Monday, October 19, 6:30pm
Craig Fehrman, With New York Times Best Selling Author of This Vast Enterprise, our 2026 Big Read Book
- "This Vast Enterprise is a page-turner and a fantastic achievement.” New York Times
- “Immensely engaging.” Wall Street Journal
- "An innovative new history." New Yorker
- "This is vivid, character-based history. . . . A ripping good read.” Boston Globe
Craig Fehrman is a journalist, historian, and New York Times bestselling author of This Vast Enterprise. He has written for the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal and has been interviewed on PBS NewsHour and NPR.
This Vast Enterprise is a major revisionist history of the Lewis and Clark expedition, offering a fresh and more accurate account of one of the most important episodes in American history. Craig Fehrman spent five years visiting more than thirty archives, interviewing more than a hundred sources, and collecting oral history passed down over centuries. With each chapter moving to a different person’s point of view, including Thomas Jefferson, York (the Black man Clark enslaved), and Sacajawea, Craig Fehrman humanizes these influential figures and shatters long-held myths. He shows us that the captains are men who needed help on their expedition and this thrilling account reminds us that even the most familiar moments in history can still surprise us.
Fehrman has published two other works of history, The Best Presidential Writing (edited by him), and Author in Chief (written by him). The Best Presidential Writing is a collection of essential speeches from the early years of our nation’s history to the present day. The collection encompasses notable favorites alongside lesser-known texts to reflect how words have shaped our nation. Author in Chief opens a window into the untold story of the books presidents wrote. Craig Fehrman explains these important works and casts a fresh light on the private drives and self-doubts that fueled our nation’s leaders.
Craig Fehrman grew up near Dillsboro, Indiana, and graduated from the University of Southern Indiana. He lives in Indiana with his wife and children.