Passage of Discovery [Paperback]

Daniel B. Botkin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1999

From the author of Our Natural History: The Lessons of Lewis and Clark, and with an introduction from Stephen E. Ambrose, author of the New York Times bestseller, Undaunted Courage Afterward by Robert Redford, and an Afterward by Robert Redford.

The 1804-1806 Missouri River journey of Lewis and Clark in search of an all-water route to the Pacific Ocean was the most important expedition in American history. When it was finished, the country and the world were forever changed.

Now, renowned biologist and author Daniel B. Botkin retraces the Missouri River passage of that historic journey in the modern world by following the route of Lewis and Clark, guiding readers to nearly 50 legendary sites of historical and environmental importance--with driving directions all the way from the river banks of St. Louis to the river's headwaters in Montana--in a lively, compelling book that brings this voyage of discovery to life.

* Illustrated throughout.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Undertaken from 1804 to 1806, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark's transcontinental journey of exploration remains one of the milestones of natural history. Mandated by President Thomas Jefferson, who instructed Lewis and Clark to keep careful scientific notes on what they found along the Missouri River and to send specimens of animal and plant life back to Washington at every opportunity, the expedition afforded Americans a glimpse of such exotic creatures as bison, coyotes, and prairie dogs; it also gave them a glimpse of the nation's future at the dawn of westward expansion.

In this guidebook, Daniel Botkin retraces the Lewis and Clark voyage of discovery along the Missouri, inviting his readers to do the same--for, he writes,

In this information age, we rarely obtain the information we need most about ourselves, our civilization, and our surroundings. Over and over again I have discovered that Lewis and Clark, two centuries ago, put a yardstick or sextant to things that we no longer seek to pace or measure.

Along the way he visits the great prehistoric Indian mounds of Illinois, near the expedition's starting point; the Platte River, "one of the few major rivers of America that has not been greatly altered by channelization and dams; Yellowstone National Park; and national wildlife refuges in Nebraska, Montana, and other Western states. Botkin's guidebook suffers at times from encyclopedic dryness, but it remains a useful glove-compartment companion for anyone seeking to follow Lewis and Clark's passage. --Gregory McNamee

Product Details

• Paperback: 247 pages
• Publisher: Perigee Trade; 1st edition (July 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399525106
• ISBN-13: 978-0399525100
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,855,034 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very readable and informative!, August 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Passage of Discovery (Paperback)

Nothing is as constant as change on the unfettered Missouri River. Few stretches of the Missouri remain as Lewis & Clark observed them. The river, as Botkin observes, is "nature's landscape painter". The canvas is continually changing in response to the forces of a river draining one-sixth of the U.S.

Botkin presents us with the story of the first navigation of the river by Lewis and Clarke, through the river's channalization by the Army Corp of Engineers, to present efforts to restore and interpret the river.

But, this book is more than an inventory of facts and issues. It contains vivid illustrations of nature's interrelationships and wry observations on the irony of man "improving" nature.

This is a very practical, pragmatic, yet poetic book.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A Waterlogged Trip up the Missouri, November 20, 2002

By 

doomsdayer520 (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Passage of Discovery (Paperback)

This book is not meant as a precise historical account of the journeys of Lewis & Clark, but a study of the Missouri River and its surrounding areas as the explorers saw them, vs. how these areas have changed since then. Also, the portion of the Lewis & Clark journey west of the Rockies is not included, as the book sticks to the Missouri River. The most blatant changes in these ecosystems are the straightening and channelization of the river itself, which has led to massive environmental (and economic) damage for a pathetically small amount of barge traffic; plus the conversion of vast prairies to farmland which has led to serious losses of native flora and fauna. The book becomes a messy mixture of travelogue, as Botkin describes how to reach key areas of the river, and musings on the environmental health of these areas. While Botkin has had well-deserved success in environmentalist circles, his attempts to draw up naturalist ethics and morality significantly weaken this book. A lack of focus and the squishy writing of a college freshman are also damaging. Botkin is prone to god-awful metaphors, starting the main narrative awkwardly with "Rocks are nature's books; minerals are its words" and populating the rest of the book with more groaners like "Rocks Tell Stories and Soils are Nature's Braille" (subtitle of chapter 25). His attempts to wax philosophical on mankind's modern lack of connection with nature, while correct in spirit, are also unsuccessful in the writing department. See the awkward comparison of a pelican's spiraling flight path to society's shifting concerns for the environment in chapter 6, or the predictable comparison of prairie dog towns with an ideal human society in chapter 32. This book had the potential to be a real winner as both a travelogue with a historical twist and as a treatise on environmental philosophy. Unfortunately it merely flirts with those two strengths without really nailing them, and is sunk overall by weak writing.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic travel book!!, July 13, 2001

By 

"puppypokey" (Northcountry) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Passage of Discovery (Paperback)

This is a fantastic book for anyone visiting the Missouri river.

Book has handy maps, illustrations and reference points for the person making a modern day trip. Notes by Stephen Ambrose and Robert Redford at beginning and end of book commend book as well!

If you are only mildly interested in Lewis and Clark before reading this book - afterwards you'll be completely astounded by their feats!!