This Vast Enterprise: A New History of Lewis & Clark

by Craig Fehrman

“Original, compelling, and memorable…Fehrman sheds new light on a fabled story, and tells it in a way that puts all of us back in a vanished but resonant world.” —Jon Meacham “Here, at long last, is the Lewis and Clark expedition presented in living technicolor.” —Hampton Sides “Spectacular…Fehrman paints an incredible, vivid, you-are-there portrait.” —Garrett M. Graff

A major revisionist history of the Lewis and Clark For the first time in a generation, This Vast Enterprise offers a fresh and more accurate account of one of the most important episodes in American history, humanizing forgotten figures and shattering long-held myths.

Celebrated young historian Craig Fehrman, whose first book, Author in Chief, was hailed by Thomas Mallon in The Wall Street Journal as “one of the best books on the American presidency to appear in recent years,” delivers a major new account of the Lewis and Clark expedition.

When Meriwether Lewis and William Clark returned from their long journey, in 1806, they brought an incredible tale starring themselves as courageous explorers, skilled scientists, and peaceful ambassadors. There was truth in those descriptions. But there was also distortion.

For the first time in a generation, This Vast Enterprise offers a fresh and more accurate account of their expedition—a gripping narrative that draws on new documents, stunning analysis, and Native perspectives. Fehrman’s central insight is that the success of Lewis and Clark depended on much more than just Lewis and Clark. We all know Sacajawea, and some of us know York, the Black man Clark enslaved. But This Vast Enterprise introduces us to John Ordway, a working-class soldier who fought grizzlies and towed the captains’ bulky barge. It introduces us to Wolf Calf, a Blackfoot teenager who watched his friend die in a battle with Lewis and his men.

To capture this cast of characters, each chapter in This Vast Enterprise moves to a new point of view, describing that person’s desires and contradictions with an unprecedented level of care. Fehrman balances the story’s inherent adventure with the humanity of its protagonists. One chapter shows Thomas Jefferson operating in an age of bitter partisan unrest—his secret maneuvers to fund the expedition, uncovered here for the first time, are a case study in presidential power. Another chapter reveals the strategy and strength of Black Buffalo, a Lakota leader, completely upending our understanding of early Lakota American diplomacy. Clark, in his chapters, is not a folksy Kentuckyian but a student of the Enlightenment. (Fehrman found Clark’s college notebook.) Lewis is someone whose psychological demons feel at once heartbreaking and modern.

And yet, in the end, the captains are men who needed help—from Sacajawea, from York, and from each other. Their expedition truly was a vast enterprise, a sprawling and federally funded military mission that came down to the heroic sacrifices of a few human beings. This book portrays those people, all of them, for the first time. It is more than just a work of history—it’s a testament to the power of innovative research and emotional storytelling, and a thrilling reminder that even the most familiar moments in history can still surprise us.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, American History, Biography, Adventure, Travel, Audiobook

Audible Audio

First published April 21, 2026

About the author

Craig Fehrman, a journalist and historian, spent five years writing and researching This Vast Enterprise. His first book, Author in Chief, was described by Thomas Mallon in The Wall Street Journal as “one of the best books on the American presidency to appear in recent years.” Fehrman lives in Indiana with his wife and children.

Reviews

[David Mc · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I began this book with high expectations, things began to fall by the wayside for me a few chapters into the story. To begin with, it seemed like much of the information in the book had long ago been covered via Ken Burns, as well as previous books concerning the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Worse yet, given the fact that there is a limited amount of written information available on most of the members of group, the author continually relied on guesswork when commenting on their thoughts and feelings. For example, in describing York’s resentment towards Clark or Sacagawea’s sadness about losing her family, the author carefully prefaced such speculations with “maybe” for “perhaps.”

