Simon Kenton: His Life and Period, 1755-1836 (The First American Frontier)

Book Description

In a time when the world has become a global village and America a global nation, there is one place where things are largely as they used to be. Protected by mountains, largely ignored by modern industry and developers, Appalachia is America’s first and last frontier. Encom-passing more than 195,000 square miles in thirteen states, it possesses the least understood and most underappreciated culture in the United States.

A beautifully produced companion volume to the PBS documentary narrated by Naomi Judd, The Appalachians fills the void in information about the region, offering a rich portrait of its history and its legacy in music, literature, and film.

The text includes essays by some of Appalachia’s most respected scholars and journalists; excerpts from never-before-published diaries and journals; firsthand recollections from native Appalachians including Loretta Lynn, Ricky Skaggs, and Ralph Stanley; indigenous song lyrics and poetry; and oral histories from common folk whose roots run strong and deep. The book also includes more than one hundred illustrations, both archival and newly created. Here is a wondrous book celebrating a unique and invaluable cultural heritage.

Customer Reviews:

The beautiful south.......2006-07-28

My parents are from that area. They moved up north when they were young to a large city. And I was born up there. They were simple, hard working people. They didn't drink and my mother read the Bible and prayed every night (BTW, I'm an agnostic and now a UU). My dad chose to move to my hometown because he was a machinist with only one leg. That was before the civil rights laws that protect the disabled and he never got over the fear of people finding out his disability.

I found this a wonderful book and made me homesick for a place that could have been my home.

Anyway, I have a love/hate relationship with the South. I hated being called a "hillbilly" and was often made fun of. Yet when I've gone down there, I feel a kinship with the land and the people (the ones who are not mean rednecks). I hide the fact that I'm just a generation away from being a Southerner from most people until I get to know them. I live far away from my hometown. My adult children know little about their background and I don't know if that is good or bad.

well meaning but little new information.......2006-01-31

I picked up this book like most folks, I bet, after watching the PBS series. I found the film more effective than the book. The book is really a rehash of a lot of old stories that don't veer too much off the well-trod paths...that is, fine folks in the backwoods, front porch story tellers, and mostly white Appalachians.

To be honest, a far more groundbreaking and fascinating and rich portrait is the new book, The United States of Appalachia: How Southern Mountaineers Brought Independence, Culture and Enlightenment to America.

Great Introduction to America's Southern Treasure.......2006-01-30

Mari-Lynn Evans and others have compiled a very nice volume of stories, information, and cultural images from the Southern Mountains called Appalachia into a concisely written book. The book is also rich in color and b/w pictures too. This book is in my opinion for those Americans who know nothing of the mountain history and cultural and want the truth about this often misunderstood and sterotyped part of our nation. The book was written in sections so one could read the book in parts and lay it down, then pick it up and resume reading. The book had some colorful stories in it that entertained and yet other sections that were deeply informative and historically ancedotal. That was a nice mix so the reader doesn't lose interest in the subject. There were no blatant mountain stereotypes or overly romanticized stories in the book, yet I have read other books on Appalachia where the information on the mountains was more in depth and dry reading. I have personally purchased this book for three other people besides myself. For those interested in this treasured part of America, this is a great book to read first.

Glad You Suggested This Book & "People Of Passion" Together.......2005-03-22

This book provides great insight for readers into an often misunderstood and underappreciated area of our country. I was born and reared in the highlands of Southern Appalachia and I was happy to read of some things I already knew and then learn some new things. The book has great photos and descriptive essays.

And, Amazon, under the "Better Together" banner, suggested buying "People Of Passion: Stories of Faith & Determination That Will Touch Your Heart & Warm Your Soul." What a great companion book this proved to be!

Through 48 brief personal stories, "People of Passion" presents 200 years of history in the Southern Appalachian Highlands. Beginning in the 1770s and going through the 1960s, these dramatic accounts are in chronological order, which I think makes them even more interesting. These informative chronicles often tugged at my heart strings and definitely caused me to even more deeply appreciate the courage and sacrifices of our ancestors. I was also surprised at some things that I had no idea of. "People of Passion" is an informative, entertaining, and inspirational book that complements well "The Appalachians: America's First & Last Frontier."

A book worth reading.......2004-11-02

This effort is one of a kind! The pictures complement instead of duplicating the text. On page 94 my grandfather's name should be Henry Whitter instead of Henry Whitner. Henry Whitter traveled to New York City in March 1923 to record several country folksongs which he had written and showcased around Southwestern Virginia. He pioneered country recordings and paved the way for recording careers for later artists such as Pop Stoneman and the Carter Family.

