by Bill Gifford
First published 2007
John Ledyard sailed with Captain Cook on his final voyage and walked across Russia. He convinced Thomas Jefferson that crossing the American continent could be done, planting the seed for Lewis and Clark's expedition. When he died in 1789, he was planning to explore Africa. For decades afterward, Americans celebrated Ledyard as their greatest explorer. He befriended the Founding Fathers and captivated them with his stories. Over time, his fame faded until he became just a footnote in Moby Dick. Bill Gifford decided to bring Ledyard back from obscurity. He paddled the same canoe route Ledyard used to escape Dartmouth College in 1773. He traveled down Siberia's Lena River, following Ledyard's path. Through his research and travels, Gifford uncovers the real man behind the legend and tells the complete story of an American original whose adventures helped shape the nation's westward expansion.
Genres: 20th-century, american, adventure, 21st-century, adventurers, 19th-century, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: forgotten-hero, historical-figure
Setting: Russia, America, Africa, Dartmouth College, Siberia, Lena River
Period: 1773, 1789
331 pages · Hardcover · Houghton Mifflin Harcourt