A well written, detailed account of the events leading to the United States' purchase of 800,000 square miles of land from France in 1803. The intrigue associated with this sale of land covering 15 present-day states and bits of Canada, involving 5 different countries, plus historic figures like Thomas Jefferson and Napoleon, should prove irresistible to middle school readers. And the comprehensive index and list of source materials will be helpful to both readers and teachers for further study. ( )