Summertime in the Big Woods (My First Little House)

Average customer rating:

Excellent choice for pre-readers
Wonderful books

Summertime in the Big Woods (My First Little House)
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0064434974

Book Description

Summer is here!

The warm days of summer have arrived, and that means Laura gets to spend fun-filled days outdoors!

The winter is finally over, and now it is summertime! Laura and Mary are busy all day helping Ma in the garden and playing outside. RenÉe Graef’s enchanting full-color illustrations, inspired by Garth Williams’ classic artwork, bring Laura and her family lovingly to life in this sixth title in the My First Little House book series, picture books adapted from Laura Ingalls Wilder’s beloved storybooks.The winter is finally over, and now it is summertime! Laura and Mary are busy all day helping Ma in the garden and playing outside. RenÉe Graef’s enchanting full-color illustrations, inspired by Garth Williams’ classic artwork, bring Laura and her family lovingly to life in this sixth title in the My First Little House book series, picture books adapted from Laura Ingalls Wilder’s beloved storybooks.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent choice for pre-readers.......2007-07-21

My daughters love the colorful, cheerful pictures. This series captures the charm of Prairie Life without being too complicated for little ones to follow. - It's a great intro to the original series!

Wonderful books.......2007-03-10

If you like Little House on the Prairie you will really like this series. The books are simply written with a wholesome story about how life was a long time ago. The illustrator is magnificent. The pictures are colorful and have nice detail.

Lone Star Justice: The First Century of the Texas Rangers

Average customer rating:

Justice for Texas Justice
Justice Done
Best Book Ever on the Early History of the Texas Rangers
Quite imbalanced
A rip roaring account

Lone Star Justice: The First Century of the Texas Rangers
Robert M. Utley
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0195127420

Amazon.com

The Texas Rangers have alternately been described as "fearless men of sterling character" and "ruthless, brutal, and more lawless than the criminals they pursued." The truth, says Robert M. Utley in Lone Star Justice, "lies somewhere in between the extremes." The Rangers got their start in 1823, and for half a century they were "citizen soldiers periodically mobilized to fight Indians or Mexicans." They were professionalized in 1874, when they became lawmen employed by the state of Texas. Utley summarizes their colorful history under the leadership of figures like Jack Hays and Ben McCulloch. They came to national attention during the Mexican War, when they fought with distinction under Zachary Taylor at Monterey and also served as scouts throughout northern Mexico. As lawmen, they were noted for apprehending fugitives (the murdering outlaw John Wesley Hardin fell to one of their bullets) and controlling mobs, but they were less successful at putting bad guys behind bars (a problem that the author blames on "a defective criminal justice system"). At bottom, Lone Star Justice is a sober-minded but generally admiring assessment of a unique group of men. --John Miller

Book Description

From The Lone Ranger to Lonesome Dove, the Texas Rangers have been celebrated in fact and fiction for their daring exploits in bringing justice to the Old West. In Lone Star Justice, best-selling author Robert M. Utley captures the first hundred years of Ranger history, in a narrative packed with adventures worthy of Zane Grey or Larry McMurtry. The Rangers began in the 1820s as loose groups of citizen soldiers, banding together to chase Indians and Mexicans on the raw Texas frontier. Utley shows how, under the leadership of men like Jack Hays and Ben McCulloch, these fiercely independent fighters were transformed into a well-trained, cohesive team. Armed with a revolutionary new weapon, Samuel Colt's repeating revolver, they became a deadly fighting force, whether battling Comanches on the plains or storming the city of Monterey in the Mexican-American War. As the Rangers evolved from part-time warriors to full-time lawmen by 1874, they learned to face new dangers, including homicidal feuds, labor strikes, and vigilantes turned mobs. They battled train robbers, cattle thieves and other outlaws--it was Rangers, for example, who captured John Wesley Hardin, the most feared gunman in the West. Based on exhaustive research in Texas archives, this is the most authoritative history of the Texas Rangers in over half a century. It will stand alongside other classics of Western history by Robert M. Utley--a vivid portrait of the Old West and of the legendary men who kept the law on the lawless frontier.

Customer Reviews:

Justice for Texas Justice.......2007-09-16

Until this book the best book on the Texas Rangers was he Webb book. Utley is a modern historian and those who prefer to live in the past in their culture will be disappointed in this book. It is a modern rendition for modern readers. That is not to say it is weak in research or in bringing the past to life. What I mean is this book is written in the now and doesn't adhere to the old rules of whitewash.

