Lewis and Clark Undaunted Coarage

[d.thomson]

I just ordered Lewis And Clark Undaunted Coarage, I figured it might be an easier read than the junals to start off with. Any opinions on this book. Thanks for the feed back F.K.

 

[jbg]

It is a great book.

 

[rdale]

I just picked up a copy at the local used book store, after I finish my current book I plan to start on it.

 

[Greenmtnboy]

I just heard it on books on tape, It's great.

 

[Joel Boyles]

This has to be one of my favorite books, I've read it to pieces! Lots of good information, and it's a little easier to get through than the journals themselves.

Joel

 

[XXX]

I enjoyed it. It seems that the esteemed author might have taken a few liberties in places though. The description of the supposedly typical loading, carrying, and firing process for the flintlock rifles was obviously written by someone who has never fired or carried one under field conditions. It was probably co-opted from a military manual of arms on the belief that no one would know the difference. I must confess that I skimmed right over that when I read the book without paying much attention to it. Someone wrote a letter to the editor of ML Magazine about 4 years ago commenting about this after a review of the book was published. It called into question what else may have been made up since that paragraph was clearly a crock. I went back and re-read it and I have to say the letter writer had a point.

 

[Iron Jim Rackham]

It was an interesting book, but essentially the re-telling of personal failure in epic terms. Lewis was a very bright and troubled man. Because he's too depressed and overwhelmed by responsibility to organize and publish his journals, much of what actually occurred on the voyage of discovery remained unknown for a century after it was undertaken.

It's been a while since I read the book, but I believe Ambrose makes a point of mentioning that none of the rivers, mountains, or western geopgrapic features bear names given them by the expedition. They bear the names of later arrivals because Lewis was too despondent publish his records.

The expedition became a teaser of sorts to easterners, but revealed very little information about the west to an interested population.Basically the people who anted the information the expedition was undertaken to supply, were left unsatisfied. Imagine the moonlanding untelevised, and unreported. Imagine our impression of the moonlanding if it depended on the records of Neil Armstrong.

It's a good read, but one can't escape the impression that if the expedition had never been undertaken, it wouldn't have made much difference. The difference that was made, was wrought by other people who never read or were even aware of the journals. For all intents and purposes it might just as well never have occured.

 

[Homesteader]

Several of your points are well taken, but I don't agree with your assertion that the expedition made no difference. I'm about half way through my second reading, and several things stand out as very important: Among the first of the "Mountain Men" came directly from the Corps, and many more were galvanized by their reports of fur-laden lands. The "Public Relations" aspect was very important, providing a show of arms and sheer huzpah from the new Boss to Indian tribes, French, and even Spanish residents. And the scientific / naturalist contributions were worthwhile if not Earth-shaking. And, finally, Lindbergh's flight, Dolittle's Raid, and Peary's Expedition made little difference to the average person or even folk who followed, but for public morale and sheer magnitude of accomplishment, they mattered. So did the expedition of the Corps of Discovery.

In my humble opinion, of course. :grin: :thumbsup:

 

[Soinkuhndog]

I'm currently reading and enjoying it. I can't imagine plowing through all the journals without someone to help put some things in perspective.
The entire journey -- from conception, planning, and execution -- is impossible to imagine. Ambrose is helping me imagine it a little better. He also doesn't claim to have all the answers, leaving us with a lot of qestions to ponder.
Among the things I've learned: Never run out of whiskey until it's too late to turn back.

 

[paco97]

Regardless of its affect or lack thereof on history, it is one incredible journey.

It was an interesting book, but essentially the re-telling of personal failure in epic terms. Lewis was a very bright and troubled man. Because he's too depressed and overwhelmed by responsibility to organize and publish his journals, much of what actually occurred on the voyage of discovery remained unknown for a century after it was undertaken.

It's been a while since I read the book, but I believe Ambrose makes a point of mentioning that none of the rivers, mountains, or western geopgrapic features bear names given them by the expedition. They bear the names of later arrivals because Lewis was too despondent publish his records.

The expedition became a teaser of sorts to easterners, but revealed very little information about the west to an interested population.Basically the people who anted the information the expedition was undertaken to supply, were left unsatisfied. Imagine the moonlanding untelevised, and unreported. Imagine our impression of the moonlanding if it depended on the records of Neil Armstrong.

It's a good read, but one can't escape the impression that if the expedition had never been undertaken, it wouldn't have made much difference. The difference that was made, was wrought by other people who never read or were even aware of the journals. For all intents and purposes it might just as well never have occured.

 

[rabjr]

Definitely a good read. :thumbsup:

 

[XXX]

I went back and found the section I critiqued earlier in this thread. It does not appear to have been a worked over military manual of arms sequence. I think I was left with that recollection a few years down the road because there is a detailed description of Lewis carrying a military NCO spontoon and using it as a shooting rest. There were 3 parts of that description that were questionable.

- A rifle loaded with powder, "wadding", and ball is considered "primed".

- When game is sighted, Lewis would measure the correct powder amount for the pan.

- The flint would then be inserted and the hammer cocked prior to taking the shot.

 

[Desert Ratxx]

- The flint would then be inserted and the hammer cocked prior to taking the shot.

What's wrong with that? If the flint was in the gun all the time it would be dangerous .....:rotf: :rotf: :rotf: :rotf:

Seriously though I do like most of Ambrose's stuff. Like it was said earlier just don't take verbatum what he says.

 

[Iron Jim Rackham]

No, but apparently Ambrose took a lot of stuff verbatim. :rotf: He's considered America's greatest historical plagarist :shocked2:

 

[Mad Professor]

Something hilarious from the actual transcribed and complete journals: " This was the dirtiest stinking village we've ever encountered, and the inhabitants much resemble their village..."

Could have been describing some of my college friends houses!!!

 

Whens someone gonna do a good movie on it?

 

[Joel Boyles]

The rule is: If you steal from one person, it's plagarism; if you steal from 100, it's research.

Joel

 

[Bill Hall]

Ya XXX, the loading and firing steps you mentioned caused me to read it twice. I thought maybe I was falling asleep and misread that part. However, that was the only problem I had with the book. I think that no matter how many liberties taken, and speculations made by the author, the book still portrays a sense of overall "realness", that goes beyond the "cut and dry" history books. Man, I was right there with those guys.
This book gave me a new perspective on the "do or die" attitude of men who lived before our births, and how modern man can so easily stray from achieving a goal because "It's just too hard". In my opinion, this is a great book that mixes history and the potential of the human spirit. Bill