In a well-researched biography, independent scholars Danisi and Jackson clear up some misconceptions about explorer Lewis' life before and after the famed Lewis and Clark expedition to the Pacific Northwest. They also present medical evidence regarding the conspiracy-laden question of why he committed suicide at age 35 in 1838. The book includes a foreword by a Lewis scholar, facsimiles of pages from the Lewis and Clark journals, and photos of the Meriwether Lewis Monument in Louisiana (Lewis was the governor of the Louisiana Territory). Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)