It Happened on the Lewis and Clark Expedition

At the start of Lewis and Clark’s expedition the United States of America had announced statehood for seventeen states. Just thirty years prior, at the end of the revolutionary war, had the United States gained independence from Great Britain. To this point, few people in the United States had even seen a map of their country. For this reason, the Lewis and Clark expedition was invaluable to the United States of America. In Erin H. Turners book It Happened on the Lewis and Clark Expedition, she reveals the facts and fiction of the epic voyage of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. In her book, Turner encompasses the reader in everything that is Lewis and Clark, from their intoxicating nights on the banks of the Missouri River to their discovery of the Pacific.

Turner’s writing style is dull but effective and to the point. Rather than leading the readers down a path full of redundant adjectives and vague foreshadowing, she instead focuses on the story and what it is worth. She writes at a level most people can comprehend while still answering any and all questions the reader might encounter. Her obvious motive for writing this book was to inform readers of the trials and tribulations of Lewis and Clark while still putting her own spin on the events of the expedition. As Erin Turner was born well after the Lewis and Clark escapade, this means she is recanting the story based on writings and historical journals. Because of this information gap, at times the reader feels somewhat lost in her words. One of the main goals on the expedition by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark was to map out the western territory they would be traveling through. In the journals of Clark and Lewis, maps were abundant. These maps identified...

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...h. Some readers don’t even read the Epilogue, which in turn leaves her argument silent on the ears of some of her readers. Despite being in the epilogue, Turner brings out in great detail the events she thinks happened to the mysterious journal.

Overall, Turner does an excellent job of telling the epic story of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. Turner’s rather rough dialogue jumps out of the page at you once you fully understand what she is trying to convey. Although Turner does not include maps, photographs, or even simple drawings, she still finds a way to express her ideas and still bring out the complete story. This well written, modern book can be read and interpreted by most any scholars and is one of the more fun books to read. Furthermore, any scholar looking for a good read on the epic voyage of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, look no further.