Undaunted Courage: The Pioneering First Mission to Explore America's Wild Frontier

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Undaunted Courage: The Pioneering First Mission to Explore America's Wild Frontier

4.19 of 5 stars 4.19 · rating details · 16,681 ratings · 1,087 reviews

A biography of Meriwether Lewis that relies heavily on the journals of both Lewis and Clark, this book is also backed up by the author's personal travels along Lewis and Clark's route to the Pacific. Ambrose is not content to simply chronicle the events of the "Corps of Discovery" as the explorers called their ventures. He often pauses to assess the military leadership of...more

Paperback, Later Printing, 592 pages

Published October 6th 2003 by Simon & Schuster (first published 1996)

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Feb 05, 2008 Graham rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone

Shelves: learnin-books

Lewis and Clark... the actual story.

This is the ultimate adventure. A bunch of dudes, in totally uncharted territory, trying to to make it there and back alive.

What I loved:

-it shows Indians both good and bad. Some Indians were incredibly gracious to the party. Others complete manipulative jerks. All of them wanted guns, all of them wanted tobacco, and all of them really really wanted whiskey. And they gave away their women for anyone to boink. I had too romantic a view of indians before this b...more

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Mar 17, 2008 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone who loves history and the courage displayed those who explored this great land, America

I have really enjoyed reading the notes made by Merriweather Lewis, and his relationship with his partner, William Clark. These were two men who really had "undaunted courage" and faced new challenges unknown to all others as they daily across this vast continent and to the Pacific Ocean and back again. This book tells about the relationship of these two men, apparently without conflict, or little, if any in the course of their exploration. In reading this book you can also learn about the many...more

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Jan 23, 2008 Alan rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: any American

Shelves: non-fiction

I recently moved from the midwest to Oregon. Shortly after arriving here I realized that I needed to know about the Lewis and Clark Expedition. You can't really understand any region without basic exposure to it's history. It would be naive to think that happened here 200 years ago no longer has an impact on our daily life as Oregonians.
With that in mind, I started to read the online version of the L&C journals that are published on a website maintained by The University of Nebraska. It wa...more

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Jul 25, 2007 David Haluska rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: history lovers

I'm almost done with the book. Great. New insights. Learned about who Sakajewea (sp?) was and actually think she is a bit over rated. But that is beside the point. I learned a lot about Thomas Jefferson, the politics of the time, the trip to the Pacific and back (naturally), and the way this country was.

Interesting factoids contained in the book:
Squirril migration
Eating Dogs, Horses, roots and enjoying them
ONLY ONE MAN DIED!

Enjoy. It is a great book!

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Jul 31, 2012 gabrielle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to gabrielle by: farm boy

Shelves: history, adventure

This took me forever to read. Not because it's a bad book; quite the contrary. I loved it. It's well-written and has excellent footnotes and maps. There's just SO MUCH information in here, and I got frustrated with it and was like "OH FOR THE LOVE OF MIKE, LEWIS AND CLARK, WOULD YOU JUST GET HOME ALREADY?!" and then they get home, but there's still more story because there's the whole "what are we going to do with all these discoveries" thing. It really gives you some insight to how they must ha...more

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Jun 17, 2009 Ed rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: History buffs and Ambrose admirers

Shelves: history, biography, reviewed, non-fiction

This biography of Meriwether Lewis must have been a daunting task and Stephen Ambrose was certainly up to it.

The sections of the book covering the Lewis and Clark Expedition are as well written as anything Ambrose has done. I felt like I was there with the "Corps of Discovery", as they were named, seeing the incredible plains and mountains of the unexplored American West for the first time.

I am familiar with some of the country and have actually stood at Three Forks in Montana where the Missouri...more

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Silvana I've seen this book since a long time ago in bookstores, following my fascination on Ambrose's works after BoB. However, I never put it in my shopping...more
Jun 18, 2009 04:11am

Ed Silvana wrote: "I've seen this book since a long time ago in bookstores, following my fascination on Ambrose's works after BoB. However, I never put i...more
updated Jun 18, 2009 07:05am

Silvana I did study a bit about the westward movement, caravans, and things in one of my subjects in college and I find it quite interesting.

