Lewis & Clark For Dummies

by Sammye J. Meadows, Jana Prewitt

The Lewis and Clark expedition was the greatest camping trip in history. It was one of those irresistible American adventures that many people dream of living. This book shares the delightful details of the journey that historians have gleaned from the group’s journals and maps, and also discusses what’s known of the Indian perspective of the expedition. Throughout the book, you find out about Jefferson’s western exploration from his earliest efforts to see the Corps assembled through the aftermath for the explorers, the tribes, and the United States. But the focus of Lewis & Clark For Dummies is on the period between Jefferson’s confidential letter to Congress requesting dollars to mount a western exploration (January 18,1803) and the expedition’s triumphant (and improbable) return to St. Louis (September 23, 1806): forty-two months that changed the world. Join Lewis and Clark as they recruit the Corps of Discovery, meet Sacagawea and various Indian tribes, and set off along the Missouri River on a thrilling, perilous journey. Lewis & Clark For Dummies also covers the following topics and more: The story of Lewis and Clark doesn’t end with their return to St. Louis. This book will also lead you on an exploration of the fates and lessons of the Corps of Discovery. Find out what happened to Lewis, Clark, and many other key players after their famous journey. And examine the aftermath for the American Indians and the political and cultural ramifications for the United States. You’ll even find the resources you need to plan your own recreation of the expedition as you take the Trail yourself!

416 pages, Paperback

First published October 14, 2003

Reviews

[spike marlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a real good shirt non-academic outline of the Lewis and Clark expedition. What I like about this book: 1) it acknowledged and emphasized the importance of the indigenous people in ensuring the success of the expedition, especially the woman Sacagawea, of the Lemhi Shoshone Nation. Without the indigenous support along the way the expedition would surely have been a failure and the men on it buried or abandoned in some unknown grave in the west. 2) the book did not shy away from the the important character traits of Lewis and Clark and the men the accompanied them. There organization ability, there thoughtful relations with the indigenous people, but also their alcohol abuse, depression, and poor decisions that impacted or could have impacted the outcome.
The worst part of the book was the hyperbole used to describe the expedition “as the greatest camping trip in history”. This was toned down as the book went through the chronological sequence of the expedition, but it was irksome. The book was co-written by an indigenous woman and this surly accounts for a balanced easy to understand and enjoyable read.

[Mama207 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Contains many references to the travelers' journals and humorous, too!