Lewis & Clark [Hardcover]

Stephen E. Ambrose (Author), Sam Abell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1998

Join bestselling author and historian Stephe n Ambrose as he and his family journey in the footsteps of L ewis and Clark. Between each of the eight chapters is a visu al essay of National Geographic photographer Sam Abell''s mod ern images. '

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In his preface, Stephen E. Ambrose describes the expedition of Lewis and Clark across the North American continent and back (from May 1804 to December 1806) as "the greatest camping trip of all time, and the greatest hunting trip. And one of the greatest scientific expeditions ever." It's a trip that Ambrose and his family often emulate, camping in the same lands the expedition first encountered nearly two centuries before them. In 1997, he was accompanied by National Geographic photographer Sam Abell. Some of these stunning pictures lead off the account of the journey presented here, and then pepper the second half of the book, which is also filled with period illustrations and maps. Ambrose has told the story of Lewis and Clark before, in the bestselling Undaunted Courage; the version he tells in Voyage of Discovery is shorter, but is also filled with his own contemporary reflections upon the men and the lands they traveled. This coffee-table book will delight lovers of history and nature alike, and may well inspire you to pack up your gear and hit the trail.

From School Library Journal

YA-The author of Undaunted Courage (S & S, 1996) has written another excellent book about the two men who were responsible for opening up the American West. Ambrose and his family have spent their vacations following the routes taken by the expedition and this volume is an outgrowth of their travels. Although it is about Lewis and Clark, it is equally about the author's own observations on their impact on the land and people and the positive affect his own trips have had on him and his family. In addition to the superb writing, the book has stunning, full-color photographs of the places that Lewis and Clark so vividly described. Reproductions of many of the actual paintings and maps done by the two explorers are also included. This combination of easy-to-read writing, high-quality photographs, and period artwork makes this book appealing to a wide range of readers.
Robert Burnham, R. E. Lee High School, Springfield, VA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: National Geographic; First Edition edition (October 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0792270843
• ISBN-13: 978-0792270843
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 9.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,184,560 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow, August 7, 2000

By 

Michael C. Sacco "dan fan" (Saint James, New York USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lewis & Clark (Hardcover)

Wow! I love this book. I also love Ambrose's writing. He instills so much energy into this tale. Anyone who has seen Ken Burns' Lewis and Clark-The Journey of the Corps of Discovery, will remember how strong a presence he had in that film. He is truly dynamic. The history teacher I never had. I've been reading this book in conjunction with the journals and it really makes a great combo. When I'm a little confused as to what's happening in the journals, this book helps fill in the blanks. Maps and archival photos are also a real nice touch. Oh, and the landscape photos are beautiful too. I also have to disagree with a previous reviewer who mentioned that the addition of Ambrose's family experiences were annoying. I find them enjoyable and they really help give me a sense of what many of the L & C places are like in the present. I've always wondered about that. This book is A MUST for L & C admirers.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Very good in some ways, very Stephen Ambrose in some ways, January 21, 2006

By 

S. J. Snyder "De gustibus non disputandum" (Various, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lewis & Clark (Hardcover)

The historical account is great for the most part, but I have two complaints.

The first is that, as one other reviewer notes, Ambrose injects himself and his family too much into the narrative. Jumping from past to present is bad enough if not necessary, but doing so for "look at me" reasons is worse.

Then again, it is Stephen Ambrose, and it's not totally surprising.

The book does also have some degree of the "American triumphalism" view of history that's par from him.

And, the treatment of the various Indian tribes in the context of their times, while decent, was nothing fantastic.

The pictures are indeed great. Of course, you can find many of the same from other great photographers, or from other National Geographic books.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great introduction to Lewis & Clark!, December 28, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Lewis & Clark (Hardcover)

I enjoyed Mr. Ambrose's story of the Lewis and Clark expedition. It's a great introduction with ample details and excerpts from their (Lewis' and Clark's) daily journals. The photographs were outstanding. I have also purchased Mr. Ambrose's "Undaunted Courage" so I can read an in depth story of the expedition. It was very clever how Mr. Ambrose threaded his personal discoveries of the expedition along with their personal experiences in retracing Lewis and Clark's trail.