I think I'll read...more
Jun 18, 2009 06:58pm

Jun 01, 2012 Mike rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history, non-fiction, charity-2012

Undaunted Courage gets 4.5 Stars. Stephen Ambrose brings a special passion to this tale of exploration. Ambrose relates in the foreword, his lifelong fascination and exploration of the Lewis and Clark adventure. I like how he brings all the characters, Lewis, Clark, Jefferson, various Indian chiefs, members of the “Corps of Exploration” and many other participants to life. Perhaps Ambrose exaggerates some events but he tells a riveting tale. The Lewis and Clark expedition was as significant to t...more Undaunted Courage gets 4.5 Stars. Stephen Ambrose brings a special passion to this tale of exploration. Ambrose relates in the foreword, his lifelong fascination and exploration of the Lewis and Clark adventure. I like how he brings all the characters, Lewis, Clark, Jefferson, various Indian chiefs, members of the “Corps of Exploration” and many other participants to life. Perhaps Ambrose exaggerates some events but he tells a riveting tale. The Lewis and Clark expedition was as significant to that age as Apollo 11 was to the Space Age. And the nation was just as taken with it. If history was taught with this much passion and excitement, school would be much more fun.

Meriwether Lewis gets the lion’s share of coverage but Clark gets a fair share of attention. Lewis is the reason it came to be known as the Lewis and Clark expedition, offering Clark co-command of the party and always giving him an equal share of the credit. This is amazing because the War Dept made Lewis Captain while only commissioning Clark as a Lieutenant. This was kept secret by Lewis and Clark and the men in the command regarded both as “captains”. The task given to the captains by Jefferson was to explore the Missouri River and more.

Final instructions issued by Commander-in-Chief Jefferson instructions to Captain Lewis put exploration and commerce ahead of agriculture. “The object of your mission,” Jefferson wrote, “is to explore the Missouri river, & such principal stream of it, as, by it’s course and communication with the waters of the Pacific ocean, whether the Columbia, Oregan, Colorado or any other river may offer the most direct & practicable water communication across this continent for the purposes of commerce.” Good maps were essential to commerce, so Jefferson’s orders read, “Beginning at the mouth of the Missouri, you will take careful observations of latitude & longitude, at all remarkable points on the river, & especially at the mouths of rivers, at rapids, at islands, & other places & objects distinguished by such natural marks & characters of a durable kind.” Jefferson admonished Lewis to write his figures and observations “distinctly & intelligibly” and to make multiple copies. Jefferson instructed Lewis to learn the names of the Indian nations, and their numbers, their possessions, their relations with other tribes, their languages, traditions, monuments, their occupations—whether agriculture or fishing or hunting or war—and the implements they used for those activities, their food, housing, the diseases prevalent among them and the remedies they use…”

Lewis was the perfect person to head the expedition. He was a natural leader of men but he was also a true man of the Enlightenment. He was a botanist, mineralogist, ethnologist, geographer, astronomer, navigator and so much more. He lived and learned with Thomas Jefferson in the “President’s House” for two years before going to Philadelphia to learn more skills for the trip. Ambrose highlights the many key decisions that Lewis had to make that ensured success. But Ambrose doesn’t hide Lewis’s faults. His attitude toward the Indians and slaves are fully explored—Lewis doesn’t fare well here.

I was particularly struck by how involved Jefferson was in this event. Jefferson envisioned an empire stretching from sea-to-sea. It was interesting to see this advocate of strict construction of the Constitution throw that principle to the wayside when necessary. This proposed expedition was highly political and Jefferson’s opponents made every attempt to sabotage or screw with the proposal to explore the Louisiana Purchase. I had not realized the territory considered under the Louisiana Purchase was so extensive, basically any territory bordering a river or stream that entered the Mississippi or the Missouri Rivers.

