Wilderness Journey

Although studies have been published on virtually every facet of the Lewis and Clark Journey, Wilderness Journey is the first detailed account of Clark's lengthy and multifaceted life. Intended for the general reader, as well as for specialists, this fascinating book provides a thorough account of one of America's most significant frontiersman.

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Strange as it may seem today, William Clark - most known as the American explorer who joined Meriwether Lewis in leading an overland expedition to the Pacific - mattered for far more than his famed Voyage of Discovery, dramatic and daring though that venture may have been. Although studies have been published on virtually every facet of the Lewis and Clark Journey, Wilderness Journey is the first comprehensive account of Clark's lengthy and multifaceted life. Following Lewis and Clark's great odyssey, Clark's service as a soldier, Indian diplomat, and government official placed him at center stage in the national quest to possess and occupy North America's vast western hinterland and prefigured U.S. policies in the region. In his personal life, Clark had to overcome challenges no less daunting than those he faced in the public arena. Foley pays careful attention to the family and business dimensions of Clark's private world, adding richness to this well-rounded and revealing portrait of the man and his courageous life. Coinciding with the Bicentennial in 2004 of Lewis and Clark's famed Corps of Discovery, Wilderness Journey fills a major gap in scholarship.