Undaunted Courage

By: Stephen E. Ambrose

Narrated by: Barrett Whitener

Length: 21 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson selected his personal secretary, Captain Meriwether Lewis, to lead a voyage up the Missouri River, across the forbidding Rockies, and - by way of the Snake and Columbia rivers - down to the Pacific Ocean. Lewis and his partner, Captain William Clark, endured incredible hardships and witnessed astounding sights. With great perseverance, they worked their way into an unexplored West. When they returned two years later, they had long since been given up for dead.

Undaunted Courage is supported by a variety of colorful characters: Jefferson and his vision of the West; Clark, the artist and mapmaker; and Lewis, the enigma, who led brilliantly but considered the mission a failure. After suffering several periods of depression - and despite his status as national hero - Lewis died mysteriously, apparently by his own hand.

©1996 Ambrose-Tubbs Inc. (P)1996 Books on Tape Inc., All Rights Reserved

Critic reviews

"... a swiftly moving, full-dress treatment of the expedition." (The New York Times Book Review)
"Ambrose's epic, a combination of rhapsody and reality, feels like a final glimpse at a pristine Eden before the crowd of trappers and settlers altered it forever." ( Booklist)

A 5 STAR EXTRAVEGANZA

I'm sure there are many great reviews on this book, after all it was the great reviews that convinced me to get this in the first place.

When something is so highly rated it is often detrimental to your experience because you start out with very high expectations. When a book still blows you away after starting it with such high expectations, that's a true 5 star read!

The premise for a true adventure story doesn't get much better. A large finely picked group of men headed by 2 great men picked by the president to intensively explore the great unknown, with dangers severe enough to doubt their survival.- It was kind of like the moon shot of its time.

There are an awful lot of history writers but only a handful of great ones. Stephen Ambrose's performance with this book put him in the highest eshilon of historical writing excellence.

HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION-- GREAT NARRATION- NOT TO BE MISSED

Best camping trip in the history of the Universe.

I've studied the L&C expedition for years and really enjoyed this performance of Ambrose' book.

EPIC

You will build a map of America through the eyes of Louis that will blow your mind. Stephen Ambrose is the man !

One of my very favorite books.

An impeccably built true story of ambitious endeavor, adventure, exploration, conquest, human frailty, human greatness. I dearly love this book-- Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose

better than boobs.

I am a straight male who enjoys this literature better than the female breast aka "boob"

Outstanding in every aspect!

It's a very compelling story and one that every American should be proud of. The narration is exceptional.

I was transport on the journey

Would you listen to Undaunted Courage again? Why?

Yes, So much incite on their lives outside the expedition.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Undaunted Courage?

Every encounter with the native indian tribes on the expedition was gripping.

Which character – as performed by Barrett Whitener – was your favorite?

Meriwether Lewis was brought to life.

Fantastic history

This is one of the most enjoyable books I've ever listened to. It's primarily a biography of Meriwether Lewis, who is a fascinating and complex character. It also gives a fairly rich sense of the political atmosphere surrounding the journey, and its historical importance. Ambrose is a highly qualified historian, so even his tangents and conjectures are fascinating.

A good book. Recommended.

The book is well written, researched, and presented. It captures the imagination providing a documented view of a tremendous accomplishment in our nations history. I've read the book and enjoyed it more than the audio version perhaps because of the narration.

A thorough and Interesting book

I understand now why Louis and Clark have become legends of American history. I thought it was inspiring to learn how brave, resourceful and knowledgeable Lewis was, especially at such a young age. I'm sure others will undoubtedly use modern judgement to focus on his faults. Conversely, I was fascinated by his intellect, his leadership, his skills and his accomplishments, that pushed him decades ahead of his peers.