Ambrose gives plenty of buildup to the launch of the expedition but his account of the travails and excitement on the trip is riveting. The various tribes are candidly described, some are admirable, some detestable, some are friendly, some passive and some fierce. The attitudes of the white men towards the natives are generally arrogant and condescending. Lewis gives his standard speech about the “Great White Father” at every stop and thinks that he can “make peace” among the warring tribes. The Native American tribes run the gamut from ones who would steal everything to ones who would share whatever they had. Interestingly, many braves would share their women with the explorers, believing that having sex with the whites would transfer power to them through the women. This practice had unfortunate side effects, which are described. Life was a challenge and Ambrose relates the curse of mosquitoes, malaria and many other maladies endemic to the age.

I can’t recommend this book enough; I was unable to put it down. The tragedy of Lewis’ end explains why we simply don’t know enough about this seminal event. He committed suicide a few short years after returning and he never published the much sought after books on his trip. The account of the expedition was not published until much later, reducing the impact. I am now off to learn more about Indian history from the time of this expedition to the end of the 19th century.

Jefferson’s tribute recounted at the end of the book sums up how unique Lewis was:

“Of courage undaunted, possessing a firmness & perseverance of purpose which nothing but impossibilities could divert from it’s direction, careful as a father of those committed to his charge, yet steady in the maintenance of order & discipline, intimate with the Indian character, customs & principles, habituated to the hunting life, guarded by exact observation of the vegetables & animals of his own country, against losing time in the description of objects
already possessed, honest, disinterested, liberal, of sound understanding and fidelity to truth so scrupulous that whatever he should report would be as certain as if seen by ourselves, with all these qualifications as if selected and implanted by nature in one body, for this express purpose, I could have no hesitation confiding the enterprize to him.” (less)

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Apr 23, 2008 Karen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: history, us-history, science-and-nature, adventure

The oddest little historical fact that has stayed with me from reading this book is the squirrel migration. At the time of the Lewis and Clark expedition, there were apparently so many squirrels in this country, that the squirrels migrated seasonally like birds. Lewis and Clark witnessed them in large numbers swimming south across the river on which they were traveling. It was such a surprising and delightful little piece of information I had never known about before. It gives the reader a windo...more

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Feb 26, 2008 Kristen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: hobby historians, environmentalists, and people who love the West

Recommended to Kristen by: my Dad

Shelves: history

Well-written. Long, but worth it if you are interested in the subject matter. Surprisingly, one of the most interesting things to me was the psychology that prompted Lewis and Clark to embark on such an adventure, and what kept them going. Also, I read with sadness about all the bison that used to roam the plains, before the white man decimated them and the rest of the western landscape...

It is also strangely current in the way that it illustrates government spending, since the whole project wen...more

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Aug 12, 2008 Tonia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

This was extremely thorough and very good. He not only explains what happened but also Jefferson's mentality, Lewis' desire to please Jefferson, the complete naivety of the expedition toward the Indians they encountered and how much Sacajawea helped them but didn't get much recognition in the journals. I love the remedies for the men - amazing they lived through them. "Men woke up feeling poorly. We bled them, gave them some laxatives, bleed them some more, a good dose of mercury and we were on...more

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Oct 25, 2007 Karen Langs rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: History Lovers

If only history were taught this way. Undaunted Courage puts the reader in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark as they search for an east-west route to the Pacific, and, at the same time explore the flora and fauna of the Louisiana Purchase.

It's really an amazing true-life adventure when you consider the terrain, the Indians, the climate, the time, the distance and all the other perils of nature. Only one man from the expedition was lost and that was due to appendicitis. A great read for history l...more

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Feb 01, 2009 Milbratz rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book sat on my shelf for nearly a decade. As with the civil war and baseball, the "Ken Burns effect" extinguished any flicker of interest in the I had in the subject.

But yet, a brother-in-law had given it to me--and really liked it--so I couldn't throw it out. And my buddy Russell named his first born son after a member of the Lewis & Clark expedition. (You'll have to call him and ask. Hint:It's neither lewis nor clark nor Sacagawea). So I brought it with me on a trip, my sole reading...more

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Feb 28, 2013 Kathy rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: History, American History, Non-Fiction, Adventure/Exploring, Survival

It's a real shame about the plagiarism scandal that came out a couple of years after I read this book; especially because Ambrose was previously one of the most esteemed American History scholars in the country, especially regarding Lewis and Clark. If I remember correctly, though, this particular work was not involved in his wrong-doing.
Regardless, this is an AMAZING and riveting account of the history and travels of Lewis and Clark. It is widely regarded as the authoritative source on the top...more