If this book had been slightly tweaked and written as a novel, I think I would have enjoyed it much more. However, as it has been touted as a “historical account” of the Corps of Discovery, the continual conjectures regarding the innermost thoughts of these real life characters made the book difficult to read. Thus, going against the rave reviews for this book…I tossed it in my DNF pile around the halfway point.

[Matt- History on the Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Vast Enterprise by Craig Fehrman elevates narrative nonfiction to a new standard. Fehrman breathes fresh life into the legendary saga of Lewis and Clark’s expedition to the American West through a compelling storytelling device: each chapter is told from a different perspective, ranging from members of the Corps of Discovery to the diverse individuals they encountered along the way. This approach is at its most powerful when Fehrman amplifies voices often sidelined in history, such as York, William Clark’s enslaved body servant, and Sacagawea, the iconic Shoshone translator and some of the leaders of the Native Nations the Corp encountered.

Fehrman also provides an immersive look into the various Native American Nations the Corps encountered, offering nuanced insights into the traditions and cultures of the Blackfoot, Mandan, and Shoshone peoples. Arriving just in time for the 250th anniversary of American Independence , This Vast Enterprise is a refreshing reexamination of the expedition’s role in America’s westward expansion and diplomatic evolution. However, the book truly excels by providing vital context for life in the early 19th century and offering a profound new perspective on the Indigenous Nations that once ruled the American West.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley, for granting me a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Believe it or not, this is the first book I've read about Lewis and Clark's famous expedition across the frontier. Like the rest of America, I always had a vague notion of what happened via cultural osmosis, but my studies and interests tended to veer away from the American West. With that in mind, I can't attest to how Craig Fehrman's "revisionist" analysis compares to the traditional one, but I did have the opportunity to read this story with fresh eyes. Rather than focus solely on the iconic duo, Fehrman tells each chapter through the perspective of a different key figure on the expedition: soldier John Ordway, Shoshone interpreter Sacajawea, Clarke's enslaved companion, York, numerous Native American leaders, and of course, Lewis and Clark themselves--two exceedingly complicated men who took on the roles of explorers, scientists, physicians, soldiers, and diplomats during the span of their journey.

Fehrman breaks the mold by placing a slightly greater focus on Lewis, the more melancholy and troubled of the two, than Clark, who better fits the bill of a traditional protagonist. Clark was capable of great kindness and cruelty, a duality we see time and again, especially in his interactions with Sacajawea and York. The young Indian woman, who was captured by a warring tribe as a teenager and sold to a French fur trader, and the enslaved man are arguably the two stand-out characters of This Vast Enterprise, although the fact that neither one was literate, and therefore did not leave behind any personal writings, presents an issue. Fehrman writes in the style of a novelist, which makes for an engaging read, and one has to admire the lengths he goes to to try to depict his subjects as complex human beings, but the liberties he takes with deducing what they were thinking and feeling, always expressed so confidently despite scant evidence, can be quite presumptuous. Perhaps York looked upon the Pacific coast and thought of freedom--or perhaps he was tired and wanted to head back to camp. We simply do not know.

By the last third of the book, the multiple POVs start to feel excessive; This Vast Enterprise could have benefitted from being a little tighter, with more consolidation. The story's grand scope is fitting for such a remarkable adventure, however, and Fehrman has written a story that will draw in newcomers and leave them excited to learn more. It certainly left me interested in learning more about this incredible story, and the eclectic men (and woman) who made it happen.

[Prez · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book should be classified as “historical fiction.” It is abundant with historic facts, the vast majority of which are well established. Yet, the promo touts telling the story from “a new point of view.” So, potential readers should wonder exactly how the established facts are reorganized or supplemented to gain a different vantage point. It turns out that the facts are supplemented by what purports to be the actual thoughts of some of the most critical actors; e.g. the book includes how York feels about being enslaved and Clark’s treatment of him; what Black Bull is thinking prior to and during the nearly disastrous standoff with the Corps; Sacagawea’s considerations about whether to stay with her people or proceed on to the coast with the Corps. Obviously, any previously unpublished thoughts of these key figures could constitute new points of view. However, these are simply the speculations of a third party attributed to them more than 200 years later. When I know a work of “history” is tainted with fiction I lose confidence in everything it says…

[Raymond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check out my interview with Craig Fehrman here: https://newbooksnetwork.com/this-vast...

