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Undaunted Courage  By  cover art

Undaunted Courage

By: Stephen E. Ambrose
Narrated by: Barrett Whitener
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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)

What listeners say about Undaunted Courage

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Excellent

A must read for anyone interested in the Lewis and Clark expedition well worth the time.

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Well worth the listen

Learned things I never knew; didn’t want it to end; I slowed down narrator to .8 speed which helped

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  • Overall
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Amazing

Such great detail. I loved every word. I will undoubtedly listen again. I have no complaints at all.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing journey

Ambrose makes you feel you are part of this journey. The story telling is fascinating, the achievements are grand, the task at hand for these folks (all of them) is mind numbing to comprehend but this book brings it all together in a complete and exciting way. This is Ambrose's best book.

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Very enlightening

I really enjoyed this audiobook. I knew virtually nothing about Lewis and Clark and this book was a wonderful taste of their journey. It included many passages from their jounals as well as a biography on their lives leading up to the amazing journey that would make them such important characters in our country's history. I only wish I had had a map or two in front of me while I listened. The end chapters leave you with a sense of sadness and melancholy for the fate of Lewis. Threre are certain moments when the descriptions seem to go on and on and I found my mind wandering a bit, but overall, I think it was an excellent book.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Story

I enjoy Ambrose as an author and this is another great book. While the book is much more about Lewis than Clark, it's a very detailed listen about this historic trek. When it got a bit slow in the beginning, the narrator does a nice job - as he does throughout. i highly recommend this listen

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Walk in the Shoes of Lewis & Clark

An expertly researched retelling of one of history's greatest explorations into the wild unknown, and an in depth look at the two extraordinary men who successfully lead the expedition.

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Amazing

What courage and determination! I truly enjoyed this book. Sometimes too many adjectives describing the qualities of the men, but they certainly deserved the praise! I am constantly sharing the deeds of these explorers!

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Wonderful !

A fascinating book! full of incite and well read, gives wonderful incite on the life of Lewis,Jefferson and Clark.

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Outstanding!

As always, Stephen Ambrose brings history and some amazing men to life in his usual eloquent style! Love it!

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