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Rating: 
Summary: Interesting but circumstanstial
Review: In his final book, David Chandler attempts the impressive feat of rewriting a small part of Revolutionary War history. His style is very popular, and frequently fleshes out details to make them more real for the reader. His thesis -- that Meriwether Lewis (of the Lewis & Clark expedition) was murdered in a conspircy that involved several great men, is necessarily stitched together with facts abetted by circumstantial evidence and conjecture. It's hard not to like the spirit of the book. it's also hard to ignore that much of the author's case is undocumented and only partially substantiated by footnotes and specific historical detail. What he proposes may very well be correct. Certainly there's enough other interesting information here to make the read worthwhile. (His information on the details of period life is fascinating, like the informal early days of the White House.) One only wishes that the author would have had a chance to buttress is arguments.
Rating: 
Summary: Hidden History of the Jefferson Era
Review: One wonders why Meriweather Lewis is buried in a forlorn grave, out of public's sight, just off the Natchez Trace Parkway south of Nashville instead of Arlington Cemetary. Lewis was the John Glenn (the astronaut) of his day! Chandler, the author, broke historical ground in pulling together the intrigues of an intriguing era. The author persuasively shows the possible motives several powerful men may have had in quietly disposing of Lewis. It is significant that the only mention of Lewis being prone to melancholy (suicidal) was a statement by Jefferson. Great reading: International intrigue (Spain), a corrupt General of the Army (Wilkinson), frontier murder, and retired President concerned about his public legacy.
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