Daniel Boone

The one star review this book received was unfair. The malicious reviewer revealed more about his own prejudices and the modern shame of unbridled political correctness than he did about the work in question. This book and its author were both products of their times. As for the illustrations, they were the art of James Daugherty. [...] Art should evoke an emotional response, and James Daugherty is famous for infusing an in-your-face physicality into his work. It's unsurprising that his writing packs the same punch. Love it or hate it, but understand that this book is supposed to create an affective response. The very fact that someone can hate this book is a testament to James Daugherty's ability to stir things up, even from beyond the grave.

Daniel Boone is very distinguished biography. It has deserved a great honor by winning the Newbery Medal. This biography is about Daniel Boone's life during his Indian wars in Fort Boonesboruogh and Transylvania, his meeting John Finley, his long hunting trips, his more terrible migrations and his inspiration for opening the Cumberland Gap. I thoroughly loved it. The reason I've only rated it four stars is because at the beggining, and some other passages scattered throughout the book, it got a bit confusing. Another minor drawback was that Mr. Daugherty had not written much about Daniel Boone's childhood. Besides that, it's a very accurate story and people who want to know more Daniel Boone's expeditions should read this book for sure. I'll just put a tiny complaint in. The guy who rated this book one star made me a bit mad. I mean, not all people might enjoy this book, but that guy's review was a bit extreme, no offense. Honestly, Daniel Boone isn't a sorry biography. I know. So if you're a fan of American heroes who were pioneers, and you don't have anything else to do, read this. It'll teach you more about Daniel Boone than you already know.

In a nonfictionalized text and bold illustrations, the author not only portrays the famous American trailblazer, but provides an authentic picture of pioneer life at the beginning of the great Westward movement. The biography begins with Boone's youth in Pennsylvania and closes on the day he died in Missouri at the age of eighty-six.Appropriate emphasis is put on Boone's important role in the opening up and settlement of Kentucky. Boone proved to be the ideal man for this time. The author's style, vigorous and simple like the subject's life conveys the pioneer spirit and suggests the frontier speech without reproducing the idiom in tedious detail. The lithographs of pioneers and Indians--done in black, brown and forest green--enhance the epic proportions of the narrative.