Lewis & Clark

Beautiful illustrations, fantastic story.

"Lewis And Clark" Written and Illustrated by Nick Bertozzi (First Second, 2011) ------------------------------------------------ This is an outstanding graphic novel telling the story of Merriweather Lewis and William Clark's fabled 1804-1806 journey across the American frontier in search of a water route, or "Northwest Passage," from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. (They failed to find one: the Rocky Mountains got in the way.) Working from the extensive journals compiled by explorers Lewis and Clark, artist Nick Bertozzi crafts a brisk, lively and humor-filled version of their journey, in which a small but hardy group of frontiersmen braved the hazards of harsh weather, unknown geography and unpredictable native tribes, and mapped out a hefty chunk of what would become the new American West. I am a total sucker for this kind of stuff, particularly when told in comicbook form, and Bertozzi's book ranks right up there with William Messner-Loebs' "Journey" and George O'Connor's "Journey Into Mohawk Country" (also published by First Second). The narrative is true to the original journals and although it could have been longer, it races along at a fine clip yet also has some heft. Bertozzi's artwork is as subtle as his script, evoking the wonder of the unspoiled vistas as well as the constant perils that confronted Lewis and Clark faced. This book is an ideal companion to the original text: students who find it difficult to picture the landscapes and scenes described in Lewis' prose will find this version immensely helpful. The book ends abruptly, however, and Bertozzi largely sidesteps the controversies concerning Merriweather Lewis's death -- he died of gunshot wounds in a Tennessee tavern; some historians think he was murdered, while most believe it was suicide: in this comic, he is last seen walking off into the woods, and later we are told he is dead. Although that sequence is unsatisfying, the book as a whole is not, and indeed is highly, highly recommended. And while you're at it, pick up a copy of the full "History of the Expedition under the Command of Captains Lewis and Clark" , one of the finest American history books you'll ever read. (Joe Sixpack, ReadThatAgain children's book reviews)

As excited as I was about getting my hands on Nick Bertozzi's LEWIS & CLARK, I have to say that it turned out to be a sad disappointment to read. Full of inacccurate historical details and incorrect details in Bertozzi's illustrations; the book fell far short of my expectations. Bertozzi's uniforms are pretty sad. His Indians are cookie-cutter stereotypes, both in appearance and in their speech. Lewis comes off as a raging lunatic (hardly the sort of man that Thomas Jefferson would have had as a Private Secretary...or sent to lead an expedition!). Having participated in the recent L&C Bicentennial observance, I just found myself wondering where Bertozzi got his information and his ideas? It seems to me that Nick Bertozzi took a fantastic tale of true adventure and tried to 'improve' on what is already a great story. Sometimes you just cannot make a great story better by exercising 'artistic license'. Looking at the bibliography on the last page of the book, I found myself wondering if the author READ any of the volumes he cites??? Nice 'comic book'. Disappointing historical graphic novel.

Gave this as a gift... Haven't read it myself, but enjoyed glancingt hrough it and seeing their journeying portrayed in such a lively way.

It's hard to imagine what the world looked like in 1804. So much of what we know now as the United States was wide open, undiscovered. Lewis and Clark with the help of others braved the unknown. This historical fiction book is unique because it's written in comic book form. Kids that think history is boring just might sing a different tune after reading this.

With the purchase of the Louisiana Territory, President Thomas Jefferson wanted a survey of the new land. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were chosen to lead the expedition. This graphic novel shows the highlights and hard times of that journey. The story is a great adventure and Bertozzi makes it exciting. He gives a strong sense of the two personalities and how hard it was to cross the North American continent at the beginning of the nineteenth century. While not as entertaining as Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales, this book is interesting and a good introduction to an early adventure in United States history. It did leave me wanting to read more. Slightly recommended.

This is a waste of time. I liked Bertozzi's Shackleton, and I'm used to his style of modernizing history, but really. This is a humdrum treatment of the Lewis & Clark expedition, downplaying the courage and achievements. Some of the lighter parts of the book were too jokey, esp the mistranslations. The book focuses too particularly on Lewis's mental state. Good points: The wildlife is drawn well The Mandan village and the Fort were depicted very well. We did the L&C trail several years ago as a family. If you need a graphic book on the expedition, try Rosemary Schanzer's. For a personal favorite, try Lewis and Clark and Me by LauRie Myers. Other L&C materials at this Listmania. https://www.amazon.com/Lewis-and-Clark-Summer-Vacation/lm/R1Y42NR2JZBEVM/cm_lm_byauthor_title_full

Reason for Reading: I enjoy Western history. I've read a few books on Lewis & Clark before (children's books) and read many books on the expansion of the west where the Lewis & Clark story would take up a chapter so I am familiar with this story. This book is recommended for ages 12 and up but it isn't written down to a young audience, adults will enjoy it as much or more. The book of course tells the story of their epic journey from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean, in search of a viable water route. That journey was fraught with accidents, bad luck, aggressive Indians, injuries and setbacks from nature itself. Bertozzi manages to tell a fine introductory tale of this expedition and these adventurers who were full of their success before they had even started. Bertozzi also brings to life the personalities of Lewis and Clark in a way that I haven't encountered in my previous reading. Captain William Clark is shown as the level headed partner and thus is not the one that stands out. He is always reasoning with Lewis about there plans, calming him down, and putting out the flames of discord with others. He is shown as a quiet, intelligent, reasonable, respectful man who probably kept the expedition from becoming a mess, in more ways than one. Though he was willing to have as much fun as the next guy and went along easily enough with Lewis' more thrill-seeking adventures. On the other hand, Captain Meriwether Lewis was a man with a volatile temper, quick to anger, and if not for Clark's levelheadedness may have caused some serious trouble on their adventure. Lewis was obsessed with the expedition and finding a water route to the Ocean. When coming first upon a huge waterfall and eventually hitting the Rocky Mountains he took these hits deeply and went into deep depressions, took to drink, and could not be reasoned with. When they finally made it to the Pacific Lewis was not happy as they had not made it entirely be a water route and their stay at the end dragged on because he entered a deep depression. Bertozzi also plays up a story involving Lewis, his reactions and feeling which along with many other factors may have lead to his final act of ending his life. Done in black and white, which I always think suits historical non-fiction well, the art is kept simple without a lot of background within the frame by frame discussions of characters. Lovely backgrounds are used but when necessary and are never added clutter. The one problem I did have though, was that at times we are supposed to read horizontally across both pages and this was not always made evident. Sometimes it was obviously clear, other times the reading went down one page and started up again at the top of the other and then there were those times you were reading along and realized you should have read horizontally across both pages once you got to the top of the second page. A minor annoyance that happened to me more times than it should have. A good, interesting story, which Bertozzi has written with a fine sense of humour but not exactly a page-turner.