A major benfit of this work is the ointroduction to many of Edmund J. Davis, cast as the worst governor in Texas history. A Reconstruction governor responsible for the formation of the Texas Rangers as a force to enforce Reconstruction policy as he saw it and fight the elements that became the Ku Klux Klan.

This is a refreshing and interesting work on the taming of the old west.

Justice Done.......2007-08-02

The book is not only quite detailed in the description of the exploits of the early Texas Ranges, it maintains the air of education without the normally associated dullness or boredom found in many textbooks.
Mr. Utley paints a straight-forward, no-holds approach to telling the facts as he has found them. Gone are the visions that our hero's of old are without fault, quite the opposite, you find that our hero's from this era are simply common men with some interesting virtues and a belief that right is right. It would be rather refreshing to find some of this level or morals in today's society.
The book is an excellent read. One any Texican-file will find quite interesting.

Best Book Ever on the Early History of the Texas Rangers.......2007-02-18

Having just read Utley's second volume on the rangers, Lone Star Lawmen (I read this book when it came out), and found it a worthy sequel to this one, excellent in every way, I decided to see what Amazon readers had said about the first volume, Lone Star Justice. It appears that some folks don't like giving up cherished myth and folklore in favor of real history. And there are one or two who have well-formed PC prejudices against the Rangers, and are equally unhappy when presented with real history; they are like those who condemn an actor for portraying a villain (so to those I say, if you don't like the Rangers, don't take it out on Utley; he's not one, he just tells their story, and it is unfortunate that the truth does not conform to your suppositions). Those readers who appreciate accurate history, well written and meticulously documented, have given Lone Star Justice five stars. So do I. This is an excellent book, rigorously accurate, always interesting, full of dramatic incidents and memorable characters arrayed in their context. If you are interested in the history of Texas, the West, law enforcement, or just a good read, you'll enjoy this book. Better yet, get the set--Lone Star Justice and Lone Star Lawmen, and follow the history from beginning to the present.

Quite imbalanced.......2005-04-26

The problem with this book, aside from the fact that it's just a rehash of the last dozen or so Ranger histories, is Utley's bizarre fascination with racism: namely, all Texas Rangers are evil racists whose actions can only be explained by racism. Case in point:

Rangers are after a Mexican bandit who killed a Ranger. They find two mexicans and try to halt them, whereupon the two take off, then ambush and kill a Ranger. Utley breaks in and says, Oh that's okay. They were scared that the racist rangers would have hung them.

The Brownsville incident, where the black Army troops shoot up the town? Utley concurs that they probably did it--but, the town was full of racists, so they were justified.

Every single event involving the Rangers in this book is written off as racist fervor. This PC attitude, frankly, is just sickening.

Only in the last few pages does Utley mention that we should keep an open mind about the subject; but by then, the reader has probably thrown the book away in disgust, or come out of it thinking the Texas Rangers were the militant wing of the KKK.

A rip roaring account.......2005-01-18

For those who know little of the rangers but are western enthusiasts or simply interested in the American West, this is a wonderful action packed rip roaring account of the Texas rangers. The volume spands the time frame from Texas independence in 1836 through to the 1900s. The Mexican war is covered as are conflcits with Mexican bandits, and the Comanches, as well as the norms of frontier justice. This reads like a novel, but brought to you by famed historian Utley its all true and what more the writing is fantastic. This makes a wonderful present.

Seth J. Frantzman

The First Four Years CD (Little House the Laura Years)

Average customer rating:

Good reading of Little House Book

The First Four Years CD (Little House the Laura Years)
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Manufacturer: HarperChildrensAudio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 0060565098
Release Date: 2006-06-13

Book Description

America's Original Pioneer Girl

Meet Laura Ingalls, the girl who would grow up to write the Little House books.

Laura and Almanzo Wilder have just been married! Their life on a small prairie homestead begins with high hopes. But each year seems to bring unexpected disasters -- storms, sickness, fire, and unpaid debts. These first four years call for courage, strength, and a great deal of determination. Always, though, there is love, especially for the newest member of the family -- baby Rose.

The First Four Years is the ninth and final book in the Laura Years series.

Customer Reviews:

Good reading of Little House Book.......2006-11-10

This is another good reading of a Little House book by Cherry Jones.

