At this time, the corps encountered a hostile military engagement but the troops remained intact without losing anyone of them. Sad to say that the flat, droning, expressionless, uninspired I could go on narration ruined the book for me. I gained a better understanding of the political mind of Jefferson and political thought of the time; specifically from the colonists' perspective but with plenty of opportunity to see things from the natives' perspective. He makes it come alive, even for those readers who, unlike Ambrose, have never followed the Lewis and Clark trail. In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content: Reviews 403 Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West.
Nonfiction Book Review: Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West by Stephen E. Ambrose, Author Touchstone $30 (512p) ISBN 978
Utley, A Life Wild and Perilous is also a dramatic story of innovation and survival. The biography moves briskly from cradle to early grave; the tight narrative compass which ensures this pacing, however, comes at the cost of perspective. Ambrose writes persuasively that he committed suicide. Upon their return, Lewis and Clark are received back home as heroes and Lewis is appointed as governor. I found the book insightful and entertaining Ambrose opened this land up for all of us to see as Lewis and Clark saw it. Ambrose used the journals of both Lewis and Clark, as well as those of others involved in the expedition to compose his book.
Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of ...
It is equally fascinating to find out how culturally distant this journey was. One of the results is a complex, three-dimensional portrait of Meriwether Lewis, who is still seen here as an outstanding explorer and hero, fair, energetic, beloved by his men and usually greatly self-disciplined, but also occasionally impetuous and arrogant, and possessed of a flaring temper that could get him into trouble. Louis to Washington to clear his name. Hamilton: Confrontations that Shaped a Nation. Ambrose has written prolifically about men who were larger than life: Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Colonel Custer. In terms of raw human effort, the Corps of Discovery was a more amazing achievement than the Apollo mission. Ambrose brings Eisenhower's experience of the Second World War to life, showing in vivid detail how the general's skill as a diplomat and a military strategist contributed to Allied successes in North Africa and in Europe and established him as one of the greatest military leaders in the world.
But by that time he was on the verge of a mental collapse, caused, according to Mr. But when a scouting mission puts him face-to-face with a grizzly bear, he is viciously mauled and not expected to survive. For reasons that one can only speculate about, Lewis let Jefferson down on both counts, ignoring the duties of his new job and doing nothing to prepare the journals for publication. Finally, Lewis apparently suffered from grim periods of melancholy -- which Jefferson remarked upon and which may have been a sign of manic-depression -- as well as from bouts of alcoholism, which seem to have been prevalent in his early Army days and re-emerged even more seriously after his return from the West. Ambrose's skill really broadened my reading experience and I have read many many historical books since because of it.
Undaunted Courage (Audiobook) by Stephen E. Ambrose
Noble young partners, courageous and self-reliant, they were role models for generations of American youths. Lewis is presented by the author as a reasonable man with a natural gift in scientific observation. Undaunted Courage hits its stride here, sketching scenes from the trail—often with a novelistic flair—that carry readers over the mountains, to the soggy Pacific Coast, and back down the Missouri. Ambrose, by any number of factors: his depressions; the threat of financial ruin and the besmirching of his name and honor; a series of frustrations and failures in his quest for a wife; alcoholism; drug addiction; and poisoning resulting from his heavy overuse of some of Dr. Not only a groundbreaking work of American history by critically acclaimed author Robert M. Out of this tragedy came one of the most gripping feuds - one man against a whole tribe - in American history. Ambrose is the author of numerous books, including the New York Times bestseller D-Day and multi-volume biographies of Dwight D.
Undaunted Courage Summary and Analysis (like SparkNotes)
I gave this one star because the book is really really great. Jefferson and the West- Jefferson is antsy because of lack of info from the Corps, apparently, Jefferson wanted toprevent a mad rush to the West, actually did the opposite by sending his most trusted official on an expedition, publicizing the expedition, and publishing Lewis' journals outlining how beautiful and great the West was. If you read only one book this year, this is the one. I knew essentially nothing about what Lewis and Clark achieved before I listened to this book. In the beautiful but deadly country which would one day come to be known as West Virginia, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, more often than not they left their bones to bleach beside forest paths or on the banks of the Ohio River. He unfortunately loses his life at an early age of thirty-five years after committing suicide.
I was taken in by the story and even looked forward to my commute. Ambrose, aware of present-day Native American perspectives, does better than most in conveying the problem, but the Indian role remains the one major gap in the Lewis and Clark story; it still awaits an understanding treatment perhaps by an Indian historian , not simply of what the explorers reported but of what was happening on the Indians' side of the contacts. They must have been exceptional men. In my opinion, the presentation of the chronological events that took place in regards to Lewis prior, during and after the expedition is very clear and informative. Benjamin Rush, who equipped him with a pharmacy for the expedition that included an ample supply of his famous ''Thunderclapper'' explosive purging pills, which Rush believed ''were sovereign for nearly all mankind's ills.
In addition, the nation gained a huge store of information about that region, and a basis for its claim to the Oregon country. The author is very talented at bringing together the many side-stories that contributed to this great adventure. Feel free to online, on any topic you need. . All these aspects of the story are dealt with admirably in Stephen E. Meanwhile, he faced personal bankruptcy over bills that he had charged for the expedition without proper authorization and that the Madison Administration refused to honor.
