I have to say this is the perfect summer book. I purchased this book on the recommendation of a friend whose husband and son had read it. I wanted to know more about the Native Americans and I was told to read this book. We were going to drive across the USA in September of 2006 from PA to WA, so I thought this was the perfect book to take along.

Here I am almost 1 and a half years later, I did read 6 chapters while we took the week to drive across, it took Lewis and Clark 3 years, the trip was amazing for us and we travelled with our dog, we had no problems finding excellent, clean and new lodging that allowed pets going across 11 states.

So now I am finishing the book and have read 3 more chapters since the weekend!

I find so many things in the book so interesting as to what happened almost over 200 years ago.

Like the Army has not changed, even in 1796, officers spent their money on booze and "wenching". LOL

That German immigrants tilled their land without slavery, and treated the land better than the English, the English treated the land for profit only. The Germans had a much different relationship with the land. They were in it for the long haul not for quick profit, so they did it right, clearing the land, plowed deep, housed their cattle, used manure, rotated crops. But what I found interesting is that the Germans used no slaves, no servants but kept the farm in the family.

In 1803 Lewis passes an airgun around and a woman's hat is blown off, she is bleeding from the temple, but she's fine. Love this "blood gusing from her temple, we were all in the greatest consternation supposed she was dead but in a minute she revived to enespressable satisfaction".

And squirrels used to migrate! There were so many of them, today's squireel population is so little now migration of them is extinct.

So those are my interesting facts I've found thus far in reading this great book!

Can't put this book down, this expedition would be hell, see my post on page 1170 in the Someday/Fiction section. This is just a great read and I'm so glad I picked it up again. I find myself just dying to read what will happen next especially since this is a true and historical event.

Merty,do you like watching the history channel and pbs,when they re-enact these events? I saw one where they had found the actual camp where L and C were,by getting soil samples. There was mercury in the soil. They had concluded that they were given large amounts of mercury for a number of illnesses. Very interesting. jan

Hi Jan!
I don't watch the History Channel, but I should! I'm on page 197 and it is winter and the biggest medical ailment at that time there was good ole' syphilis, and the treatment was mercury!
That's where the expression comes from "mad as a hatter" as hatmakers used mercury in the process of their work and became a bit crazy from breathing in all the mercury fumes, one of the side effects was becoming crazy.

You have to go thru the guide and find the shows. Or I think you can get them on Netflex. They are very intersting. They have alot of things on the Civil War and the Revolution. Love that stuff! Jan

I'm on chapter 32, whew! What an amazing book, it's as if I went on the expedition, very detailed and so interesting, what they saw, what they ate, and the suffering, the ailments, the weather, the mosquitoes! A great adventure!
Going to read The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan next, about the dust bowl.

My last class in '06 for my degree was on the Civil War, I learned alot, it was so interesting, and held my interest throughout the course.

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Originally posted by jvcooker:
You have to go thru the guide and find the shows. Or I think you can get them on Netflex. They are very intersting. They have alot of things on the Civil War and the Revolution. Love that stuff! Jan

I'm done, what a long but rewarding book. This has been a thrilling summer time book full of adventures that really did happen. Only the ending is so sad! If I'd have only known...but I won't spoil it for anyone who does decide to pick up this book. Again, I must say a thrilling read. I've been talking about this book for a few weeks now and Hubbie wants to read it next!