Review by Choice Review
Students of the exploration of the American West are deeply indebted to Gary Moulton for his masterful editing of the 13-volume Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1983-2001), but few individuals are likely to read the more than 5,000 pages of that edition or even its seven-volume abridged version. This attractive and reasonably priced abridgment of his longer work, with its emphasis on those sections of the journals that describe the flora, fauna, and Native peoples of the region, should be quite popular and become the definitive introduction to the exploits of the Corps of Discovery. It incorporates judicious editing of the original journals, includes materials discovered since the publication of Reuben Gold Thwaites's Early Western Travels in 1904, contains a careful selection of the most significant passages, and provides a perceptive and instructive introduction and afterword establishing the historical context for both the journals and the expedition. The 13 maps permit readers to trace the course of the expedition at particular times. Marginal annotations gracefully address questions posed by the text of the journals. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. General readers; lower-division undergraduates through graduate students. P. D. Thomas Wichita State University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
This year is the bicentennial of the Louisiana Purchase; next year is the bicentennial of the commencement of the expedition of the Corps of Discovery, commanded by Lewis and Clark. Lewis never fulfilled his assigned task of organizing the pair's voluminous journals into a coherent whole suitable for publication. That task was first attempted in 1905, but the most comprehensive and definitive version was a 13-volume edition published by the University of Nebraska Press in 2001, edited by Moulton, a professor of history at that university. This abridgment, better suited for the general reader, is an invaluable and easily digestible account of the epic journey. Lewis is revealed here as the more emotional, even romantic, observer, while Clark often writes like a detached technocrat. Yet, through the eyes of both men, one can experience the excitement and sense of wonder as the Corps encountered fascinating and awe-inspiring physical beauty, wildlife, and myriad Native American cultures. The narrative is enhanced by Moulton's occasional insertions of the observations of lesser-known members of the Corps. This timely edition is a wonderful and inspiring reminder of the skill and bravery of those men who trekked across the continent when they and their nation were young. --Jay Freeman
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Moulton presents an abridged version of the Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition (which he also edited) that celebrates the Corps of Discovery's landmark journey 200 years ago. What makes this single volume of journal selections more powerful than its contemporaries is the use of other corps members' diaries to provide further details about the journey. Major themes include anthropological observations about the Native Americans the corps encountered, their relations with these tribes, and the natural history work of Lewis and Clark. The expedition is broken down into 12 chronological chapters, and notes defining 19th-century vocabulary, shifting geographic place names, and events requiring editorial explanation are included alongside the text. This book will bring the expedition alive to a new generation of readers. Recommended for all libraries.-Margaret Atwater-Singer, Univ. of Evansville, IN (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
