"So Hard to Die": A Physician and a Psychologist Explore the Mystery of Meriwether Lewis's Death

Product Description
Meriwether Lewis, commander of the famed Lewis and Clark Expedition that explored the newly purchased Louisiana Territory from 1804-06, returned home from this perilous journey with every hope as well as his country's expectations of a bright and productive future. Yet within three years, the 35-year-old Lewis was dead in a lonely inn along the Natchez Trace in rural Tennessee, the victim of two gunshots. Various medical and psychological theories have been proposed by historians and others to account for his mysterious death, which was originally reported as a suicide. The authors of "So Hard to Die" provide an in-depth analysis of the various theories that still swirl around his death and draw on their professional backgrounds as a physician and a clinical psychologist to vividly and convincingly explain the mystery of Lewis's death. \nReview
"The Pecks thoroughly explore the motivations and the demons that drove Lewis and, in the end, contributed to his death. This is a must-read for those interested in the life and death of Meriwether Lewis and the America of the late 18th and early 19th centuries."
-James J. Holmberg, Editor of Dear Brother: Letters of William Clark to Jonathan Clark\n"An excellent syntopical work! Full of historical facts and reasoned extrapolation, all while reading like a friendly summer's eve chat on the porch. Intriguing . . . informative . . . delightful!"
Ty Hutchins, M.D., Anesthesiologist\n"This fascinating account makes a unique contribution to scholarship on Meriwether Lewis . . . the book is groundbreaking . . . a brilliant engagement with Lewis's probable mental state and with the psychological world of men of his era, culture, and class."
Nancy McWilliams, Ph.D., Psychologist, Co-Editor of the Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual (2nd ed.)

"Weaving an ornate tapestry of rich historical detail . . . the authors invite you to come along on this compelling journey and to explore the many complexities of Lewis's life and the long-disputed nature of his mysterious, solitary, and untimely death."
Anthony Leo, M.D., General/Vascular Surgeon\nAbout the Author
Dr. David J. Peck is a retired physician and nationally known speaker on the Lewis and Clark Expedition. His previous book OR PERISH IN THE ATTEMPT (Bison Books, University of Nebraska Press 2011) is recognized as the standard for the medical aspects of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.\nDr. Marti Peck, is a clinical psychologist and certified Adult Psychoanalyst in private practice in San Diego.