LEWIS & CLARK

Duncan's second book on the Lewis and Clark expedition (Out West, 1987) is the companion volume to the newest documentary by Burns, scheduled to air on public television stations in early November. The details of one of the most remarkable official journeys in American history have been the subject of many narratives, first and most prominently Lewis and Clark's own record of the trip. Duncan provides a useful if brief overview of the expedition conceived by Thomas Jefferson, offering frequent comparisons between the largely untouched West that the expedition traversed and the same landscapes today, as well as some lively asides on later incidents along the Lewis and Clark trail. One hundred color and fifty black-and-white illustrations, including period drawings and paintings as well as modern photographs, considerably enliven the narrative. A charming if terse summary of the journey; readers wanting a detailed history should look elsewhere. (First printing of 100,000; Literary Guild main selection)