Customer Reviews

Lewis and Clark: Pioneering Naturalists (Second Edition) (Lewis & Clark Expedition)

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This book is a fascinating natural history of the Lewis and Clark expedition that deals not just with flora and fauna but also with geology, geography, medicine, and the ethnography of the tribes the explorers met on their way to the Pacific and back. The story is told chronologically, with enough detail that if your main interest is natural history this could be the only history of the expedition you will want to read.

The author writes in a surprisingly readable style. The book's only drawback is the almost total lack of illustrations. Judging from the nice drawing on the cover, taken from a page of the explorers' journals, there were illustrations available but they didn't make it into the text. There were so many times when even a line drawing would have been helpful. At the very least some maps (one for each chapter, showing rivers, the explorers' path, and major landmarks along with maybe a light outline of present state boundaries) should be added to future editions.

The bottom line: this is a good book with a wealth of information. You may want to keep a map and/or a wildlife guide handy as you read, though.