Alaska Fishing on a Budget: A First-Timer's Guide to Organizing and Planning an Economy Salmon Fishing Trip to the Last Frontier

Average customer rating:

A practical guide for car-based fishing for salmon in Alaska
good resource
Very helpful in planning
Alaska.. say no more
Good for the first time visitor

Alaska Fishing on a Budget: A First-Timer's Guide to Organizing and Planning an Economy Salmon Fishing Trip to the Last Frontier
Bernard R. Rosenberg
Manufacturer: Frank Amato Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1571882979

Book Description

Have you always wanted to go fishing in Alaska, but figured it was way out of your budget? If so, then this book is for you. Bernard has almost 20 years of experience planning spin fishing trips to Alaska at a very affordable price. This complete trip-planning book includes: resources; timing your trip; best fishing locations; arranging your flight and itinerary; vehicle rental; equipment and necessities to bring; protection from bugs, bears, and rain; packing for the trip; stocking up in Anchorage; on the road; techniques; preserving and processing your catch; etiquette; and so much more. Bernard can orchestrate the perfect trip for the minimum amount of money, follow his blueprint and you can't go wrong.

Customer Reviews:

A practical guide for car-based fishing for salmon in Alaska.......2007-07-12

This book has really grown on me. When I first received it I was a little disappointed thinking it was a little light on content. As I've thought more about planning my own Alaska fishing vacation, I now value the author's pragmatic style. He tells you with detail and precision how to get the most out of a car-based excursion fishing for salmon. From what and how to pack, to specific milepost markers for the best fishing at specific times, to how to get your catch home, it's all there. Be aware that this book is ONLY about car-based fishing and ONLY about fishing for salmon; also many of the areas identified as hotspots are very popular and will be crowded (the author uses the local phrase "combat fishing" to describe such situations).

good resource.......2007-03-16

A bit limited in scope, but overall a good source of information on getting around. full of good resources to help you plan your trip

Very helpful in planning .......2007-01-27

I purchased this book to aid in planning our first fishing trip to Alaska. The book was very helpful in providing insite in all parts of the trip. I would strongly recommend it for any first timers going fishing to Alaska.

Alaska.. say no more.......2006-07-28

this is a great book if you're getting ready for alaska. well written

Good for the first time visitor.......2005-08-26

This book is well organized and provides a great deal of useful information for the first time alaska visitor. The charts are particularly helpful as you travel along the highways. They quickly identify and rate all the major rivers and their salmon runs.

However, there is very little information here that every traveler I met on the highways didn't seem to already know. All the rivers rated as excellent are known by every highway angler in the state and they are all vying for some room at these locations. The best way to discover 'good' fishing locations is from the alaskan neighbors you meet at the campgrounds. So, I feel it's a good get acquainted book. A one trip book. A useful handbook. Keep it on your dashboard.

The First Way of War: American War Making on the Frontier, 1607-1814

Average customer rating:

Half the story
Excellant work

The First Way of War: American War Making on the Frontier, 1607-1814
John Grenier
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0521845661

Book Description

This book explores the evolution of American war, showing how the first war waged against Indian noncombatant populations and their agricultural resources became the standard method of war employed by early Americans and which ultimately defined their military heritage. The bloodthirsty American conquest of Indian communities east of the Mississippi River helps demonstrate how early Americans embraced warfare shaped by extravagant violence and focused on conquest. Grenier provides a major revision in understanding the place of warfare directed on noncombatants in the American military tradition, and his conclusions are relevant to understand US ‘special operations’ in the War on Terror.

Customer Reviews:

Half the story.......2005-10-20

Grenier only provides half the story. He ignores a sizeable body of research on Native American warfare that suggests an Indian way of war "waged against Indian noncombatant populations and their agricultural resources" existed long before Europeans ever set foot on the continent. Grenier also overlooks the research on global primative warfare exemplified by Keeley, which suggests war waged on noncombatants has a long history in all societies, not just European or Indian ones. By only providing half of the story, he allows the reader to assume the worst, as all the eminent scholars quoted above certainly did. Recommend Starkey, or Malone, or Chet instead.

Excellant work.......2005-03-10

This is an excellent scholarly work that discusses how Americans waged war against Native Americans on the frontier from 1609 until 1814. The author contends that the early Americans developed a way of war that targeted non-combatants by attacking villages and destroying crops and deliberately targeting women and children. The author does not pull any punches and takes a harsh look at the practice of paying bounties for scalps and the effect that had on the conduct of frontier warfare. He also traces the development of the rangers and discusses how they did or did not integrate with regular forces. My only minor complaint is that the maps could be better in order to follow the narrative, but don't let that stop you from reading this book.