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Feb 06, 2013 Diane rated it 4 of 5 stars

The primary reason for the Lewis & Clark expedition was finding a water route to the Pacific for the purpose of commerce. Actually, there were a multitude of reasons - assessment of Indian culture, discovery and description of flora and fauna, mapping of the Upper Louisiana Territory, thwarting British trade west of the Mississippi. President Thomas Jefferson facilitated their trip by providing unlimited funds. The Louisiana Purchase meant they could travel through country belonging to the U...more The primary reason for the Lewis & Clark expedition was finding a water route to the Pacific for the purpose of commerce. Actually, there were a multitude of reasons - assessment of Indian culture, discovery and description of flora and fauna, mapping of the Upper Louisiana Territory, thwarting British trade west of the Mississippi. President Thomas Jefferson facilitated their trip by providing unlimited funds. The Louisiana Purchase meant they could travel through country belonging to the U.S.
From Day one - Aug. 31, 1803 - much of the expedition was documented for future generations by Lewis' journals. The pitfalls were many - spring rains made going up the Missouri River treacherous; there was a constant threat from drunkenness and men falling asleep on duty; insects and diseases were rampant; communication with the various Indian tribes was difficult, although Sacajawea, married to one of the expedition members, was very helpful; the mostly meat diet led to malnutrition. Despite this, there was a spirit of adventure and camaraderie that prevailed.
Lewis and Clark's first view of the Rocky Mountains was both glorious and overwhelming. They knew the ordeal of crossing them, and they did, indeed, encounter many delays and sickness. The Indians were mainly hospitable and respected Sacawagea as a token of peace.
Lewis fought depression throughout the nearly two years it took to reach the Pacific; it is surmised this is the reason there is no record of their triumph. The party set up winter headquarters near the mouth of the Columbia River, a few miles from the ocean. They celebrated the new year, 1806, knowing they would be returning home to civilization that year. March 23, 1806, marked the beginning of the journey back with fewer supplies and food, but with hidden caches they had left on the way west. Lewis' description of the Pacific coastal Indians was priceless; he was smart enough to realize they owed their lives to these tribes, who were self-sufficient, threatened mainly by the white man's diseases.
The book is very detailed and fascinating. I could picture the scenes of their harrowing journey which accomplished so much in the face of daunting challenges. I could imagine the reunion of Lewis and Jefferson with so much to share. Lewis' remaining years were not very happy, and he met an untimely death - a tragic ending for a man who played a vital role in the opening of the American West.(less)

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Dec 26, 2012 Jerry Schollian rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-ive-read

Fantasitc and exciting historical account of the preparation for and execution of the Lewis and Clark expedition. An objective and detailed biogrophy of Maryweather Lewis, of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Detail account of the Expenditionary Force's exploration of the Missouri River, Rocky Mountians and Columbia River systems. Interesting insight into Lewis's interation with Native Americans, many of whom had never encountered the Whiteman. A fantsic account of one of the greatest accomplishme...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Okay, first off I probably would have given the book 3.5 stars but since Goodreads doesn't have half stars I opted for a 3.

A co-worker and I got into a discussion which led to me telling her that Meriweather Lewis was a great, great (I forget how many greats) uncle of mine to which she replied that I absolutely needed to borrow her copy of the book. Given the topic and Steven Ambrose's other noted works like Band of Brothers, I had high expectations. All that being said, I think the style wasn'...more Okay, first off I probably would have given the book 3.5 stars but since Goodreads doesn't have half stars I opted for a 3.

A co-worker and I got into a discussion which led to me telling her that Meriweather Lewis was a great, great (I forget how many greats) uncle of mine to which she replied that I absolutely needed to borrow her copy of the book. Given the topic and Steven Ambrose's other noted works like Band of Brothers, I had high expectations. All that being said, I think the style wasn't quite my cup of tea (and it was pretty long but I had to finish it :)

However, I did appreciate learning about the many hardships and miracles that accompanied the expedition. In regards to the hardships, they faced starvation, the Bitterroot Mountains, at times unwelcoming native inhabitants, venereal disease, etc. And then they were many miracle: a lot of assistance from indigenous people that befriended, led and fed the group, Sacagawea finding her long lost brother after having been kidnapped from her tribe, healing of numerous ailments, massacres thwarted, etc.

