Dramatic paintings, maps drawn by members of the expedition, journal sketches and entries, and photographs tell one of America’s most enduring and fascinating tales.
In every moment of their voyage, recounted here by historian Daniel B. Thorp, the courage and perseverance of these two visionaries shine forth. Follow the Corps of Discovery as they head across the then-frontier of St. Louis, through the plains where they meet and befriend various Indian tribes, over the Bitterroot Mountains, and then down the Snake and Columbia Rivers to the sea. Intriguing sidebars highlight lesser-known aspects of the expedition, including how Clark used the European medicine he brought along to help forge a relationship with the native peoples they encountered.
I have been fascinated with Lewis and Clark for most of my life so was already aware of some of the things included in this book but not all. It's only a summary so it's not as detailed as reading the journals would be, but it's not as tedious or hard to understand either. Some of the journal pages are included here along with drawings and pictures of artifacts from the journey. There are also beautiful photographs of areas they passed through to give the reader an idea of the things they saw for the first time.
The book talks about this historical event like the truly grand adventure story it was. From beginning to end, it was very well done and was an interesting, enjoyable read. I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys history - even to some ambitious readers as young as 4th or 5th grade.