Average customer rating:

Custer's First Sergeant John Ryan
Sandy Barnard , and John Ryan
Manufacturer: Ast Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 096180873X

In the Days of the Vaqueros: America's First True Cowboys

Average customer rating:

First true cowboys
In The days of the Vaqueros
A Sucessful Young Adult Book

In the Days of the Vaqueros: America's First True Cowboys
Russell Freedman
Manufacturer: Clarion Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0395967880

Book Description

In this rousing account of the first true cowboys, Newbery Medalist Russell Freedman brings to life the days when the vaqueros rounded up cattle, brought down steers, and tamed wild broncos. In the service of wealthy Spanish conquistadors in the sixteenth century, Mexican ranch hands began herd-
ing cattle, often riding barefoot. They soon developed and perfected the skills for this dangerous work and became expert horsemen. Hundred of years later the vaqueros shared their expertise with the inexperienced cowboys of the American West, who adopted their techniques and their distinctive clothing, tools, and even lingo. Yet today it is the cowboy whom we remember, while the vaquero has all but disappeared from history.
The vaqueros are at last given their due in this dramatic narrative, lushly illustrated with beautiful period paintings and drawings.

Customer Reviews:

First true cowboys.......2007-01-05

Finally a young persons book with a different perspective on cowboys. The origins and role of the vaquero in America is discussed in a scholarly and insightful manner geared for young readers. If you are looking for a book about the traditional view of the cowboy than look elsewhere. The author, Russell Freedman does an excellent job describing how the Vaqueros were the first of their kind, their role in rodeos, where and how they lived on haciendas and ranchos, what they did at rodeos , the tools they used , the contests and games and the last of the vaqueros. These original cowherders were poor Indian laborers who were subject to the rich Spanish land owners who dominated the landscape of America after the conquest by the European Spaniards. This book is a good history lesson about life in the southwest and Mexico(one and the same at this particular point in history)during Spanish rule. This book is an excellent choice for a classroom or library in the middle or high school level for further enrichment in the education process. Limited English speaking students may find the language difficult but there are many Spanish words intersperced throughout the lessons to draw their interest. The drawings and photographs are well done; I only wish this book was presented in a larger format. This is a good book for a student to write a book report on and share the information within to the class. Highly recommended for students and adults alike who enjoy history.

In The days of the Vaqueros.......2005-12-20

In The Days of the Vaqueros
By Russell Freedman

If you are looking for a book about horses this is not a book for you. This is a book about the Vaqueros and only the Vaqueros. This book starts out well but after a while is starts to get boring. Vaqueros were the first cowboys. They started out as slaves for the Spaniards. This book is for young adults. A kid that is 11 or older could read it but they might have trouble with it.

By Julie

A Sucessful Young Adult Book.......2002-11-02

Russell Freedman's, "In the Days of the Vaqueros" was written for young adults and in this endeavor it suceeds. It is a 70 page hard back book with numerous high quality paintings, sketches and photographs. He tells the story of the Vaqueros from the arrival of the Spanish in Mexico up to modern days. When I purchased the book, I was hoping to find a book written for adults. Yet, I was not dissapointed. The book's production values are very high and I really enjoyed the art work.

A Little House Collection: The First Five Novels (Little House)

Average customer rating:

Nice Compilation, but why not all 9?
A Little House Collection: The First Five Novels (Little House)

A Little House Collection: The First Five Novels (Little House)
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0060769092
Release Date: 2006-10-03

Customer Reviews:

Nice Compilation, but why not all 9?.......2007-08-22

For those looking for a nice reading collection of the Little house books, this is a great start. One large book containing the first 5 novels in the little house series.

The illustrations are somewhat sparse, but well done. The writing of course is unchanged from the original books. It's very nice to have them all in one large book, but I wish they had all been included - as of this time I'm unable to find a similar such collection for the remaining 4 books.

The text size is generous and the two column format is easy to read with kids clustered around.

A Little House Collection: The First Five Novels (Little House).......2007-03-21

My children and I love this book. I grew up watching Little House on The Prairie when I was little and wanted to share this delightful experience with them. They both enjoy the unfolding tale, particularly my 7 year old. She is eager for tomorrow and the next episode! There is great attention to detail in the writing, yet there is a feeling of it being easy to read and take in.

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