Since the early 1800's over twenty varying accounts of the Lewis and Clark expedition have been written. Yet Stephen Ambrose presents interesting new information in his 1996 work, UNDAUNTED COURAGE. For many months his book ranked high on the non-fiction bestseller list and was highly praised by both American writers and historians.

Ambrose's continual visits to the historical spots where Lewis and Clark had traveled and camped over 190 years before undoubtedly helped inspire his intriguing review of their three year journey. However, that was only one part of the book; the other part, which also becomes suspenseful, is the life story of Meriwether Lewis himself, before and after the expedition, and his close relationship with Thomas Jefferson.

Captains Lewis and Clark were close army friends long before their voyage over the Missouri and Columbia rivers, and the 30-odd enlisted men they took with them were always subject to their strict military discipline. But discipline was a minor problem after the first few weeks on the Missouri River. Then exploring the new land and dealing with the different tribes of Indians they encountered, some friendly and some hostile, became their main purpose and took up all their time. Trading and gift-giving with them was not always easy, although the enlisted men enjoyed sex with willing Indian women, for little or nothing. The Indians felt such intercourse with a white man might give them some of his power.

But being confined a number of months in a winter camp often lowered the men's morale. Building shelters that would protect them from below-zero temperatures, hunting for elk or buffalo for food, or burning out long logs for canoes still left idle time. Usually the captains could use this opportunity to fill in their journals. Besides accounting for each day's progress, Lewis also described new specimens of animal and plant life he'd discovered. Or when the sky was clear he studied their geological position in relation to latitude and longitude. Clark worked at drawing maps of all the 4000-plus miles they covered.

Sacagawea, who as a child was stolen from the Shoshones by a Hidatsa tribe and later married a Frenchman, was the only woman on the expedition. Besides nursing her newborn baby, she helped translate dialogue between Lewis and the Indian chiefs of different tribes. Through her aid and the use of sign language, the expedition was able to acquire horses and cross the Rockies.

The return of Lewis and Clark and their men to St. Louis in 1806 was highly celebrated there. However, news traveled slowly then, and it wasn't until weeks later that President Jefferson learned of their success. Several months passed by before Lewis finally arrived in Washington. Clark at that time was preparing nearly every night in honor of America's new "young heroes".

Jefferson was anxious to get Lewis and Clark's many journals published, and at first Lewis was too. But after he was appointed governor of the Territory of Louisiana and stationed in St. Louis politics seemed to distract him. As an army officer he had had things under control and had become a hero. But to be governor of all the territory between St. Louis and New Orleans was more than he could handle at his young age.

Late in 1809, Lewis finally left for Washington to have his journal published. But only the papers got there. At a small inn along the way, he took his own life. He was only 35 years old.

Ambrose sums up Lewis' life this way: "...if he was a near-perfect army officer, [he] was a lousy politician." And Lewis would probably agree.