Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery

I loved this book and sped through it in two days. One of the things that popped out was that if it hadn't been for an elderly indian woman whose name we don't know, the American people would never have benefitted from all that Lewis & Clark discovered and documented as toward the end of their travels in the northwest, she kept her tribesmen from killing Lewis & Clark for their horses and possessions -- we owe a lot to that nameless woman. And another Indian woman, whose name we do know, was also instrumental in ensuring the success of this expedition -- Sacagawea -- as she secured horses from her tribe that were instrumental in helping the expedition complete its mission.

This book is an "easy to read" introduction to the journey of the Corps of Discovery and the official companion book to Ken Burn's PBS documentary. I keep it handy when I'm re-reading Ambrose's classic book Undaunted Courage. What highlights this book are the numerous illustrations, paintings, journal sketches, photographs, and film images taken from the PBS documentary, something visual appears on almost every page. Numerous pages from Lewis and Clark diaries have been reproduced, including a few maps,descriptions of unknown birds and animals, lists of gifts to be given to natives, the code matrix used to send secret messages to President Jefferson, list of provisions, etc. Scattered throughout the text are modern day color photographs and paintings of various locations along the journey, including numerous side box commentary and page long essays to help the reader understand the danger and challenges of trailblazing.This journey was truly a monumental physical, mental and spiritual journey. Besides Lewis and Clark, four other members of the Corps of Discovery kept journals and are often quoted. I felt like I was there with them, experiencing their raw emotion, sometimes turbulent spirits, but above all, constant surprise and discovery along the trail. The authors spend significant time describing the culturally diverse native populations they encounter along the way, and you'll find out why some tribes became obstacles while others were crucial to their success. If you enjoyed reading the book Undaunted Courage, you will also want this illustrated history loaded with color and B/W photos, charts, paitings, sketches,etc. on almost every page (albeit it short on maps). You won't be dissappointed!

I purchased this book as I am a homeschooling mom. We are studying American History this year and I was disappointed with some of the other curriculum I have seen covering American History. The one we were using and a couple of others I "consult" just glaze over Lewis And Clark. I, being a true student when in school, just learned the basic facts needed, regurgitated them for the test and them flushed them out of my mind. As I have been schooling my own children it has been a joy to really LEARN about history. So my kids asked if I knew more about Lewis and Clark and I said,"No, let's see what we can find about their explorations." So I did. They really like the book and we used it alongside of the PBS production of Lewis and Clark. It is a bit lengthy and my kids thought dry at times but it was done so well and was so thorough in its information, I give it a 5 out of 5 rating. As I give my 5 out of 5 for this book. Well written, great photos, sketches, art, etc. as well as great information on the Corps of Discovery. Highly recommend to anyone teaching History or just interested in Lewis and Clark's explorations!

Like every American kid, I grew up knowing the names "Lewis and Clark." But (also, I suspect, like most American kids), I really knew (and cared) very little about their incredible journey, or why it was undertaken. Then, 10 years ago, I stumbled across Dayton Duncan's wonderful Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery, and I was hooked.Duncan's book is a wonderful introduction to the Corps of Discovery (even the name itself is exciting, isn't it?) in that it offers information about the expedition without overwhelming the reader new to the topic, illustrates the text with fine photographs and reproductions, all of which are instructively captioned, contains a number of sideboxes and page-long essays on specializied subjects, and includes several essays from other Lewis and Clark authorities, including Ken Burns, who produced the companion film, and Stephen Ambrose.Duncan ends the book with an essay, "We procceded on," that is as reflective a meditation on the deep meaning of the Corps of Discovery journey as I've read. It also serves as an excellent preface to another of his books, Out West, a fascinating and entertaining account of his recapitulation of the Corps of Discovery's route in a volkswagon camper.If you're new to Lewis and Clark, this is the book to read. But it's also pure pleasure for afficionados.

My mom was delighted by this book. She is a lifelong fan (age 91) of the Lewis & Clark Expedition, and has read many books on the topic. She was especially pleased with this book, and told me "This is a REALLY good author." The book is well bound, the pictures and print, high quality. I wasn't looking for a book of encyclopedic proportions for her (too heavy to hold), and this book was a great choice.

Good reference but awful drone like reader and every chapter he reminds us the name of the book,who reads it and that it is registered.Iwas disappointed in all of "story"that was left out .This is a typical dry text book type read.

This is a great book about Lewis & Clark's expedition to the west coast. I saw the documentary on PBS TV and had to have this book.It is better than I expected.

This book is thorough, love the pictures. Kind of like a textbook, and I’m a slow reader. Glad I have it.

Why buy this book if you already have, say, Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose or Lewis and Clark Voyage of Discovery from National Geographic? Buy because Dayton has written from a different perspective which will enhance your appreciation of this Voyage of Discovery.Useful essays include essays on Lewis 's dog Seaman, Sacagawea and the 178 plants and 122 animals seen by the Corps of Discovery that have not been seen before by Americans. The illustrations are also well chosen.

On 14 May 1804, a party of men called the Corps of Discovery set out to explore the vast unknown land west of the Mississippi River to find the north west passage to the Pacific Ocean. This huge area, known as the Louisiana Purchase had recently been bought from France and the third President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, wanted to know what he had bought, what the country was like and what native tribes and animals lived there. The expedition was led by two remarkable and very different people who happened to be friends, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.It was the first official expedition to explore these lands and they were the first white men to experience the great plains, to struggle over the Rockies, to cross the Continental Divide and the first white men to be seen by the native Americans living in this region. In those days two out of every three Americans lived within 50 miles of the Atlantic Ocean, only four roads crossed the Allegheny Mountains and the United States ended on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River so the explorers had no idea what they would find beyond the Mississippi. Almost everything further west was a blank on the map and they had no idea how far it was from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean - it proved to be many more times than they imagined. They knew of several small isolated settlements on the Pacific coast in what was then called Oregon Territory and Spanish Territory but nothing was known about the vast area between these and the Mississippi.What they found was truly remarkable and it proved to be the most important expedition in the history of the United States. The expedition travelled about 4,000 miles and its members would be the first Americans to reach the Pacific Ocean by land. Only one man was lost during the entire journey. The expedition was a story of triumph and tragedy and is told superbly by Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns based on the diaries kept by the expedition members. Unfortunately the expedition took place before the era of photography so the text is supplemented by many beautiful contemporary paintings and sketches and photographs taken by Edward S. Curtis who travelled throughout the west later in the century and they convey brilliantly the essence of this fascinating region that was to rapidly change and disappear within a very short period of time not long after Lewis and Clark returned to St Louis, Missouri on 23 September 1806.The book is superbly presented, it makes for absorbing reading and is a wonderful insight into a way of life that no longer exists. The native Americans who had ironically saved the expedition several times from starvation were crushed by the wave of white Americans who came from the east and subjugated them, slaughtered the animals they relied upon for food and clothing in vast numbers, transformed the land, mined the vast mineral deposits, dammed the fast flowing rivers and built the cities that are so familiar to us today.

It is a good account of the expedition, enhanced by excerpts from the explorer's diaries. The video is a great complement to the book.

Great book. Really enjoyed it.