Lewis and Clark in Books

The Lewis and Clark story has shown up in the publishing world and has helped spread the legendary story of the Expedition.

The first thing that comes to mind are the journals themselves. It began with the original journals, edited by Nicholas Biddle and Paul Allen, released in 1814. The edition edited by Elliot Coues was published in 1893, followed by the Reuben Gold Thwaites edition in 1904. It would be nearly 50 years later when the Bernard DeVoto edition was released in 1953. A gap nearly as long, 48 years, would bring us to the University of Nebraska/Gary E. Moulton edition.

But anyone who has studied much about the Corps of Discovery knows there are hundreds of books dedicated to a nearly countless variety of topics, from biographies to topical research, and for a spectrum of readers. Of course, there are too many for us to list. However, we can provide one of several reading lists which cover the many aspects of the Expedition. This example was compiled by Sally Moffitt, Associate Librarian Emerita, at the University of Cincinnati: https://digital.libraries.uc.edu/collections/lewisandclark/pathfinder/pathfinder.pdf.

On occasion, primarily around the Bicentennial Commemoration, the Lewis and Clark story made its way into the mainstream news channels, as evidenced by a front cover appearance in the July 8, 2002, issue of TIME magazine.

Appealing to the “graphic novel” or comics crowd, Image Comics created a 48-issue comic book series titled, “Manifest Destiny,” which took great liberties with the Lewis and Clark story. Using an “alternate history” storyline, the series includes many historical elements and characters, but with lots of strange and fictional twists and turns. (Not for the faint of heart or “purists” of the Lewis and Clark story.)

On the other hand, for accurate and interesting reading on a variety of topics, members of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation are always pleased when their quarterly copy of “We Proceeded On” magazine arrives in their mailbox. The official journal of the organization has been published continually since 1974.

Do you have your own Lewis and Clark reading list?

Image: TIME Magazine

Image Description: The front cover of TIME magazine from July 8, 2002, featuring an illustration of Lewis and Clark. Lewis is wearing a fur cap and leather shirt and rides a white horse; Clark is wearing a floppy brimmed hat and leather shirt. A mountainous scene is behind them. A headline, “Lewis & Clark, How an Amazing Adventure 200 Years Ago Continues to Shape How America Sees Itself.” “TIME” is very large in red ink at the top of the cover, with a red border around the illustration.