For such an iconic American subject, the literature of the Lewis and Clark expedition is surprisingly sparse, probably because the journals themselves, until the Moulton edition made them widely available, were so difficult to find in a complete authoritative form. We do not have too many books about Lewis and Clark; we have too few. Here are the 10 best.

Gary E. Moulton, ed., The Definitive Journals of Lewis and Clark (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1983-2001).

If you want Lewis and Clark whole, this is the edition to buy. Moulton spent more than two decades pulling the pieces together and did a masterly job. If you don’t want the atlas volume or the herbarium or the index volume, which are available only in hardcover, volumes 2-8, which contain the journals of Lewis and Clark, can be had in paperback. So can volumes 9-11, which contain the journals of Patrick Gass, Joseph Whitehouse, John Ordway, and Charles Floyd.

Anthony Brandt, ed., The Journals of Lewis and Clark (Washington, D.C.: National Geographic, 2002).

For an abridgment I have to recommend my own, which corrects the sometimes impenetrable spelling and grammar of the original in an effort to make the journals accessible to a modern reader. It’s an appetizer, not the whole meal, but for those who have to eat and run, this is, I do humbly believe, the best choice.

Stephen E. Ambrose, Undaunted Courage (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996).

Ambrose’s book deserves a lot of credit for the current enthusiasm for Lewis and Clark, and it’s the best account we have of their voyage of discovery. Which does not mean it’s the best account possible. Ambrose’s research is sometimes sketchy, and he’s quick to pass judgment. But he tells the story well, and the book is a good introduction to the study of Lewis and Clark.

James P. Ronda. Lewis and Clark Among the Indians (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1984).

This remains the best analysis we have of the encounters between Lewis and Clark and the various Indian tribes they met along their route. Those who think Lewis and Clark could do no wrong will not be pleased by the critical stance Ronda takes toward them for their naivete about the trading relationships among the tribes and the even worseinformed efforts the explorers made to bring peace among them. These were, after all, warrior societies. But the criticism is fully justified, and this is a solid, thoroughly researched book.

Paul Russell Outright, Lewis and Clark: Pioneering Naturalists (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1969).

Lewis and Clark discovered 300 species of plants and animals new to science, and this book lists them all and fills in the background to these discoveries for the first