Generally considered to be one of the greatest adventure tales and science books of all time, it lived up to its advanced billing. I’ll never look at Lewis and Clark the same again after having read this book.
For those of you unfamiliar with this book, it contains the daily journals of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, who led the famous Corps of Discovery Expedition from St. Louis, Mo. to the Pacific Ocean and back between 1803 and 1806. Ordered by President Thomas Jefferson, it was the first American transcontinental expedition to the Pacific. In all, the expedition included 33 people and covered 8,000 miles of uncharted territory.
Jefferson assigned Lewis and Clark with the task of exploring the newly acquired Louisiana Territory and recording the flora, fauna, geography and the people they encountered. They meticulously recorded their adventures in their journals, and it’s argued that Lewis and Clark would more than likely have been forgotten by history if not for the detailed journals they left behind. What they accomplished was special and unique, and the journals they left behind should be considered a national treasure.
The full text of their journals is almost 5,000 pages long. Most people have never even seen a full edition of these journals, which fill multiple volumes. Most folks who have read these journals have read an edited, single-volume edition that hits the high points. The edition that I read was the 2003 Penguin Classics edition that was edited by Frank Bergon. This 505-page edition included maps and sketches from the original journals as well as an introduction by Bergon.
I’ve wanted to read this book for a while, and I’ve seen it on a number of “best of” recommended reading lists. Several years ago, Outside Magazine listed it as the No. 2 book on its list of Best Adventure Books, and National Geographic also listed it in the No. 2 spot on its list of 100 Best Adventure Books. My favorite Web site, The Art of Manliness, also ranked it No. 6 on a list they called “The Essential Adventure Library: 50 Non-fiction Adventure Books.”
The book is also considered a landmark scientific work as evidenced by the fact that Discover Magazine ranked it No. 19 on its list of 25 Greatest Science Books of All Time in December 2006. The book was also one of nine books reprinted as part of the National Geographic Adventure Classics series and was one of 12 books reprinted as part of Easton Press’ Greatest Adventure Books of All Time series.
In the end, I thought that this was one of the best books that I’ve ever read. It was extremely interesting and also very funny in parts. I actually laughed out loud a couple of times. Anyone with an interest in true adventure and American history will love it.
How many of you have ever read “The Journals of Lewis and Clark”? What did you think about it? Did you like it or not? Why? Let us know in the comments section below.
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