Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West Review

Stephen Ambrose is a well- known and well- respected historian and the author of dozens of best- selling books. He has a great love for history, and this passion is evident from start to finish in this book, Undaunted Courage. It tells the story of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, two brave men who set out to explore the American west following the Louisiana Purchase.

Book Commentary:

Stephen Ambrose writes this book like a storyteller. You feel like you're listening to your grandfather as he reads you an exciting adventure story on exploration. The book is full of imagery of all sorts and it sets the imagination soaring.

Much of the quotes in this book are taken directly from Lewis' meticulous journals that he wrote along the expedition. Ambrose includes the exact quotes, including misspellings and bad grammar. He wants you to see the words exactly as they were written, not an edited version. The misspellings are obvious, but you can still make out what was being communicated. Lewis wrote the words based on their pronunciation, rather than their precise spelling. For example, for the word "picturesque" he wrote instead "picturesk". It is all meant to give you, the reader, a feel for what it must have been like as these men traversed the unexplored territories of the American West.  

Ambrose doesn't speak much about the happenings in Washington while the expedition was in progress. The bulk of the book is dedicated to the voyage itself. Even in the last section of the book, which deals with the events and problems after the exploration was over, there is little mention of the reaction by political leaders, or by Thomas Jefferson himself. The book tries to stay focused on the men who were part of the voyage of discovery.

This was a great little refresher on American History. I learned much that I did not know about this important event, from reading this book. I did not realize, for example, that the expedition included a crew of more than 30 men (I thought it was much smaller than that). I also did not know that Lewis had so many personal problems upon his return, and I did not know that he committed suicide. Either I slept through that part of my high school history class, or it was never mentioned at all.

Bottom Line Viewpoint:

Undaunted Courage is a great book for all to read. Ambrose explains the events in his own eloquent, passionate style, making you daydream about what it must have been like to be a member of this crew. These men explored unknown territories; met up with potentially hostile Indians; and ventured into vast wilderness areas with wildlife that no other white man had ever seen before. Lewis & Clark and their crew will always be remembered for their courageous voyage through the American West, solidifying America's claim to this region. And Stephen Ambrose deserves much credit for reliving this moment in such an eloquent way.