Essential Lewis and Clark, The

by William Clark

With nuanced observations from the star author and historian, here are the celebrated journals documenting Lewis and Clark's legendary expedition into the uncharted American West, abridged into a single volume and translated into modern English.

At the start of the 19th century, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark embarked on an unprecedented voyage of discovery. Their assignment was to explore the newly acquired Louisiana Territory and record the geography, flora, fauna, and people they encountered along the way. This updated edition of the captains' journals combines historical insight from editor Anthony Brandt with the rich detail of Lewis and Clark's original writing, as well as archival maps and artwork. An enthralling portrait of the unspoiled West, this true-life adventure story is a window to the dawning of America--from encounters with grizzly bears to councils with tribal leaders and perilous mountain crossings.

Genres: History

480 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1806

About the author

Librarian's note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. This is William^Clark.

Reviews

[Seán · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this took me a long time to get through, most of the summer. Though this did include a major 8-week road trip across the USA, stopping in a few places that the expedition passed through, most notably St. Lewis. While it was fascinating to read the words (somewhat edited in this edition for ease of reading and to great effect because the text by and large flows very well.) of Lewis and Clark as they were written, this is ultimately a journal of their expedition, not a novel. As such it reads practically and provides all sorts of factual detail but at the cost of sacrificing narrative flow. With that said, both captains wrote tolerably well, and the expedition's day-to-day happenings are usually interesting enough to keep the reader engaged. Some of the entries from the plains sections of the expedition were boring and grim to read as the party struggled upstream against the river and the elements, but this adds to your appreciation of the challenge too.

I loved getting a first-hand account of the western states before America's westward expansion. It was amazing to read about the abundance of wildlife, the biodiversity of the untainted flora, the changing landscape and the amount of native American Indian tribes present in these areas before white settlers arrived in force. Interesting to compare the response of the indigenous people to the expedition when they first encountered them and for trading purposes. Some tribes and nations were extremely friendly and hospitable, some were distrustful and wary, and some took advantage of the trading opportunities, driving a hard bargain.

Overall, this was a long read, and while tedious at times, as it's almost as good as a primary source, it is ultimately very interesting and valuable. The summarised chapters are much easier to read and understand as they provide context for the current events and status of the expedition. I preferred these sections to the core text. More maps and pictures would have been nice too. The single map provided at the start was sometimes impractical for placing the party at points in their expedition, and I found myself vaguely guessing where they were. While I will not read this edition in its entirety again, I'm glad I read it the first time around. Next time a briefer overall summary text or documentary will suffice for me.

[Colby Mcmurry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps the greatest American expedition; Lewis and Clark's journey through the Louisiana Purchase is legendary. The journals provide solid grounding in reality for readers. It is able to convey the many trials of the journey (undisciplined men, hostile animals, etc.) and successes (diplomatic engagement with native tribes, scientific recordings of flora and fauna, etc.) in great detail. The two men's writing is more on the colder, purely scientific side which can make for some moments where you may find yourself wanting to skip around a bit to avoid yet another geographical description or two.
I must say that I did have some major gripes with this particular edition. Brandt's oversight leaves out hefty portions of the journals themselves. Although a lot of this is done for the sake of eliminating redundancy, entire swaths of time a merely summarized rather than presenting the journal entries themselves. This, to me, is unacceptable; it removes content in favor of summarizing (which at some points in reading are admittedly welcome) months’ worth of content. Brandt also fails to include many other illustrations the men drew in the journals (though some are included). This omission again feels like I was being robbed of content that could have added to my appreciation of the journals has a historic milestone in American history.

Overall, the journals of Lewis and Clark are an intriguing read for those seeking to broaden their understanding of American history, but perhaps seeking out another addition could prove a more fruitful reading.

[Randolph Breschini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back in the fourth grade, I did a book report after reading The Expedition of Lewis and Clark…it was a simple book…but I really enjoyed it…

I’d always wanted to read more about them…

Now 50+ years later, I decided to read the full version…with cycling back and forth to Google Maps to determine where they were and looking up definitions of words…it took 15 hours to read.

I really enjoyed the book…all of the animals they encountered…all the animals they ate…all the roots and wild berries they ate…all the unbelievable encounters with fleas and mosquitoes…all the encounters with so so many Indian tribes along the way, mostly all friendly but sometimes stealing…the descriptions of the scenery including rivers, lakes, mountains, valleys, prairies, etc…practically starving and being forced to eat root based soups, their horses, and dogs they acquired from the Indians along the way…and all their ups and downs during their 2+ year excursion.

Understandable why so many points along the way were named after they and their team…they were so so brave and curious and adventurous…

I’m happy I finally read this version🙏🏻

[Mike Cross · Rating 4 out of 5]

An American masterpiece of history. The editor does a superb job of distilling and translating very old text into a fantastic diary and story. There is really nothing wrong with this book and should be on every history readers list. Just fantastic.

[Kristine Tymusz · Rating 5 out of 5]

a family member of mine went on the trip with lewis and clark. the give me some insight into what they went through.people back in those day's were very strong,i am proud of my family. if they had not done what they did who knows what the u.s.a would look like.

[Nichol Khan]

DNF @ 10%.

The idea of what Lewis and Clark did is fascinating but reading their actual journals is not. I just need to read the story and learn cool things, I don’t want the minutiae which feels weird for me to say because I generally love minutiae.

[Larry Horowitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredible Journey

The determination and discipline it took to complete and document their journey was fascinating. The trials and conflicts they faced and overcame was a testament to their will and loyalty.

[Bella Kierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

So fascinating!!

[Matt Piselli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Different from other books I've read on this incredible story as it incorporates the actual journals with updates/truths/facts I did not know.. almost historical fiction..A++++

[Robert M Rosso · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Amazing Story

The journals these man kept were amazing in detail. They recorded everything they encountered from weather, flora, and fauna to the descriptions of the Indians and the composition of the soil.
After having read this book, I'm determined to travel along their route. The hardships these men endured were incredible, but to them it was just part of the journey.