Craig Fehrman has done it again! In his new book, This Vast Enterprise, he tells the story of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Fehrman tells a fascinating story about adventure, discovery, foreign policy, man vs. nature, and much more. My knowledge of this expedition before reading this book was limited at best. Fehrman teaches the reader that there were more individuals involved than Lewis, Clark, and Sacajawea. Fehrman does this by writing chapters that alternate between different figures who took part in the expedition or crossed paths with the Corps of Discovery. This book is very well researched, and the level of detail is fascinating. The best parts of this book are when Fehrman really gets down into the minds of each person, so much so that you feel like you know them. He does a great job of this with Sacajawea, York, and Meriwether Lewis.

[Ann Margolis · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a truly wonderful book. There is so much great detail, insight and revelation in this expert tracing of The Lewis and Clark Expedition. There is the character and heroism of the leaders and their exploration team is revealed and each individual is a study in courage, patience, hopefulness and strength. Fehrman even takes time to follow up on his own extensive research. His writing style captured my interest throughout and I looked forward to “picking up where I had left off” every evening. One of the best features of this book is the description of each native-American tribe and leader. They are “real” individuals here and indigenous society is revealed in their societies, wars, villages,,reactions to the explorers. Thomas Jefferson is a central figure and his personality and intellect shine thru the entire story. I would recommend this book to everyone seriously interested in American History. The expedition was monumental.Fehrman always tells an exciting story.
Thank you NetGalley,author,Craig Fehrman,publisher, Simon and Schuster for the arc ebook of The Vast Enterprise.
On Sale April 21,2026

[Greg · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is one more of those books where I have to wonder if those who offered "blurbs" for its jacket and have praised it elsewhere have actually read it!

The reasons are these:

While it does give voice to many people from whom we have not heard before, it is detailed to a confusing degree, almost impossible for the reader to keep straight "where" the explorers are at any given time, and consistently treats minutiae with the same coverage and length as it does matters of greater importance.

From my point of view, the book could have used a very good editor or two to tighten it up, clarify place- and time-lines, and generally make it inevitable heck of a lot more readable.

[LPosse1 Larry]

A Wider View of an Incredible American Journey

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Craig Fehrman’s This Vast Enterprise offers a fresh, wide-angle look at the Lewis and Clark expedition. It has sometimes been described as revisionist history, but I do not think that term quite fits. Fehrman is not simply tearing down the traditional story. Instead, he broadens the frame, showing that this vast undertaking depended on far more people than the two captains whose names have come to define it.

Rather than centering entirely on Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, Fehrman gives greater attention to the enlisted men of the Corps of Discovery, the Native nations whose lands they entered, Sacagawea, York, and the many others whose knowledge, labor, diplomacy, endurance, and courage made the expedition possible. The result is a more complete and more honest account of one of the most remarkable journeys in American history.

I especially appreciated the Indigenous perspectives throughout the book. The West was not an empty or unexplored wilderness. It was home to Native nations with their own cultures, political alliances, rivalries, trade networks, and long histories. Lewis and Clark were not simply entering the unknown. They were moving through a complicated human landscape that already existed and depended repeatedly on the knowledge and assistance of the people who lived there.

The book also deepened my admiration for Sacagawea. She completed this extraordinary journey while caring for an infant, serving as an interpreter, helping the expedition navigate unfamiliar territory, and signaling peaceful intentions when the Corps encountered Native communities. Her courage is difficult to overstate. Her husband, Toussaint Charbonneau, comes across far less admirably—often selfish, unreliable, and undeserving of the attention history has sometimes given him.

