Undaunted Courage or American Heroes

Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson and the Opening of the American West

Author: Stephen E Ambros

In this sweeping adventure story, Stephen E. Ambrose, the bestselling author od D-Day, presents the definitive account of one of the most momentous journeys in American history. Ambrose follows the Lewis and Clark Expedition from Thomas Jefferson's hope of finding a waterway to the Pacific, through the heart-stopping moments of the actual trip, to Lewis's lonely demise on the Natchez Trace. Along the way, Ambrose shows us the American West as Lewis saw it -- wild, awsome, and pristinely beautiful. Undaunted Courage is a stunningly told action tale that will delight readers for generations.

Publishers Weekly

Ambrose has written prolifically about men who were larger than life: Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Colonel Custer. Here he takes on half of the two-headed hero of American exploration: Meriwether Lewis. Ambrose, his wife and five children have followed the footsteps of the Lewis and Clark expedition for 20 summers, in the course of which the explorer has become a friend of the Ambrose family; the author's affection shines through this narrative. Meriwether Lewis, as secretary to Thomas Jefferson and living in the White House for two years, got his education by being apprenticed to a great man. Their friendship is at the center of this account. Jefferson hand-picked Lewis for the great cross-country trek, and Lewis in turn picked William Clark to accompany him. The two men shook hands in Clarksville, Ohio, on October 14, 1803, then launched their expedition. The journals of the expedition, most written by Clark, are one of the treasures of American history. Here we learn that the vital boat is behind schedule; the boat builder is always drunk, but he's the only one available. Lewis acts as surveyor, builder and temperance officer in his effort to get his boat into the river. Alcohol continues to cause him problems both with the men of his expedition and later, after his triumphant return, in his own life, which ended in suicide at the age of 35. Without adding a great deal to existing accounts, Ambrose uses his skill with detail and atmosphere to dust off an icon and put him back on the trail west. History Book Club main selection; BOMC split selection; QPB alternate

Library Journal

It has been 30 years since the last biography of Meriwether Lewis (Richard Dillon's "Meriwether Lewis: A Biography", 1965). Ambrose (Univ. of New Orleans), best known for his histories and biographies of the 1940-90 period, uses the journals and documents that have turned up since then, as well as the traditional sources, to craft a careful and detailed biography of Lewis that will stand as the standard account for some time to come. Ambrose not only recounts the expedition Lewis led with Clark but also explains how Lewis came to head it, how he prepared for this task, and how his life unfolded after he returned to Washington and reported to Jefferson. Specialists will appreciate this biography, but general readers will also be enthralled by Ambrose's well-written account. This book belongs in all libraries. Stephen H. Peters, Northern Michigan Univ. Lib., Marquette

School Library Journal

Though principally a biography of Meriwether Lewis, this narrative also provides fascinating portraits of Thomas Jefferson and William Clark, Sacagawea, and other members of the group of explorers who journeyed from the Ohio River to the Pacific Ocean in the years 1803-1806. While scholarly and well documented, this account is at the same time a great adventure story, and Ambrose generates a sense of excitement and anticipation that mirrors, at least to some degree, the feelings Lewis and Clark must have had as they began their journey. Lewis's intense curiosity about the world around him, his training as a naturalist, and his ability to record what he saw and experienced provide YAs with a fascinating picture of the American frontier in the 19th century. The subject's strengths and weaknesses as a leader are revealed as he and his loyal followers meet every kind of challenge in their search for a navigable water route from the Mississippi to the Pacific. Ambrose incorporates recent research and new material on the expedition into this history, and includes detailed maps and examples of Lewis's journal entries. An eminently readable resource. Molly Connally, Kings Park Library, Fairfax County, VA

Table of Contents:

