Boone Books

see charliecallahan.blogspot.com where Charlie wrote, and I quote:

"There are very few books that fascinate me from beginning to end (and I've read a buncha them, let me tell you), books that stimulate my mind, the bottom of my left foot (now on DVD), and my funny-looking bone simultaneously. This is one of those very few books. As a matter of fact, I got in big trouble because I was so fascinated: "Geeze, Charlie, PUT that funny-looking bone AWAY!" my wife yelled at me in disgust. "We've got COMPANY," she said, referring to the exterminator guy out back who was trying to coax the bees out of our eaves.


But I digress. P.D. Boone, IV, writing under the pseudonym P.D. Boone, IV, is a man of great vision, a man of Renaissancian proportions. While he presents a plethora of viable career choices-from politician to comic book author-it was obvious to this reader that his implementations thereof frequently turned to ca-ca. Actually, now that I think about it, all of them did. Mr. Boone, IV, I am afraid, is a visionary with regressive outcomes.


Nevertheless, there is a whole buncha stuff to like about this book. P.D.B., IV demonstrates great courage and humility by his frequent admissions that he is a F-up. His recipe for Independence Sloppy Slop is scrumptious; I had some for breakfast this morning along with my Count Chocula and have only vomited twice. His writing literally oozes pathos and bathos-especially the latter, since I dropped the book by mistake in my dirty bathos water.


P.D. has the unique ability to make me cry-an event that heretofor only occurs when I stub my big toe while searching blindly for the can during the middle of the night when it is really dark both outside and inside. I cried like a newborn baby searching for a fat juicy nipple when I read this from the heart-wrenching Nightly Newsrapper:


"Da stock market slidin' up a slippery slip, til da hoe raise da interest rates another blip. Now dey cleaning up asstrays on a sinking ship; earlie in da moanin'.

"Da ship is sinking, investments stinking, yo ass keeps growing while my assets shrinking."

Po'try, man, pure po'try.

Naturally, this book is not perfect; only Nora Roberts, who presently holds all fifty-three top spots on the bestseller list, is capable of literary perfection. Firstly, it is much too long (the book, not the bestseller list); at a whopping fifty-eight pages, I believe volumes 1a through 1g would have been more manageable. Secondly, I found the frequent footnotes both distracting and party-pooping. I realize that James Graham, editor, is protecting the author from hurting himself, but his lawyerly footnotes reminded me of the Internal Revenue Code. In a word, zzzzzzz.


But despite a few hundred flaws and F-ups, I declare What Color is My Pair of Shoes? Vol I immensely readable, informative, and downright fun. That is, if you skip the big poop's footnotes.

Reviewed by Charles Michael Patrick Callaghan, author of the forthcoming My Grocery List



Sneak preview from Chapter 47:



Leech, (packed in blood, not oil), 1 can

Eye of the Hurricane, gallon jar, properly duct taped

Green Stuff, 1 bowl (for P.D. Boone's Christmas Sorpresa recipe)

. . .

Other hunting guides offer up essays on whitetail hunting - but none offer 100 years of records keeping and memorabilia combined in the gorgeous A WHITETAIL RETROSPECTIVE, the item of choice for any avid whitetail hunter. More than another essay collection, it surveys the whitetail deer records and memorabilia involved in Boone and Crockett Club archives, using plenty of vintage charts, black and white photos and more to spice an excellent history. A 'must' for any collection which has more than a casual interest in hunting; and particularly for holdings strong in literary representations.

I love reading her books. I wish I could have met her as she was living in Brewer, Maine when I was living in Bangor. I just didn't know about her books back then. But I've read all of her books about living in the Allagash area more than once.

Dan Boone is a powerful writer and communicator. This book is a wonderful book that helps make worship on Sunday mornings fluid, narrative and understandable. It serves as a great book for pastors, worship leaders and planning teams.

This is definitely a must read!

In the early 20th century Zaida Ben-Yusuf was one of the most active photographers in New York City, creating many artistic and moving photos of major figures of her time as well as unusual self-portraits. This is the only in-depth study of her photography, pairing a catalog of her works - some 100 images - with a history and biographical survey linking Ben-Yusuf to her times and art. Any serious art library strong in American photography history must have this.

If you've ever loved a pet, no matter what kind or how old you were, then you must read this book. It says in words what our hearts have been telling us.

I can't count how many copies I've bought of this book because I keep giving it to people. Years ago, it got me to study my cat tracking a cockroach without letting the bug know he was watching. That started my process of becoming more carefully observant of everything around me. It isn't ESP. It is, simply, paying attention. Most importantly, it is love, respect, and appreciation for All Life. By the time you finish reading (no doubt still hungry for more), you'll have gotten the message and probably given it a try. If you're serious about it, you'll find your life changing little by little and you'll discover how you can improve your relationships with others - animals or people - or insects, plants, and the planet itself. Once I chose to be somewhat of a reclusive hermit, but I couldn't do it because I have literally millions of intimate friends. The evidence of long ago that there was harmony among all on earth is still present. In choosing to stand there, we can begin to resolve our differences. We can evolve as humans. We can put an end to war and pestilence unfailingly, "whenever the human does his required part." Written in 1954, Boone's message is more important for us now than ever.

