The Lewis and Clark Companion

An indispensable guide to the historical expeditionary adventure across the American continent.

Preface by #1 New York Times–bestselling author Stephen E. Ambrose

More than two centuries have passed since Meriwether Lewis and William Clark's famous transcontinental journey between the Missouri and the Columbia River systems. They never did find the fabled Northwest Passage, but over twenty-eight months, the Corps of Discovery traveled more than eight thousand miles through eleven future states, named scores of places and rivers, met with many Native American tribes, and wrote the first descriptions of heretofore unknown plants and animals. By the end of their trip, Lewis and Clark had navigated and named two thirds of the American continent.

They may have had undaunted courage, but the sheer volume of information related to their expedition can be more than a little daunting to the armchair historian. Written by two highly regarded Lewis and Clark experts, this book contains over five hundred lively and fascinating entries on everything from the members of the expedition and the places they went to the weapons and tools, trade goods, and medicines they carried, along with the food and amusements that sustained them. Highly readable and informative, it's the perfect introduction for the Lewis and Clark novice, and the comprehensive guide no buff will want to be without.

“This handy reference work will be a bible to anyone who wants to properly interpret the Lewis and Clark journals, hike some part of the 8,000-mile trail from Missouri to Oregon, or understand what life was like west of the Appalachians when Thomas Jefferson was president. A truly marvelous guidebook.” —Douglas Brinkley, New York Times–bestselling author