I also admire the leadership of Lewis and Clark, that for the most part was level-headed, peaceful, and insightful.

I didn't like the ending because of tragic turn that Lewis' life took. I don't like tragic endings, especially when the story is true :) I do however, like the quote from Jefferson that inspire the title of the book: " Of courage undaunted, possessing a firmness and perseverance of purpose which nothing but impossibilities could divert from its direction, careful as a father of those committed to his charge, yet stead in the maintenance of the order and discipline...honest, disinterested, liberal, of sound understanding, and of fidelity to the truth so scrupulous that whatever he should report would be as certain as if seen ourselves, with all these qualifications as if selected and implanted by nature in one body, for this express purpose, I could have no hesitation in confiding the enterprise to him." (less)

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Jul 14, 2012 Patrick rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The novel is full of fantastic information, but the facts are swaddled in a reader-friendly writing style that brings these famous Americans to life on the page. Mr. Ambrose creates a tangible feel for the personalities of the men involved in the creation and execution of a historical American adventure. The melding of facts with the personalities of the men creates a living history, as though, Lewis and Jefferson become alive. Consistent interjections from Thomas Jefferson, a personal friend of...more

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Jun 05, 2012 Randy Lowe rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I had a nagging feeling during most of my reading of this book, that Stephen Ambrose was annoying to me. I can't quite articulate why, and the story itself was so interesting that it didn't become a real problem. I also never quite felt oriented properly - this was for a lack of detailed maps and poor synchronization of the maps which were included to the specific geographical references in the book. You were constantly going back and forth to try and find a river or a region, which often was mi...more

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May 24, 2012 Bart Breen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

History Comes Alive

I listened to this as a Book on Tape as read by Barret Whitener.

In terms of the technical quality of the book and narrative I had no complaints. Whitener has a fairly soft and tenor voice and he uses a fairly consistent style of reading with a reasonable amount of inflection and modulation. The tapes themselves were well made and used the method of completing a tape side with an appropriate message to switch sides or tapes and further the next tape repeated the last sentence f...more

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Apr 26, 2012 Billy added it

This book is long but well worth it. The journey of Lewis & Clark has been told before, but you know that Ambrose is going to do it better.

There's a perseverance found in Lewis' life that we might be hard pressed to find in our world today. Perhaps, the Kenyan marathon runner or the Himalayan mountain climber would compare, but what we see in Lewis and Clark's expedition is really one of the greatest adventures of our time.

I loved Ambrose's devotion to Lewis adventures that has affected his...more

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Feb 02, 2012 Michael Stoll rated it 4 of 5 stars

I "stole" this book from my Aunt Sharen during a recent visit to her home because my iPhone firmware had a fatal crash and I knew I'd need something to read on the flight back to San Diego. There were a series of books on her shelf about the Lewis and Clark expedition, which was a subject I'd often wanted to learn more about, but had never really had the motivation. Opportunity and necessity merged into one, and I brought this one home with me.

In short: excellent read. Ambrose works his usual hi...more

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Jan 16, 2012 manyhighways rated it 4 of 5 stars

"Undaunted Courage", by Stephen Ambrose details the journey of Lewis and Clark across the American frontier. I read this book at the perfect time because the 200th anniversary is this year and I recently traveled across much of the same ground that Lewis and Clark did. Ambrose, if a bit un-academic at some points, is a fantastic writer and he relates the tale of the journey of the Corps of Discovery in riveting fashion. I never understood all the fuss about the anniversary of the expedition but...more

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Sep 04, 2011 Dan-o rated it 4 of 5 stars

Cool. Cool. Cool. There was so much about the Lewis and Clark expedition that I didn't know. Did you ever realize that they were the first (white men) to document the existence of the coyote? How about the impact of their travels on American Indian policy over the next several decades? That when the trip was planned, they were going to be crossing foreign territory almost the entire distance? That Meriwether Lewis was groomed for years to lead the expedition by Thomas Jefferson, only to commit s...more