York’s story is equally important and deeply troubling. Enslaved by William Clark, York worked tirelessly and became an indispensable member of the expedition. His strength, hunting ability, labor, and presence contributed enormously to the Corps’ survival and success. Yet he received little credit and was denied the freedom and recognition he deserved. His story exposes one of the great contradictions of the early American republic: a nation celebrating liberty, exploration, and opportunity while denying those very things to a man whose work helped make one of its greatest achievements possible.

Lewis and Clark themselves still deserve enormous admiration. They displayed remarkable courage, creativity, leadership, endurance, and an extraordinary ability to improvise under brutal conditions. President Thomas Jefferson also demonstrated his trademark vision in imagining such a mission. In many ways, I think of the expedition as America’s moon landing—an audacious national undertaking that required imagination, planning, scientific curiosity, teamwork, and tremendous courage.

But there is one essential difference: the land was already inhabited.

That truth gives the expedition a darker and more complicated meaning. Earlier histories often repeated the comforting claim that only one man, Sergeant Charles Floyd, died during the journey. While he was the only member of the Corps to die during the expedition itself, far more than one person ultimately died because of what the expedition represented and helped set in motion. The journey announced that the United States was coming west—not merely to observe and trade, but eventually to claim land, impose authority, and transform the continent.

For Native peoples, the expedition marked the beginning of a reckoning. Disease, broken treaties, military violence, forced removal, environmental destruction, and the loss of homelands followed. The expedition can still be admired as an astonishing human achievement, but the American triumph and the Native catastrophe belong to the same history. Fehrman’s most important contribution may be his insistence that we see both.

The strength of this wider-angle approach is also, at times, its weakness. By expanding the story to include more people and perspectives, Fehrman occasionally loses some of the intimacy, suspense, danger, and wonder of the expedition itself. A wide-angle lens captures more of the landscape, but it can also sacrifice detail and emotional immediacy.

For me, Stephen Ambrose’s Undaunted Courage remains the stronger overall history of the journey. I read it when it first appeared and loved it. It later inspired a National Geographic special that I shared with my students for many years. That book captured the sweep, hardship, scientific excitement, and sheer magic of the expedition in a way that stayed with me.

This Vast Enterprise did not entirely recreate that same feeling, but it did something valuable: it reawakened many of those wonderful emotions and memories. It reminded me why the Lewis and Clark story fascinated me in the first place and why I enjoyed sharing it with generations of students.

I would also have liked more detail about what the expedition discovered, collected, mapped, described, and catalogued. Its scientific work—the plants, animals, geography, maps, observations, and specimens—was among its greatest accomplishments. A fuller treatment of those discoveries would have added even more richness and helped restore some of the sense of exploration that I occasionally missed.

Still, This Vast Enterprise is a valuable and thought-provoking addition to the history of Lewis and Clark. It does not erase their courage or diminish the scale of their achievement. Instead, it reminds us that the journey was never the work of only two heroic men.

It depended on the enlisted members of the Corps, the knowledge and assistance of Native peoples, the courage of a young mother caring for her infant, and the tireless labor of an enslaved man who was denied the rewards granted to others.

This was an excellent addition to my America at 250 reading project. The Lewis and Clark expedition remains one of the most incredible stories of vision, exploration, creativity, and courage in American history. Fehrman simply asks us to admire it with our eyes fully open.

https://substack.com/@lposse1

[Luke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hearing the names Lewis & Clark took me back to the chalkboard-walled rooms of grade school history class. Reading "This Vast Enterprise" put my bare feet into the icy rapids of the Missouri river, where jagged rocks sliced open my skin.

This is my way of saying that Craig Fehrman's "New History" reads like a novel. Rich with colorful descriptions of skies, rivers, and rolling prairies. Saturated with details that appeal to other senses. For example, I felt the sting of mosquito bites and sweat that soaked my shirt as I empathized with the rugged explorers who burned 5,000 calories a day.

