American Odyssey
Craig Fehrman's book, 'This Vast Enterprise: A New History of Lewis & Clark,' reexamines the famous expedition of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. The author utilizes multiple perspectives from various archives and oral histories to provide a comprehensive view of the journey. Fehrman reveals new insights, including Clark's education and a different account of Lewis's encounter with the Blackfeet tribe.
- ▪Fehrman spent five years researching the expedition, drawing from 30 archives and numerous oral histories.
- ▪The book challenges traditional narratives and highlights Jefferson's motivations behind the expedition.
- ▪Lewis and Clark faced significant dangers, including threats from Spanish forces and hostile Native tribes.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Culture American Odyssey REVIEW: ‘This Vast Enterprise: A New History of Lewis & Clark’ by Craig Fehrman Richard Norton Smith May 24, 2026 image/svg+xml .st0{fill:none;stroke:#384f61;stroke-width:2;stroke-linecap:round;stroke-linejoin:round;stroke-miterlimit:10;} .st1{fill:none;stroke:#384f61;stroke-width:2;stroke-linejoin:round;stroke-miterlimit:10;} To historian Craig Fehrman the 8,000-mile expedition (1804-06) indelibly associated with Meriwether Lewis and William Clark is nothing less than "our national Odyssey." To this TCM junkie their epic crossing of the continent suggests a road picture with more perils than Pauline and more plot twists than anything starring Hope and Crosby.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Washington Free Beacon.
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