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Jul 27, 2011 Steven Belanger rated it 5 of 5 stars

I pondered briefly giving this 4 stars, rather than 5, because of how long it took me to get through it. But then I realized it took so long because of its amazing thoroughness. Every single thing--every mile of the trip, every nuance of the time, every Native tribe they encountered, every possible outlook of every important decision that Lewis and Clark (and Thomas Jefferson) made--was given quick but thorough room in this book. I understand the time, and Thomas Jefferson, better than I had bef...more I pondered briefly giving this 4 stars, rather than 5, because of how long it took me to get through it. But then I realized it took so long because of its amazing thoroughness. Every single thing--every mile of the trip, every nuance of the time, every Native tribe they encountered, every possible outlook of every important decision that Lewis and Clark (and Thomas Jefferson) made--was given quick but thorough room in this book. I understand the time, and Thomas Jefferson, better than I had before. It is a brilliant book of a different time, an era that we will never revisit. It is a miracle that every man but one of the Corps of Discovery returned from this three-year adventure.

The last few pages are a vastly different chronicle of a man who was perhaps the victim of Thomas Jefferson's biggest political mistake--the appointment of Meriwether Lewis as Governor of the Louisiana Territory, a position for which Lewis was horrifically, and very obviously, unsuited. He would have been better off sent on another expedition, or given a job at the famous Philadelphia museums of the time, chronicling his discoveries and getting his journals published. It took him over a year to even get to Louisiana after he was appointed Governor of the Territory. He went insane there--instances of emotional and mental imbalances occurred throughout his life, but seemed to oddly disappear while exploring the Territory. Possibly he had advanced malaria. Medications he took for that may have reacted badly with the alcohol and other drugs he heavily consumed. He seemed rather like Poe when he drank--some sort of reaction besides basic drunkenness apparently occurred. Then he committed suicide in bizarre fashion, just a couple of years after his return from the expedition--with the journals still on him. One of the greatest mysteries of the time is why this man, who was willing to give his life for the journals while in the Territory, and who was desperate for money after his return, never really even tried to have his journals published. The publication would have brought him even more riches and fame than he had received upon his return.

A mystery of a very mysterious man. And so the book is heavily recommended, but beware that it is a breathtakingly thorough work that will take some time to get through. It will be well worth it. (less)

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Jun 11, 2011 Jimmie Kepler rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The narrative style of Ambrose takes what could be a dry lecture and makes it extremely interesting. The book reads like a best selling novel. The book gives a nice background on Captain Meriwether Lewis. It shows how this background prepared Lewis for the journey and how it provided the relationship he had with Jefferson to lead to his selection for the journey. Lewis was Jefferson’s personal secretary when selected to lead the voyage that would take him up the Missouri River, to wintering with...more The narrative style of Ambrose takes what could be a dry lecture and makes it extremely interesting. The book reads like a best selling novel. The book gives a nice background on Captain Meriwether Lewis. It shows how this background prepared Lewis for the journey and how it provided the relationship he had with Jefferson to lead to his selection for the journey. Lewis was Jefferson’s personal secretary when selected to lead the voyage that would take him up the Missouri River, to wintering with the Indians, to the Rockies, over the mountains, down the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean, and back. Lewis experienced hardships and saw wonderful sights. The sites included herds of buffalo and Indian tribes with no previous contact with white men. He and his partner, Captain William Clark, made the first maps of the trans-Mississippi West, provided data on the flora and fauna of the Louisiana Purchase territory, and most importantly established the American claim to Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.

The book shows how Lewis is financially underwritten by a variety of characters. This list includes Jefferson, Clark, numerous Indian chiefs, and Sacagawea, the Indian girl who accompanied the expedition, along with the French-Indian hunter Drouillard, the great naturalists of Philadelphia, the French and Spanish fur traders of St. Louis, John Quincy Adams, and many more leading political, scientific, and military figures of the turn of the century.