And these pages are packed with action. Grizzly bears chasing terrified soldiers, boats tipping into foamy waters with non-swimmers aboard, and a hungry and cold march through the mountains that has a happy ending.

Each chapter in this book is viewed through the eyes of a particular person who played a role in the bigger story. The author calls them the "Cast of Characters." Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, York (a builder, hunter, and body servant of Clark), Thomas Jefferson, Sacajawea, John Ordway (first sergeant), and Black Buffalo (Lakota leader) are some, among many, examples.

Thanks to Fehrman's thoughtful approach, my own eyes have been opened to just how massive this expedition was. And how many lives made it happen and were touched by it. For better, for worse, and for everything in between.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in viewing this chapter in America's past through vivid narration.

[Cathy J. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pure Fiction!

How the publishers can describe this book as nonfiction is a total mystery to me. Page after page is filled with pure speculation about historical figures who could neither read nor write and left no record of their thoughts or feelings. The only clues provided for the reader are the many introductory words and phrases the author frequently uses to temporize his suppositions. Words and phrases like "surely," "no doubt," "probably," "almost certainly," "would never have" tip the reader off to purely fictional passages that are there simply to support the author's thinly disguised agenda--which is that all the principals involved in the Lewis and Clark expedition were incorrigible racists who cruelly mistreated all non-whites, especially Negroes, women, and Native Americans. No one is spared. Presidents Washington and Jefferson as well as Lewis and Clark--all are painted with the same broad brush intended to diminish the incredible accomplishments of the expedition.

This book is a classic case of a 21st century writer transporting himself and his 21st century knowledge, morals, and biases back into the past with out regard for the
mores, educational standards, or economic conditions prevailing in this country more than 200 years ago.

Readers beware!

[Jeff · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Undaunted Courage. I was excited to read this. I was very disappointed when I began hearing "Perhaps". I feel like there was a lot of opinion on things that may not have actually happened. Especially for non-fiction book. There are good things about this book, but it discredited itself.

[Gail]

If you want to know every detail of why Lewis and Clark took their expedition, and how it went on a daily basis, then this book is for you. Fehrman gives the story a very human element, not just the over arching story but the toll on both Lewis and Clark, their staff, and even Jefferson, who was president.

Fehrman also does an excellent job of showing how precarious the whole venture really was—politically, financially, and personally. He doesn’t treat the expedition as a straight line from St. Louis to the Pacific, but as a series of improvisations, near‑failures, and lucky breaks that could easily have gone another way. The accumulating details of supply problems, personnel conflicts, and diplomatic missteps make the familiar story feel newly suspenseful rather than predetermined.

Very detailed, and a tad repetitive at times, but well researched.

[Blaine DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A totally new look at the Louisiana Purchase as well as the Lewis & Clark Expedition. Fascinating research involved newly discovered documents and oral traditions. Seen through the eyes of not only Lewis & Clark, but also members of The Corps of Discovery, a slave brought along by Clark, and numerous Indian/Native Americans with whom they interacted on their journey. And we also learn about the spy, Agent 13, a member of the US Army who was a spy for Mexico. So many new stories and information. Wonderful read!!
4.5****

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rate books strictly by how much I enjoy reading them, and I very much enjoyed this one. It was one of those books I found difficult to put down. It is very insightful, told through the eyes and feelings of many of the characters on the journey, as well as a few of those they encountered along the way.

I particularly liked the chapters on York (Clark's slave) and Sacajawea. Her reunification with her native tribe, her brother, and her best childhood friend is told in a manner that clearly brings out her emotions. York's relationship with his owner is equally complex; he clearly earns the respect of Clark and his fellow explorers during the trip, yet when the journey is complete, Clark is clear that he still "owns" York.

