I recently finished Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose about the Lewis and Clark expedition, one of if not the greatest American adventure story. Ambrose has an exciting writing style, an excellent eye for detail and a passion for the subject matter.
Thomas Jefferson sent his personal protege across the expanse of the unknown American West and so ushered in
manifest destiny.
In our day and age it is almost impossible to imagine the sense of risk, of wonder, and of the unknown that the expedition company faced. Using the original expedition journals Ambrose captures all the excitement and tells a story more compelling than any work of fiction. I recommend it highly.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...957567?v=glance