Daniel Boone's name has been synonymous with the American frontier ever since a highly colored narrative of his exploits appeared in John Filson's Kentucke (1784)—when Boone was still alive. Here, Faragher (History/Mount Holyoke College) sorts through the public record, reminiscences by Boone's contemporaries and descendants, and surviving fragments in Boone's own hand to draw a convincing portrait of the man and his times. As his subtitle suggests, Faragher recognizes that the myth is as big as the man himself, and he devotes considerable energy to tracing its growth. While hardly a debunker, Faragher is quick to point out discrepancies between the legend and the historical record—for example, Boone's own claim that he killed no more than three men during his entire life strongly contradicts his posthumous reputation as an Indian fighter. The multiplicity of Boone relics as well is contrasted to the stark simplicity of the pioneer's actual life. Even the popular image of Boone in a coonskin cap is a latter-day embellishment: Boone actually preferred a Quaker-style beaver hat. Boone's lackadaisical career in politics, his shortcomings as a surveyor, and his failures in land speculation are set in the context of the anarchic early history of Kentucky. The genuine exploits get full coverage here: Boone's dramatic rescue of his daughter from raiding Shawnees; his own capture by Shawnee raiders and his subsequent escape; his role in the defense of Boonesborough in 1778; and his vigorous way of life even in his declining years. Among the surprises are such details as Boone's borrowing from Gulliver's Travels, his favorite book, for a tall tale. Ample quotations in original frontier spelling give Faragher's account extra authenticity. An intriguing study of a central figure in the American imagination. (Eight pages of b&w photographs—not seen.)
Pub Date: Nov. 3, 1992
ISBN: 0-8050-1603-1
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1992
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s...
Music journalist and musician Wald (Talking 'Bout Your Mama: The Dozens, Snaps, and the Deep Roots of Rap, 2014, etc.) focuses on one evening in music history to explain the evolution of contemporary music, especially folk, blues, and rock.
The date of that evening is July 25, 1965, at the Newport Folk Festival, where there was an unbelievably unexpected occurrence: singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, already a living legend in his early 20s, overriding the acoustic music that made him famous in favor of electronically based music, causing reactions ranging from adoration to intense resentment among other musicians, DJs, and record buyers. Dylan has told his own stories (those stories vary because that’s Dylan’s character), and plenty of other music journalists have explored the Dylan phenomenon. What sets Wald's book apart is his laser focus on that one date. The detailed recounting of what did and did not occur on stage and in the audience that night contains contradictory evidence sorted skillfully by the author. He offers a wealth of context; in fact, his account of Dylan's stage appearance does not arrive until 250 pages in. The author cites dozens of sources, well-known and otherwise, but the key storylines, other than Dylan, involve acoustic folk music guru Pete Seeger and the rich history of the Newport festival, a history that had created expectations smashed by Dylan. Furthermore, the appearances on the pages by other musicians—e.g., Joan Baez, the Weaver, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Dave Van Ronk, and Gordon Lightfoot—give the book enough of an expansive feel. Wald's personal knowledge seems encyclopedic, and his endnotes show how he ranged far beyond personal knowledge to produce the book.
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s personal feelings about Dylan's music or persona.Pub Date: July 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-236668-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Dey Street/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
