Books Across the Threshold

Three more books wandered (mostly) unbidden across my threshold yesterday.

My neighbor brought over a copy of So Big by Edna Ferber that she and her book club had just read and that she thought I might enjoy. I have not read anything by Ms. Ferber but this book, published in 1924, won the Pulitzer Prize. Ms. Ferber also penned Show Boat, Giant, and Cimarron. All of these novels were made into movies. Surely we have all seen Giant starring Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, and James Dean.

Another volume that strolled in was a mystery by a local author Gerald McDaniel. I recently met Mr. McDaniel and he kindly sent me a copy, by way of a mutual friend, of this tale, Night Sweats & Graffiti, which takes place during the tumultuous month of September 2001.

The third book was Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West by Stephen Ambrose. Apparently, right now, I cannot get enough of Lewis and Clark and their Corps of Discovery expedition. It was offered on Amazon as an ebook for $1.99. Click.

So my book pile grew by three in the space of just a few hours. Anything of interest find its way onto your stack?

The Corps of Discovery: Lewis & Clark Expedition

I was delighted recently to discover that the 1997, two-part program created by Ken Burns on the Lewis and Clark Expedition is still available for viewing on PBS.org. 

What a treat to watch. Here we have the story of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and their start from St. Louis with 30 volunteers and Clark's slave, York. Their goal was to head up the Missouri River to explore the newly acquired territory of the Louisiana Purchase and to find the Northwest Passage - a waterway that would lead to the Pacific Ocean. The passage wasn't there, but boy, what adventures they had. 

The ultimate road trip with no road!

The film is amazing. I like to think I know a little about American history but other than the fact that this expedition took place, I had no idea how difficult and extraordinary and important the trip, commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson, was. 

From May 1804 until their triumphant return in September 1806 the explorers encountered Indian tribes (some friendly, some not), mosquitoes, herds of buffalo, prairie dogs, antelope, wolves, mountains, snow, wildflowers, deserts, massive rock formations, Sacagawea, loneliness, hunger, ice, rain, sickness, fatigue, and finally, the Pacific Ocean. Amazingly, there was only one fatality - early into the trek a Sergeant John Floyd of Kentucky died from appendicitis.

I highly recommend watching this documentary if for no other reason than a chance to see the varied and gorgeous landscape of America's plains and mountains. Just type in Lewis and Clark in pbs.org's  search box. Each part is less than two hours long and I can promise you its discoveries will stay with you for days to come.