I highly recommend this book for any history buff. My only negative is that, in my opinion, Fehrman should have left out the second appendix involving unsubstantiated sexual innuendo. He goes so far as to baselessly suggest that Lewis and Clark may have had a sexual relationship while providing absolutely no evidence.

[Steve Peifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you studied about Lewis and Clark in school and think you know their story, you will be amazed at the difference between what you were taught and the complete history in this extraordinary book.

Complete is the word. You learn about the politics of the time, the indigenous people, slavery, medicine and so much more. It never feels like padding or look how much I know; it works together to tell a compelling story.

If you are afraid that the amount of information will take away from the excitement of their journey, you can rest easy. It’s clear about important issues that many of us were never taught, but the audaciousness of their journey is never dull.

Lewis, Clark, Sacajawea, York; they all come to life. I came to a much greater understanding of native America culture, and it made me eager to know more.

You will also never think about grizzly bears the same way after you read this book.

I guess I’ve read too many great books this year, and I’ve already said this once already, but this may be the best book of the year.

I really love this book.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a perfect example of a history book for the interested non- expert. My take is that of a fascinating topic, flowing narrative, healthy, intelligent, transparent, and well-founded speculation, dozens of opportunities for the reader to make an emotional, empathetic connection to the explorers and native peoples from an important and often misconceived era, an appreciation of the curiosity and technical and scientific rigor Lewis and Clark and their corps followed daily for several years, and brief but well understood political and historical background for the "enterprise". Other five-star components - awesome illustrations, reproduced from the captains journals and other high-quality contemporary accounts, and the "back material", the resources and artifacts that the author relied on to tell this most modern account of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. An absolute treasure. Six stars! (Seven!)

[Lance · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exhaustively researched book that was, in some parts, quite detailed. But the detail is mostly necessary to tell the whole true story about the Corp and its adventures. Highly recommend to any history buff.

[Patty Hagar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Can’t remember why I picked this up but it’s dull af and I don’t need another 14 hours of white men justifying colonization.

[Paulette · Rating 5 out of 5]

“This Vast Enterprise” by Craig Fehrman is an interesting, highly readable account of the Lewis and Clark expedition. I didn’t know much about the expedition, and haven’t read any of the previous books on the topic, so I found this account fascinating and immersive, and I learned a lot about the expedition and the time period. Fehrman incorporated a lot of oral histories and interviews into the narrative, which is presented through the voices of not only Jefferson and the expedition’s leaders, but also from the point of view of the men on the expedition, Clark’s enslaved manservant, Native Americans who encountered the explorers, and even Lewis’ faithful dog, Seaman. Fehrman discusses the military and political context of the expedition as well as its scientific and geographical significance, and he includes thoughtful observations about its successes and failures. Excellent and recommended.

[Daniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had to stop reading it after 100+ pages. This is supposed to be a work of non-fiction except the book constantly is saying a person "perhaps," "most likely," and the author's favorite "surely" did something. ("Surely" appears multiple times per page in some sections.) This distracted me so much that I had to put the book down. If the author doesn't have the facts to back something up it shouldn't be in the book. I'm stunned by all the positive reviews. Just awful

[A W · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good popular-oriented take on the expedition. Not a scholarly work, but a good read. The biggest disappointment for me was that that author did not identify locations described in proximity to current-landmarks (near current day Bismarck, ND). That would have made it much easier to keep track of the narrative. I did come away from the book with a greater appreciation for Native American urban culture and for addressing issues like the sex lives of the explorers along the way, the complicated relationships between trappers, traders, Native American politics, British and French reactions, etc.

[Darnell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is positioned in a nice niche, with more depth that pop history but not as much detail as the academic work on the primary sources. The author seems to have done real scholarship, with a great resource in the form of the expedition journals as well as some apparently new/overlooked Native sources. I certainly got a better understanding of an expedition that is usually just something vaguely referenced within other histories.

