Meriwether Lewis and William Clark did not embark on their epic trek across the continent alone-dozens of men and eventually one woman accompanied them. The towering triumph of the Lewis and Clark expedition is due in no small part to the skill and fortitude of such men as Sgt. Charles Floyd; the only expedition member to die; Sgt. Patrick Gass; who lived until 1870; the last surviving member of the expedition; Sgt. Nathaniel Hale Pryor; husband to an Osage woman; and York; Clark's slave; who was freed after the expedition. The men who were instrumental to the success of the Lewis and Clark expedition come to life in this volume. Through the aid of a detailed biographical roster and a composite diary of the expedition that highlights the roles and actions of the expedition's members; Charles G. Clarke affords readers precious glimpses of those who have long stood in the shadows of Lewis and Clark. Disagreements and achievements; ailments and addictions; and colorful personalities and daily tasks are all vividly rendered in these pages. The result is an unforgettable portrait of the corps of diverse characters who undertook a remarkable journey across the western half of the continent almost two hundred years ago.
#1714793 in Books University of Nebraska Press 2002-10-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 2.28 x 6.42 x 9.36l; #File Name: 0803237332699 pages
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Masterful Summary of a Neglected SubjectBy P. WeiserYou'd think this would be something of a joke; like "Italian Victories Since 500 AD;" but in fact it's very serious; well written; carefully sourced; and - surprise - quite fascinating (to the student of military history; anyway). The Arab armies were not all alike; each having its own strengths and weaknesses; and their leadership defects were not what you might imagine. Sideshows like Libya in Chad or Egypt in Yemen add spice to the main campaigns (against Israel; mostly; but also Iran). The author withholds his general conclusions to the end (though the outline becomes pretty obvious by then); and there is an addendum written post-911 but pre-Iraq II.Kindle edition: This has the most readable military maps of any such Kindle book I've read (on my Kindle Keyboard). Less significantly; its skinny Roman typeface is a bit hard to read and develops small white spots on certain words; for some reason - one of which; unfortunately for this particular work; is "command."1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A clear-eyed view of the Arab militaryBy Thomas BraggThis is a very good appraisal of the Arab war machine in general and specific Nations in particular. I really had no real interest in some of the minor military forces discussed and thought undue emphasis was placed on them. The overriding theme is the failure of company and field grade officers; and most general officers; to act independently; aggressively and inability to maneuver mobile units; integrate all components of their command with almost total lack of imagination in designing or reacting to counterattacks and flanking maneuvers. General Staff command and control was discussed and; surprisingly; found to generally sound. Unit cohesion and the individual soldiers response under attack was evaluated as were other battle conditions. The underlying reasons for these failures were analyzed and do not bode well for future Arab conflict. If one has a real interest in understanding Middle East wars of the future; this is an excellent place to start.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Great read for students of the middle eastBy vburnsFollowed Middle East history and events since 1973 war and never found such a thoughtful and detailed analysis. Great and important book.