	Introduction	13
	Acknowledgments	17
1	Youth 1774-1792	19
2	Planter 1792-1794	30
3	Soldier 1794-1800	38
4	Thomas Jefferson's America 1801	51
5	The President's Secretary 1801-1802	59
6	The Origins of the Expedition 1750-1802	68
7	Preparing for the Expedition: January-June 1803	80
8	Washington to Pittsburgh: June-August 1803	93
9	Down the Ohio: September-November 1803	108
10	Up the Mississippi to Winter Camp: November 1803-March 1804	121
11	Ready to Depart: April-May 21, 1804	133
12	Up the Missouri: May-July 1804	140
13	Entering Indian Country: August 1804	152
14	Encounter with the Sioux: September 1804	165
15	To the Mandans: Fall 1804	176
16	Winter at Fort Mandan: December 21, 1804-March 21, 1805	191
17	Report from Fort Mandan: March 22-April 6, 1805	202
18	From Fort Mandan to Marias River: April 7-June 2, 1805	211
19	From Marias River to the Great Falls: June 3-June 20, 1805	230
20	The Great Portage: June 16-July 14, 1805	241
21	Looking for the Shoshones: July 15-August 12, 1805	251
22	Over the Continental Divide: August 13-August 31, 1805	268
23	Lewis as Ethnographer: The Shoshones	284
24	Over the Bitterroots: September 1-October 6, 1805	289
25	Down the Columbia: October 8-December 7, 1805	302
26	Fort Clatsop: December 8, 1805-March 23, 1806	318
27	Lewis as Ethnographer: The Clatsops and the Chinooks	337
28	Jefferson and the West: 1804-1806	342
29	Return to the Nez Perce: March 23-June 9, 1806	353
30	The Lolo Trail: June 10-July 2, 1806	369
31	The Marias Exploration: July 3-July 28, 1806	379
32	The Last Leg: July 29-September 22, 1806	395
33	Reporting to the President: September 23-December 31, 1806	406
34	Washington: January-March 1807	422
35	Philadelphia: April-July 1807	431
36	Virginia: August 1806-March 1807	439
37	St. Louis: March-December 1808	445
38	St. Louis: January-August 1809	460
39	Last Voyage: September 3-October 11, 1809	471
40	Aftermath	476
	Notes	485
	Bibliography	503
	Index	507

American Heroes: In the Fight Against Radical Islam

Author: Oliver North

In American Heroes, New York Times bestselling author Oliver North offers an inspiring, first-hand account of the extraordinary young American volunteers defending us against radical Islamic terror. Since 9-11-01, North and his award-winning War Stories documentary team have made a dozen extended trips to Afghanistan, Iraq and the Philippines covering U.S. soldiers, sailors, airmen, Guardsmen and Marines for FOX News Channel. With extensive experience as a decorated military officer, a counter-terrorism expert and as a documentary filmmaker embedded with American combat units, he has a unique perspective on the enemy we face and the qualities of those who protect us.

American Heroes offers a close-up of this generation's "citizen-soldiers" who have chosen the path of the patriot and gone into harm's way for their countrymen. North's unprecedented access, his grasp of history and his lucid reports from the crucible of combat make this a stirring chronicle of courage, commitment, compassion and faith.

Thank God for American heroes.

"Real heroes are selfless. Those who serve America in harm's way in the war against radical Islam have that quality in abundance. And so do their families and loved ones at home. Yet, they rarely get the attention or coverage they deserve.

"Despite the way they are too often presented, the men and women in uniform today are overwhelmingly good. I never cease to be amazed at the self-discipline of these brave young Americans. They can endure the adrenaline-pumping violence of an enemy engagement - and then, just minutes later, help children get safely to school. No nation - ours included - has ever had a military force better thanthe one we have today." - Oliver North

Publishers Weekly

North is a retired Marine infantry veteran of Vietnam and was a key player in the Iran-Contra affair. This book is a mostly workmanlike presentation of his experiences as a war correspondent for FOX (which shares copyright on this book) as the U.S. invaded Iraq. Any political uproar it may cause is likely to stem largely from Pavlovian responses to the name of the author, a response that ignores that he has written both fiction and nonfiction as well as having been a Marine officer. So it is hardly surprising that he does excellent work covering a Marine aviation unit, one appointed to transport assault troops and evacuate wounded in aging helicopters-never without risk and sometimes with bloody incidents. These are vividly and knowledgeably described, as is the Marines' courage and professionalism. Nor is it surprising to witness the empathy between a retired Marine about to become a grandfather and younger Marines about to see combat. The briefer coverage of the armored units of the 4th Infantry Division is a little frustrating, and the polemics against antiwar journalists and politicians, while unlikely to offend readers who share the author's views, feel redundant. So does the capsule history of Iraq in the appendix, although well-written enough to give the author credibility as a popular historian. Even the larger issue of the linkage between a correspondent, a network and a publisher who are all politically simpatico can hardly be made into anything especially sinister without the same kind of political partisanship that the book exhibits in its less inspiring moments. DVD of Fox News North special not seen by PW. (Dec.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.