This Vast Enterprise - by Craig Fehrman (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Celebrated young historian Craig Fehrman, whose first book, Author in Chief, was hailed by Thomas Mallon in The Wall Street Journal as "one of the best books on the American presidency to appear in recent years," delivers a major new account of the Lewis and Clark expedition.

When Meriwether Lewis and William Clark returned from their long journey, in 1806, they brought an incredible tale starring themselves as courageous explorers, skilled scientists, and peaceful ambassadors. There was truth in those descriptions. But there was also distortion.

For the first time in a generation, This Vast Enterprise offers a fresh and more accurate account of their expedition--a gripping narrative that draws on new documents, stunning analysis, and Native perspectives. Fehrman's central insight is that the success of Lewis and Clark depended on much more than just Lewis and Clark. We all know Sacajawea, and some of us know York, the Black man Clark enslaved. But This Vast Enterprise introduces us to John Ordway, a working-class soldier who fought grizzlies and towed the captains' bulky barge. It introduces us to Wolf Calf, a Blackfoot teenager who watched his friend die in a battle with Lewis and his men.

To capture this cast of characters, each chapter in This Vast Enterprise moves to a new point of view, describing that person's desires and contradictions with an unprecedented level of care. Fehrman balances the story's inherent adventure with the humanity of its protagonists. One chapter shows Thomas Jefferson operating in an age of bitter partisan unrest--his secret maneuvers to fund the expedition, uncovered here for the first time, are a case study in presidential power. Another chapter reveals the strategy and strength of Black Buffalo, a Lakota leader, completely upending our understanding of early Lakota American diplomacy. In his chapters, Clark is not a bad speller but a student of the Enlightenment. (Fehrman found Clark's college notebook.) Lewis is someone whose psychological demons feel at once heartbreaking and modern.

And yet, in the end, the captains are men who needed help--from Sacajawea, from York, and from each other. Their expedition truly was a vast enterprise, a sprawling and federally funded military mission that came down to the heroic sacrifices of a few human beings. This book portrays those people, all of them, for the first time. It is more than just a work of history--it's a testament to the power of innovative research and emotional storytelling, and a thrilling reminder that even the most familiar moments in history can still surprise us.

Review Quotes

"One of the best books on the American presidency to appear in recent years. . . . Delightfully instructive."
--Thomas Mallon, The Wall Street Journal

"Joyfully engrossing . . . Juicy controversies and conversation-starters are the consistently found treats of Author in Chief, regardless of where you find yourself on the political spectrum. And the implication throughout--that books are vitally important to the nation's soul--will surely appeal to red and blue state readers alike."
--Steve Donoghue, Christian Science Monitor

"A breezy, anecdote-rich account of the memoirs and autobiographies that have helped candidates running for office . . . Most presidents' books have aimed to entertain, and that might also be said of Author in Chief. But Fehrman has done his homework. His bibliographical essays are impressively thorough, particularly on works on the study of writing, publishing and reading. His readers will learn a lot."
--The Washington Post

"Credit to Craig Fehrman for the compendiousness, readability, and general exuberance of his Author in Chief."
--James Parker, The Atlantic

"Author in Chief is an absolutely absorbing read. . . . It's a years-long undertaking packed with an incredible depth of research and thoughtful analysis, all of it devoted to exploring the literary output of our presidents. Fehrman walks us through the entirety of American history . . . The combination of exceptionally detailed research and well-crafted prose results in a truly engaging work of nonfiction. It's a fascinating look at American history that isn't quite like anything you've read before, a chance to view the men who have led this country through a different and very specific lens."
--Allen Adams, The Maine Edge

"Entertaining and illuminating . . . Fehrman's deep research delivers a wealth of intriguing tidbits (Jimmy Carter leased a $12,000 word processor to compose Keeping the Faith; the Committee to Boycott Nixon's Memoirs sold T-shirts and bumper stickers with the slogan "Don't Buy Books by Crooks"), which are complemented by a generous selection of illustrations. Bibliophiles and presidential history buffs alike will relish this gratifying deep dive into an underappreciated genre."
--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"From the very beginnings of America's experiment in republican government, its chief executives, both actual and aspiring, have put pen to paper (nowadays fingers to keyboard) in attempts to justify themselves and inspire others. Here, Fehrman records such literary efforts back to Jefferson and Adams. . . . Both history buffs and politics enthusiasts will relish this."
--Booklist (starred review)

"A lively account of the literary achievements (and failures) of America's presidents. . . . The author covers a great deal of ground that even major biographers have skipped over in favor of 'sexier' storylines, yet to the book lover, these stories will be unquestionably enticing. Even the footnotes, appendix, and sources offer bookish gems. Fehrman's illuminating blend of presidential and publishing history with literary criticism will appeal to amateur historians and bibliophiles alike."
--Kirkus Reviews

"Conversational, engaging, and compelling, backed by extensive research and appendices . . . Bookworms, lovers of history, and political junkies will find a lot to like here."
--Indianapolis Monthly

"[An] eye-opener of a read . . . For both the scholar and the casually curious, there is a lot to learn about our presidents. . . . There are the predictable standouts--Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Grant, Roosevelt, and Kennedy--and some outstanding surprises, such as Coolidge, Truman, and Reagan."
--BookPage

"Original, illuminating, and entertaining--as good history can be--Craig Fehrman's Author in Chief is a book that should have been written, and should surely be read. By looking at presidents through the prism of their published writings, Fehrman throws new light on what John F. Kennedy--himself an author-president--called 'the vital center of action.' "
--Jon Meacham, author of The Soul of America

"Craig Fehrman takes us from Thomas Jefferson--a president who happened also to be the best prose stylist around--to the age of the obligatory campaign biography, on to the modern blockbuster. Along the way we meet revisionists, ghost writers (Truman went through four), runaway bestsellers (it seems there was a sport at which Calvin Coolidge excelled), surprising flops. We learn that the Civil War turned the occasional authorial impulse into a flood of literature; that Nathaniel Hawthorne quietly wrote a campaign biography; that the most literate presidents can meet with the worst reviews. Shapely, original, and brimming in anecdote, Author in Chief expertly illuminates, amid much else, how history finds its way into the books."
--Stacy Schiff, author of The Witches

"This book is just as fun and fascinating when taking you inside the minds of presidents as into ordinary eighteenth-century bookworms. It's witty, charming, fantastically learned, and engrossing. I loved it."
--Rick Perlstein, author of Nixonland

"CAUTION: This book contains material highly addictive to history lovers. From its account of Thomas Jefferson's monumental efforts to bring out his Notes on the State of Virginia, to the description of John Kennedy's fraudulent claims about writing Profiles in Courage, Craig Fehrman's Author in Chief achieves what every original thesis should. The accumulated myths that we call our history are shattered by the recovery of the true facts. I'm annoyed right now that I didn't write this disciplined, enormously engaging narrative myself."
--Rinker Buck, author of The Oregon Trail

"Author In Chief takes the reader into the hearts and minds of America's presidents as they seek to define their legacies through literature. From Lincoln and Kennedy to Bush and Obama, Fehrman brings these men to life and allows us to see their struggles and revel in their successes. It offers an entirely new perspective into what it feels like to be president and how critical self-expression is to the study of American history."
--Kate Andersen Brower, author of The Residence, First Women, and First in Line

"This engrossing and delightful work offers a fresh lens on famous presidents and a new understanding of obscure ones. Fehrman explains how the uneven written work of presidents--original and ghostwritten--reveals the curious intersection of power and publishing."
--Jonathan Alter, author of The Promise

About the Author