Encyclopedia of the Lewis and Clark Expedition (Facts on File Library of American History) [Hardcover]

Elin Woodger (Author), Brandon Toropov (Author), Ned Blackhawk (Foreword)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

This encyclopedia attempts to cover every aspect of Lewis and Clark's transcontinental journey, including the plants, animals, people, and places they encountered. Entries are alphabetical and range from topics like dogs to Indian guides to navigation to Sex during the expedition. Each entry includes extensive cross-references and is followed by sources for further reading, many of which are available on the Web. Adding variety are the numerous illustrations and images, which aid in visualizing the events, people, and places of the famous expedition. Portraits of the two men are included, and some painted scenes show more than any written entry could--an Indian chief trying to rub the blackness off of York, Clark's slave, for example. Not to be overlooked are the myriad maps tracing the circuitous routes of the expedition. Many of these are included in a helpful 22-page chronology at the start of the volume; the rest are in an appendix.

The encyclopedia also includes an introduction (with cross-references) that distills the entire undertaking down to less than 10 pages. A list of Native American tribes encountered and a useful 16-page bibliography are also provided. The bibliography contains books, journal articles, and Web sites and is divided into sections such as "Biographical Information"; "Campsites, Route, and Trails"; and "Journals and Letters." A list of entries by subject further aids the user. Overall, this is an excellent resource, clearly organized and well written. A user can dip into it at any point and begin an education in one of the most intriguing and extraordinary achievements in American history. Recommended for high-school, public, and undergraduate libraries. RBB
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: Facts on File (November 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816047812
• ISBN-13: 978-0816047819
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,546,512 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lewis & Clark Encyclopedia Makes for Fascinating Reading!, January 18, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Encyclopedia of the Lewis and Clark Expedition (Facts on File Library of American History) (Paperback)

This book starts out with a well-written introduction that provides an overview of the expedition, followed by a chronology of events leading up to, during and after the journey. The introduction and chronology provide useful context for the hundreds of entries that follow. The entries range from a couple of paragraphs to a couple of pages. They provide fascinating details on such subjects as the Native American tribes encountered during the expedition, sexual encounters by expedition members during the journey, supplies and equipment brought along during the journey, Clark's slave York (including his life after the expedition) and Lewis' dog Seaman. The book makes for easy browsing, as there are numerous cross-references that can bring you to related subjects, as well as recommended reading listed at the end of each entry. All in all, it's an enjoyable and highly recommended read.