A Wilderness So Immense

A sprawling and absorbing account . . . [of] how individual characters and appetites interweave to create great events. . . . Hugely entertaining and wonderfully informative. -- Los Angeles Times Book Review Kukla s vivid fresco . . . is peopled by a cast that includes kings, queens, ministers, adventurers, generals, politicians, presidents. The New York Times Book Review As exciting and readable a narrative of the Louisiana Purchase as we re likely to get in the foreseeable future. The New Republic Kukla writes history that reads with the urgency of a suspense novel. . . . Best of all, his graceful prose sings with the conviction of one telling a great story. -- Dallas Morning News A sweeping tale . . . . [Kukla s] ability to interweave evocative anecdotes, biography and colorful asides with the complex diplomatic, military and political events that led up to the Louisiana Purchase makes A Wilderness So Immense fresh, stylish and compelling. Times-Picayune (New Orleans) A story of fascinating international intrigue and fallible human beings dealing with issues far beyond their comprehension. It is the best book on the subject yet available. The Baltimore Sun As exciting and readable a narrative of the Louisiana Purchase as we are likely to get in the foreseeable future. The New Republic Enlightening. . . Kukla is good at showing what a ferment of ideas and resultant activities the world was going through at this time. Minneapolis Star-Tribune A thoroughly readable, entertaining, and informative history of the incredible period that led to the purchase of a land that doubled the size of the United States. . . . A wonderful book, not to be missed. Decatur Daily A well-researched study. . . . Packed with fast-moving descriptions of the complicated negotiations. Kukla has a fine sense of context and detail. Roanoke Times A wonderful story, wonderfully told. W.W. Abbot, Editor Emeritus of The Papers of George Washington