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

I have always been fascinated by the Lewis and Clark expedition. Ten or twelve years ago I asked my brother-in-law for a recommendation of a good book about the expedition. He recommended this book, and I read it then.

I really liked the book. It took me a little while to really get into it - the first  few chapters deal extensively with Meriwether Lewis' background and upbringing. I was anxious to get on the road with the expedition. But that preliminary information was invaluable, so I'm glad I waded through it.

The book is thorough in its information, and interesting in content. I think Stephen Ambrose has a real talent for that. (Nothing Like it in the World is another example of his great writing.) It is not a fast read, but I was interested the whole time.

Fast forward to now. My book group chose this book for October's read.  Because it's been so long since I read it the first time, I really needed to reread it. I've had a hard time getting as much reading time in as I like, so I got the book on CD. I listened to it while on the treadmill, and while working in the yard, and even some when I've sewed. It was a great way to review and remember the book. When I got to the last 150 pages I picked up the book and read the remainder of it. I liked it just as much this time as I did the first time I read it.

If you are at all interested in history, or biographical information, this book is an excellent choice. The emphasis is on Meriwether Lewis. William Clark is not prominent in the book, although he obviously played a key position in the expedition.