Unfortunately, the book is marred by an extremely high level of speculation. The word "perhaps" appears an absurd number of times, and the author is aware of this, reassuring the reader about how careful he is with sources. I believe that enough that I didn't reject the book, but some of the details he offers strike me as dubious. There are many little slippages, leaving you to constantly wonder if something is from the actual sources or just made up by the author to match the audience's expectations.

I feel like the narrative elements go too far with York (Clark's personal slave): the author clearly wants to give this man a voice, but it seems like we don't have the historical records for it, so we're basically forcing a voice on him. The contemporaneous quotes from slaves are reasonable speculation, but York's voice itself has been lost to time. This feels especially hollow because so much of it boils down to, "And York was presumably also there."

I thought things might be better with Sacajawea, but apparently historical information about her is a lot sparser than I thought. So many sections about her have no source; they're just the author filling in what people would like to believe about a Native American woman who, in truth, we do not know.

This comes off negative, and I really do think this direction is a mistake for nonfiction, but I don't want to lose the positives either. The author sprinkles in a ton of primary source quotes and there were multiple times when, instead of just speculation, he brings a quote from contemporaneous voices who at least give us a clearer idea of how things were at that time. He's also capable of setting aside modern judgments to get into the nuances of the individuals, such as Lewis and Clark having various levels of prejudice.

[Renée · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love American history and the expedition of Lewis and Clarke is such a big part of that history. I remember learning about the Westward Expansion in high school, but it didn’t come to life for me til I visited a museum in Kansas, with an exhibit on Lewis and Clarke. Of course in that museum they were portrayed as impeccable heroes “discovering” land (ignoring native history and experience). This book is more nuanced. It does not shy away from mentioning the terrible treatment of native people, slavery, etc.

While interesting, this book is so detailed at times that my eyes started to glaze over a bit. So I had to slow down and read it a few chapters at a time.

My favorite parts were hearing about new experiences people had on the expedition. For example, the white men seeing grizzly bears for the first time or natives seeing a black man for the first time. There is some innocence and wonder in those moments before colonialism and racism wrecked it all.

I also enjoyed the chapters about Sacagawea. You tend to forget how young she was and what all she went through.

All in all an enjoyable book if you’re into the topic.

[Rebecca Berlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my first time reading an account of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Several years ago I started the book by Ambrose but found it a little difficult to get through so when this came out I was curious to give it a try. So, knowing little about the details of the expedition I did learn quite a lot. But, I found the conjecture on what the party members “might” or “probably” would have been feeling very inappropriate. In my mind, the whole point of a historical account is that the information is a factual telling of events and the reader is left to conclude how they might think or feel in similar situations. It also seemed like much of the interpretations were heavy on the 2026 perspective of the world rather than how someone during the time of the actual expedition might feel about their circumstances.
So, overall, I’m glad I read it, I know a lot more than I used to (which was none) and I have a genuine interest to know more about the details of the expedition so I expect to return to the Ambrose account in the near future.

[Rhonda Hensarling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though at times an engaging story, I had to force myself to finish it. Living near the Missouri River in the Midwest, I have always had a fascination for Lewis and Clark and their expedition. The author has obviously done a great deal of research, but seems to me there is also a great deal of supposition. Not sure how factual much of the story actually is, although I did find parts of it interesting. I did enjoy learning more about the lives of some of the supporting characters, such as Sacajawea, York, and Ordway, but am left questioning what is fact and what is simply imagined.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's difficult to imagine a better written history of the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery Expedition, a mixture of military and civilian men. As far as I know, the author obtained access to newly available source material for a narrative with improved details about psychological and sociological insights of the Corps' crew and of Indians.

Reading about the attitudes, interests, and concerns of American men born during the 1700s in comparison to those of our time is endlessly fascinating.

During the Expedition's time period, rivers were the transportation highways. Featured in this narrative are the Ohio, Mississippi, Missouri, and Columbia rivers. Some of the multi day portages described from the diary entries of crewmen were truly brutal and horrific stories. Sexual practices of Indians, which involved modified forms of marriage and monagomy especially during extended festivals, are worth reading about.

