Undaunted Courage (Lewis & Clark)

Just finished the book Undaunted Courage written by Steven Ambrose which brings together many sources to tell the story of these two explorers. The book has three time segments; before the expedition, the expedition, and post expedition. I call this out because most people are only aware of the expedition itself, and probably don't know much about that, but they don't know much about the men who pulled it off. I learned quite a bit in this book including getting a glimpse of the President at the time Thomas Jefferson - it was his desire to move west and grow the country that made the trip possible.

There is a lot of story to tell such as Lewis's training leading up to the expedition, his relationship with Jefferson, his plans to communicate and win over the the Native Americans, his ambitions post expedition, and his tragic death. Clark felt like a supporting character in the book but in the end I think he had a lot more to do with the success of the expedition, he was also a great friend to Lewis during his trying times.

Overall, good book and recommended read if you like history or explorer stories.

I have to say my biggest takeaway was the mindset of people and leaders back in the early 1800s. I thought the greed and want for riches and power came much later in this countries development, but it was on full display from the very beginning.