Undaunted Courage

Undaunted Courage
Author Stephen E. Ambrose
Cover artist E.S. Paxson (Lewis and Clark at Three Forks, 1912)
Country United States
Language English
Subject Historical
Genre Non-fiction
Publisher Simon & Schuster
Publication date
1997 Hardback & 2003 Paperback
Media type Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages 592 pp (paperback edition
ISBN 978-0-7434-7788-8
OCLC 56541137

Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West (ISBN 0684811073), written by Stephen Ambrose, is a 1996 biography of Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The book is based on journals and letters written by Lewis, William Clark, Thomas Jefferson and the members of the Corps of Discovery. While most of the book is dedicated to the expedition, several chapters are also devoted to Lewis's early life as a Virginia planter and Jefferson's personal secretary, and his later life as governor of the Louisiana Territory before his untimely death in 1809.

Review

The book outlines the expedition in detail including the route, interactions with Native Americans, scientific discoveries, wildlife, and landscape. As a biography the book is focused entirely on Lewis, and Clark, Sacagawea and the others are addressed principally in their interactions with Lewis. The expedition, and Lewis' life as a whole, is placed within the broader context of Jefferson's presidency, the opening of the American west, and early Indian Policy. The text is supplemented by maps and illustrations, including some drawn by Lewis himself.

The book was a #1 New York Times Bestseller in 1996.

TV adaptation

In May 2014, HBO announced plans to produce a six-hour miniseries based on the book starring Casey Affleck as Meriwether Lewis and Matthias Schoenaerts as William Clark.[1]

References

  1. Elizabeth Wagmeister (30 January 2015). "HBO Greenlights 'Lewis and Clark' Miniseries From Edward Norton, Brad Pitt & Tom Hanks". Variety.com. Variety. Retrieved 2015-01-15.


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