The Journals of Lewis and Clark A New Selection with an Introduction by John Bakeless

by John Bakeless

A Mentor Book

Lewis and Clark's stirring account of their historic expeditions of adventure and discovery across America's great Northwest - from the text of their original journals.

384 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1964

Reviews

[Rachel]

Found this edition at a garage sale and did not expect it to be such a page turner! The true story of this epic journey is thrilling, and a window into this time period from the point of view of white settlers and the US government. It’s by no means lost on me that this exploration furthered the stealing of Native land, that people and tribes are described with offensive language, that an enslaved person was forced to serve on the expedition and trotted out to entertain native people, and that Sacajawea’s name (“the Indian woman”) is barely mentioned despite that the expedition would have failed without her. These things and more are true, however Lewis and Clark appear to have treated native people with respect and curiosity, with overt violence not a goal of the expedition, and the journals serve as a fascinating primary source. Plus, colorful language, hunting foibles, and grizzly bear fights!

[Jennifer Kaser]

I thought this book would be more interesting. Parts were good but the end return journey was less interesting. I should have kept track of the times mosquitos, bears, and Sacajawea were mentioned.