Before the widespread use of money, not to mention today's prominent use of debit cards, the practice of trading was the nature of business. Being knowledgeable about what constitutes the full range of "trade goods" and having the ability to tell good stories in the context of trade discussions was essential.

For example, human bondage was a form of trade goods. As you likely know, slavery amongst Indians occurred. Female slaves, often, were called "wives." And that was the case for Sacajawea who was purchased by a French-Canadian Indian trader.

Additionally, William Clark brought his enslaved body servant of African descent, named York, on the Expedition.

Considerable details and insight are provided from the point of view of both Sacajawea and York.

It should be understood that, during this time period, aggressive Indian tribes, like the Lakota, controlled the Missouri River and charged tolls, in trade goods, to pass checkpoints.

This narrative presents abundant stories about hunting deer, elk, buffalo, and grizzly bears. Also, there's no lack of stories about Meriwether Lewis collecting scientific astronomical data along with plant and animal samples. It should be noted that creation of accurate maps resulted from this expedition.

Leadership provided by Lewis and Clark was above average. At times, decisions made regarding logistics and punishment were by the Corps using atypical democratic vote. Meriwether Lewis' mental illness, which apparently was inherited from his father, was mostly not an issue during the Expedition.

The author's main emphasis is to make it perfectly clear that information about land and its acquisition was the reason for obtaining approval to fund and go through the associated, difficult political maneuvering needed to make this expedition happen.

Investigating frontier land take-over possibilities and its related promotion to the public served to achieve national expansion consistent with "manifest destiny" ideology. This was the Corps of Discovery Expedition's overriding objective.

Reading this book was a revelatory experience.

[GradyLady · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF: Part 2 Chapter 5, 26% of audiobook. This was like listening to a history book from different perspectives. Dry and boring. This would be better written as historical fiction.

[Tyler Cooksley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the focus on the people, especially those not really talked about in other books. Some of the “perhaps this happened” statements felt a little out of place but some did add perspective to the journey

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another retelling of the Lewis and Clark expedition with some interesting details. The country was full of animals and people who are no longer there. The native Americans were the true heroes of the expedition- they showed them which plants to survive on when their food stores were gone. It was fascinating to read about the different plants and animals and imagine how it used to be,but ultimately depressing at how it ended up.

[Trevor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm new to American history, and, having arrived late to the party, I'm trying to play catch up. I'm not new in the sense that I don't know anything. Like any other cold-blooded American, I took AP U.S. history and AP Government in high school, but I was hellbent on learning nothing. I thought my bases were covered: I knew what happened in 1776, I'd seen Hamilton, and I'd been to Lexington and Concord.

But that's not to say I don't love history. Anyone who's met me can corroborate my love of old shit. What I've historically [;)] been drawn toward are ancient civilizations, the older the better. That pull, however, is starting to wain. And I think it's for the same reason many people don't like ancient history. Measuring the downstream effects of ancient history is much harder than observing the still active ripples made by early American history. Standing next to the McBaine Burr Oak, I can visualize the Corp. of Discovery floating up the Missouri River, how they probably saw the tree from the shoreline, and what it must've felt like to pass by the sheer cliffs that flank the river.

To make a long story short, I'm new to American history in the sense that I've now accepted it as my history. No more keeping it at arms length. I embrace it fully. And Craig Fehrman's work helps me do that. This book is a treasure. It's accessible and interesting, especially to those with little more than a running knowledge of Lewis and Clark. All of these figures—Lewis, Clark, York, Sacajawea, and especially Seaman—are monolithic figures in Missouri. Their statues are everywhere, and "This Vast Enterprise" freed them from their bronze molds. In this book, they are flesh and blood people with desires, thoughts, and faults. A+

What good fortune to have found David McCullough and Fehrman in the same year.