April 2022

Reasonably good account of the US Exploring Expedition. Fine subject matter, and Fredrick's writing is by no means bad, but in the large his authorial voice has a certain monotony. Each chapter felt almost the same; incredibly, I began to say "ho-hum, another adventure?" even as the feats managed by Wilkes' crew at the southernmost parts of the world grew more and more fascinating.

Catlin was a portrait painter who spent about 7 years living among the Indians of the Louisiana Purchase territories. His paintings, reproduced here as full-page color prints, are a treasure trove for anthropology. His writings are also a fitting riposte for anyone who claims that all historical Americans were racists, or otherwise intolerant of natives. His attitude is even more positive than that of Meriwether Lewis (who I recently read about in Undaunted Courage.)