From Amazon.com
In his preface, Stephen E. Ambrose describes the expedition of Lewis and Clark across the North American continent and back (from May 1804 to December 1806) as "the greatest camping trip of all time, and the greatest hunting trip. And one of the greatest scientific expeditions ever." It's a trip that Ambrose and his family often emulate, camping in the same lands the expedition first encountered nearly two centuries before them. In 1997, he was accompanied by
National Geographic photographer Sam Abell. Some of these stunning pictures lead off the account of the journey presented here, and then pepper the second half of the book, which is also filled with period illustrations and maps. Ambrose has told the story of Lewis and Clark before, in the bestselling
Undaunted Courage; the version he tells in
Voyage of Discovery is shorter, but is also filled with his own contemporary reflections upon the men and the lands they traveled. This coffee-table book will delight lovers of history and nature alike, and may well inspire you to pack up your gear and hit the trail.
From School Library Journal
YA-The author of Undaunted Courage (S & S, 1996) has written another excellent book about the two men who were responsible for opening up the American West. Ambrose and his family have spent their vacations following the routes taken by the expedition and this volume is an outgrowth of their travels. Although it is about Lewis and Clark, it is equally about the author's own observations on their impact on the land and people and the positive affect his own trips have had on him and his family. In addition to the superb writing, the book has stunning, full-color photographs of the places that Lewis and Clark so vividly described. Reproductions of many of the actual paintings and maps done by the two explorers are also included. This combination of easy-to-read writing, high-quality photographs, and period artwork makes this book appealing to a wide range of readers.
Robert Burnham, R. E. Lee High School, Springfield, VACopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
