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Born and raised near the mouth of the Columbia River, Ziak was immersed at an early age in the story of Lewis and Clark.

At some point he discovered that scholars had never thoroughly detailed the last days of the journey on the Columbia—the 30 days between November 7 to December 7, 1805—in part because Clark's journal entries for this time period are vague and confusing. This lovingly prepared book results from Ziak's efforts to remedy that neglect with careful, personal research and correlation of the river and the diary. Unusually attractive maps and photos enhance the narrative. [Annotation ©2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR]

Lewis and Clark: Down and Up the Columbia River is a unique fold-out guide which maps, day by day, the explorers' journey from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean and back. The book, which is an easily portable 4 inches by 7.25 inches, unfolds to 8-1/2 feet in length;

the vibrantly colored hand-drawn map covers the entire watershed through which Lewis and Clark traveled and shows every campsite. The reader starts with the map showing the journey westward; when the book is flipped over, the reader can follow the expedition's journey back to the mountains. There are brief descriptions on every page of what the party experienced at each location, and vivid quotes from the journals make the story come to life.

Gabriel Franchere was a member of the first shipload of men sent to the Columbia River by John Jacob Astor in 1811. But unlike the other men, he was keeping a journal in which he recorded the daily ordeals of establishing Astoria, the first permanent American settlement west of the Rockies.

Upon returning to Montreal Franchere's journal was published, but largely overlooked. As a result, his eyewitness account of one of the most amazing chapters in early American history was forgotten.

This edition of Franchere's journal has been re-formatted, illustrated and fully annotated. Never before has this early history been presented with such clarity and detail. The accompanying maps and short essays with give the reader a rare glimpse into the beginnings of Astoria in a way never before seen and will compel everyone to rethink this history we thought we knew.