The author has done a huge amount of research ... Each chapter unfolds from the viewpoint of a different individual and the result is a richly woven tapestry of voices ... Fehrman reframes this well-known story, revealing it as more complex, and profoundly human ... A page-turner and a fantastic achievement.
Lewis and Clark had a lot of help, as Craig Fehrman argues persuasively and poetically ... This character-based approach pays enormous dividends, as Fehrman weaves a tale that uses human stories to go beyond hard facts and calcified myths ... Fehrman’s approach to this well-trodden historical chapter is fresh and inclusive. It also makes for a ripping good read.
Immensely engaging ... Fehrman strives to capture the motivations, values and ideas of the individuals who contributed to this multifaceted historical event.
Riveting and revitalized ... Grounded in outstanding scholarship documented in significant bibliographic essays on his sourcing and two outstanding appendices in which he discusses how specific research was conducted, Fehrman provides a model for revisiting long-studied aspects of our nation’s past.
The book’s wide-angle perspective is appropriate, since Lewis and Clark favored a more democratic decision-making style than was usual on a military expedition, and the inclusion of multiple Native points of view makes it clear how complex and fraught the team’s mission was. Fehrman’s approach gives added depth to his chronicle of the breathtaking natural wonders encountered and extraordinary hardships overcome on the Corps’ transcontinental trek. A valuable fresh look at a storied moment in American history.
