Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson and the Opening of the American West Paperback – Illustrated, 2 Jun. 1997

The western half of the United States in 1800 was a vast unknown land so President Thomas Jefferson asked Meriwether Lewis to lead an expedition to find a way from the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean and to describe the country and peoples that he found in that huge blank on the map.On 22 May 1804 Lewis, his partner William Clark and their expedition set out from St Louis, Missouri and after a momentous journey across the great plains and over the Rocky Mountains he camped beside the Pacific Ocean at the mouth of the Columbia River on 10 November 1805.Stephen Ambrose in his sweeping account of the journey of the first white Americans to cross the unknown part of the continent brings the events vividly to life and when reading his account I tried to imagine what the country was like before white Americans settled there and built their towns, cities, railways and roads. Reading the original words of Lewis's diaries can be quite difficult because of the way he uses language so Ambrose performs a valuable service for us by putting into modern language Lewis's words. Clearly this is a labour of love for Ambrose who has himself followed in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark and he tells the story of the jouirney in such a way as to make it difficult for you to put the book down once you have started reading it.It is a terrific book and I thoroughly recommend it to everyone and as someone who has seen for himself some years ago the magnificent country that the expedition crossed I think Ambrose has told the story in a way that is truly memorable and enjoyable.

This is an amazing book. You have to persevere past the first part where all the statistics are written in some detail, but it is well worth it. The expedition was a huge undertaking and it makes for a read that is hard to put down. We read it quite a few years ago, but bought it again to give to our grandson who needs to understand the phenomenal courage and the tremendous ordeals of our early adventurers.

This is a fascinating story of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Ambrose clearly loves his subject and he writes with depth and beauty on the American landscape as Lewis and Clark saw it. It is fascinating to read about this part of the United States in its untouched and pristine form and to learn about the American Indians who once populated this great American wilderness. I would have like to learn a little more about Sacagewea's role in the expedition as she is one of these famous Indian women that every American school child learns about. Her role is discussed but not elaborated on in any great deatail. And it would have been beneficial to have spent a few chapters in the beginning discussing how the Louisiana Purchase was made. The focus of this book was soley on the expedition. But is is still a great story, with triumph, and in some way, ultimately tragedy. I would definitely recommend.

I live in the US, and a British citizen is joining several of us for a week-long bike tour of the Katy Trail, in Missouri. UnDaunted Courage is a well-written account of the Lewis and Clark expedition and our bike tour will follow the route of that great expedition.. Amazon UK was able to quickly ship a copy to my friend and I hear he is enjoying the book. It is one of the best history books ever written and will deepen our expedition along the Missouri river.

I'd enjoyed reading this book myself, so I decided to give it to a friend. I know it was greatly enjoyed and read very thoroughly with attention to the maps and detailed descriptions included in the book. An additional book on the subject was purchased by the recipient in order to read further on the subject, a sure sign that it was a five star book!

A fascinating, lucid account of an extraordinary journey. Lots of interesting background history of post independence US. A classic read by an acclaimed writer.Bought used copy in fair condition. Arrived promptly and was as described. A good buy.

For me this book struck the right balance between detail and narrative and I found it a good read. The author seems to have an even handed opinion of Lewis, praising him for his skills and achievements but not shying away from his faults and shortcomings.As ever in this type of book the maps are crucial and in this I thought the book did ok but not great.

A wonderful tale of adventure, bravery, innovation and desire. Ambrose has all the gifts of a novelist when he writes deeply researched and convincing historical stories.