Along the Trail With Lewis and Clark is an absorbing read for the avid enthusiast of American history as well as the uninitiated. Authors Barbara Fifer and Vicky Soderberg convey a stirring empathy for the adventures and adversity experienced by Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery on their epic journey across the country. The trials these hardy men and the all-important young Indian woman Sacagawea endured, the wonders, hardships, and moments of joy described in these pages are fascinating and deeply moving. Joseph Mussulman's maps are a wonderfully enriching inclusion.

Along the Trail With Lewis and Clark is billed as a guidebook, but get past the first chapter, and the descriptions of the journey and the diary excerpts are so absorbing that it can be read and enjoyed solely from that standpoint. Should the reader be inspired to actually follow in the footsteps of the Corps of Discovery, he or she can undertake the entire journey -- or a part of it -- with every possible essential provided. Detailed information is given for each step of the journey, including museums, sites of historical interest, events, practical tips for travel, lodging, and recreation.