Following orders from President Thomas Jefferson, Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set out from their wintering camp in Illinois in 1804 to search for a river passage to the Pacific Ocean. This is the riveting account of their journey.
In their own words, recorded in the famous journals of Lewis and Clark, the members of the Corps of Discovery tell their story with an immediacy and power missing from secondhand accounts. All of their triumphs and terrors are here: the thrill of seeing the vast herds of bison, the fear the captains felt when Sacagawea fell ill, the ordeal of crossing the Continental Divide. The natural wonders of an unspoiled America are here, and the lives and customs of its native peoples also vividly come to life, making for a living drama that is humorous, poignant and, at least once, tragic.
Editor Gary E. Moulton blends the narrative highlights of his definitive Nebraska edition of the Lewis and Clark journals to bring forth the voices of the enlisted men and of the Native Americans, heard for the first time alongside the words of the captains.
Download and start listening now!
“Through the eyes of [Lewis and Clark], one can experience the excitement and sense of wonder as the Corps encountered fascinating and awe-inspiring physical beauty, wildlife, and myriad Native American cultures…A wonderful and inspiring reminder of the skill and bravery of those men who trekked across the continent when they and their nation were young.
—
Booklist