This is a book about a hero and national unity. This is a book also about a tragedy. When Lewis returned to Washington in the fall of 1806, he was a national hero. Lewis greatest failure was he did not get his journals and notes organized and published. The scholarly value of those would have been great. Publishing them in a timely manner would have made Lewis financially independent. Instead Lewis took to drink, drugs, engaged in land speculation, piled up debts he could not pay, made jealous political enemies, experienced severe depression (probably from the drugs), and ultimately took his own life. Read by Jimmie A. Kepler in February - March 2005.(less)

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May 17, 2011 Andy rated it 2 of 5 stars

I am not a fan of Ambrose based on a couple of books I previously read. Maybe those were written later in his life and are not indicative of all his work. This one was a lot better than I expected but still is not something that will encourage me to read more by him. The story, of course, is interesting - the Lewis & Clark expedition. It is known, by most, by that name but I do not think most know that Lewis was the star and promoted Clark to a equally starring role. It's amazing that men so...more

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Feb 15, 2011 Nick Perdiew rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Lewis is a hero, and I can just imagine how amazing this journey must have been. Of course, a courage undaunted bore him through, but also an incredible intelligence and knack. The audio book ends with a quotation from Thomas Jefferson about Lewis that is among the best things I've ever heard anyone say about anyone. I dream of adventures like this taken by the Corps of Discovery. Oh yeah, also it gave life to a really funny bit about Shoshone women and French fur traders. You'll ask, I'll deny....more

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Feb 01, 2011 Jeff rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical

This was a delightful novel and I was left with a lot of imagery about how refreshing I would find the nature and wildlife back during the days of the expedition (1803-1806). So often, I daydream about a place far from the hustle bustle big city life, where I might find quiet, fresh air and a slacker pace that I might do better to “get in touch with myself.”

I was saddened to learn that Lewis took his own life. Such a loss - a man so invigorated by love of country and his vision of what it might...more

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Jan 23, 2011 Alex Telander rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-in-2002

There have been quite a few books written about the lives of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, but it is safe to say no one writes these historical biographies quite like Stephen E. Ambrose. The advantage with reading Ambrose is you get the entire story and then some!

Ambrose does not begin with the first steps Lewis took towards the Pacific, but the many steps involved in his succession as Captain, the development of his friendship with Thomas Jefferson, and what led to Clark joining Lewis on...more

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Dec 05, 2010 Sridhar rated it 4 of 5 stars

Great reading (Listening in my case) of the first exploration(Wow... how close the words exploration and exploitation are) of the country (USA) west of Missisipi. Hats off to the pioneers Lewis and Clark, to their courage, to their Leadership, to their ability to deal with Indians who never saw whites (and those who did), to their eye for detail, to their contribution to Geobraphy, Botany and Zoology.

These two young men achieved so much at their age which most of us would not be able to in sever...more

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About Stephen E. Ambrose

Stephen Edward Ambrose was an American historian and biographer of U.S. Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and Richard M. Nixon. He received his Ph.D. in 1960 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

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“Of courage undaunted, possessing a firmness and perseverance of purpose which nothing but impossibilities could divert from its direction, careful as a father of those committed to his charge, yet steady in the maintenance of order and discipline, intimate with the Indian character, customs, and principles; habituated to the hunting life, guarded by exact observation of the vegetables and animals of his own country against losing time in the description of objects already possessed; honest, disinterested, liberal, of sound understanding, and a fidelity to truth so scrupulous that whatever he should report would be as certain as if seen by ourselves – with all these qualifications as if selected and implanted by nature in one body for this express purpose, I could have no hesitation in confiding the enterprise to him. To fill up the measure desired, he wanted nothing but a greater familiarity with the technical language of the natural sciences, and readiness in the astronomical observations necessary for the geography of his route. To acquire these he repaired immediately to Philadelphia, and placed himself under the tutorage of the distinguished professors of that place.” — 1 person liked it

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title link	preview: Undaunted Courage: The Pioneering First Mission to Explore America's Wild Frontier
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45546.Undaunted_Courage?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348759160l/45546.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45546.Undaunted_Courage?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Undaunted Courage: The Pioneering First Mission to Explore America's Wild Frontier by Stephen E. Ambrose[/url]

Undaunted Courage: The Pioneering First Mission to Explore America's Wild Frontier

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