Lavender probes the seemingly paternal relationship between Jefferson and Lewis, and how Jefferson was able to win Congress over to a third attempt to cross the continent, despite questions regarding Lewis' qualifications. Jefferson personally trained Lewis for the expedition and provided added tutelage in the form of the leading lights of American science. Like a devoted son, Lewis made every effort to carry out the mission, which Jefferson sponsored, even when it seemed foolhardy to do so.

For those who haven't travelled this route before, you will be in good hands with David Lavender. For those who have, I think you will marvel at how masterful a job Lavender does in recording the events, giving the best rounded version of the "voyage of discovery" that I have read.

Originally subtitled "the U.S. Army's War Against Seven Hundred Nez Perce Men,Women, and Children," this moving history documents the brutal persecution of a small Northwestern tribe. Western historian David lavender never hides his sympathy in this powerful chronicle of Chief Joseph's "flight toward freedom" in 1877 to avoid reservation life. This is a really sad story filled with overlooked possibilities for compromise, understanding, and tolerance. Lavender considers the Nex Perce War the final betrayal of a long and once-promising relationship between white explorers, fur trappers, Christian missionairies, and the tribe. Chief Old Joseph, father of the more famous Chief Joseph, even converted to Christianity for both spiritual and practical reasons. Peaceful coexistence and friendship with the new settlers was his policy. Greed, cultural intolerance, and racial hatred eventually doomed those possibilities for Nez Perce. Although Chief Joseph developed a reputation as an Indian Napeleon for his brilliant fighting tactics, Lavender emphasizes that Chief Joseph continually sought to avoid war. Chief Joseph's simple hope was to have a reservation that would allow his people to live in their traditional land and stay close to his father's grave in Wallowa Valley, Oregon. The United States military commanders of that time, however, demanded the tribe move. This compelling account of the Nez Perce's failed 1700 mile exodus to join Sitting Bull in Canada captures the cruelty, mindlessness, and viciousness of 19th century America's expansionist policies. Chief Joseph's eloquent words, especially when surrending after a blizzard just a few miles south of the Canadian border, accents the pain and injustice.