My life has been about animals for so long...I even run a pet-care business! When I was kid, I knew all this stuff. But then I "grew up" and somehow lost track of the wonder of 'being still' and 'knowing.' In this phase of my life I'm finally back on track -- due in large part to the amazing animal teachers in my life. (And some great insight by humans as well!) This book really hits the mark when it comes to understanding the bond among all living things. It's straightforward and thoughtful and full of love. Just like you want all your relationships to be! It's a must have for any animal lover's library.

I have made a gift of this book to a number of friends and having ordered another totally enjoyed it all over again. Delightful and sensitive it is a must for all generations regardless of age.

I read this book back in the late 50's and still own my original copy. It had that much of an impact on me! I have always been an animal lover, esp. dogs, but this book taught me more respect for all living things. I was fascinated with Boone's experiences and remember way back then trying to control a fly in a similar way. (I don't remember if I were successful.)

Today you can find book after book after DVD about "_________Whisperers" (fill in the blank with a type of animal), many of which are not unique (Cesar Millan IS the REAL thing, however!), but this book was a foundation book for all the rest.

I highly recommend reading it and am delighted to see it's back in print. Now I don't have to loan it out with the fear I'll never be able to replace it--actually, I still won't loan it out. Friends,here it is; buy your own copy!

I was looking forward to this book. But after a few chapters I realized the author was writing this with a 2007 view of the world without truly understanding the frontier. I was disappointed when the author had to give a sexual meaning to events such as picnics,s ex in small crowded, homes and Boone's long ventures into the forest as a metaphor to deflowering a woman. This book tries to make Boone human but I just take it as an effort to bring down the man and his legend. Cannot recommend this book without suggesting you read others to get a well rounded view of Boone.

Morgan has writen an excellent book on Daniel Boone. The myth is thrown out the door and the facts are presented in a prose that is both enlightening and poetic. Boone influenced many writers and poets including Walt Whitman and HDT. Boone is the original woodsman. He lived in a time when America truly was wild. It is amazing that he lived to be 86, when one false step caused one to loose their hair. He was held in great respect by the Shawnees and held many of their beliefs in regards to nature. I would have loved to have ridden with him and Simon Kenton.

An over long development of the life of a very significant figure in American (Kentucky) history. Speculation as to Boone's thoughts and feelings while traveling the wilderness alone are pure nonsense. Division of labor, Boone was the hunter, hence the other members of the community depended upon his skills for meat. It doesn't take but a few months for wildlife to flee from an area when humans invade their territory.
One of the funniest bits for me was when Morgan discussed the pollution of the Ohio river. In the 1750s? Bambi should not have pissed in the river.
Extract historical fact from a modern tendency to humanize personages in terms of current concepts and this could be a valuable book. For Boone and his contemporaries the essence of their lives was survival.
Writing as a Small BusinessSins of the Fathers: A Brewster County NovelGuns Across the Rio: A Texas Ranger in Old MexicoNatchez Above The River: A Family's Survival In The Civil WarUnder the Liberty Oak

You could make a pretty good argument that Daniel Boone is the most noted American historical figure at this time, and probably throughout our history. There have been hundreds upon hundreds of books, articles, poems, songs, movies, plays and stories featuring him as the central subject since even before his death in 1820. It is possible that more people have heard of George Washington, but I doubt it. Few men or women have captured the imagination of an entire people as this one individual. In many ways, he has become, and been used as a symbol of the young American Republic, and indeed rightfully so, both the good, and to a lesser extent the bad. Quite a lot of information that most of know of Boone is pure legend, or at worse, pure myth. With all the material out there, why on earth did Robert Morgan choose to write another biography? The reasons here may be multiple, and actually have little to do with this review, but lets all be grateful that this author did choose this particular man as the subject of his first biography.

Boone: A Biography, by Robert Morgan is a well crafted and certainly, as far as I can tell, well researched bit of work. The author has gone to great lengths to clear up and separate myth from reality. This was no easy task. There are great gaps in Boone's life, where so much is actually unknown or has been clouded by well meaning biographers, movie makers and the public in general. Morgan has been very quick to point this out, and when he does delve into the area of speculation, something all or most biographers must do from time to time, he lets us know. What is so absolutely fascinating, for me, is the fact that the truth, in this case, is so very much better than fiction when it comes to Daniel Boone. What the man actually accomplished in his life is so much more impressive than all the "tall tales" we have all heard since childhood. The "real" Boone is much more exciting and much more dynamic than the "fairy tale" Boone.

With this book, we not only get the benefit of a well written biography, we also get another chance to savor the prose of the author of Gap Creek and eight other wonderful novels, as well as twelve volumes of poetry. Folks, this man can write! His description of the country which Boone explored is absolutely worth the read alone. Another aspect that separates Morgan's work from many other biographers is his attention to the women of that era, not only Boone's immediate family, but many of those women around him. This is an aspect of frontier life often overlooked. The author has also given quite a bit of attention, and given a good account, of his subject's relationship with the Native Americans, who played a major role in his life. I also appreciated the way the author has included the names of many of the common people he dealt with on a daily bases. He has not only included the famous of the time, but the not so famous. This, to me, is quite refreshing. If I want to read a book on the life of say, George Washington, then I will pick up a biography on him. Truthfully, I am much more interested in Joe Nobody, who happened to live up the hollow, and helped Daniel skin a deer once, on such and such a day.

What I did not realize, was the tremendous influence that Boone had upon our literature of the time, and consequently the literature of our time. Thoreau, Cooper, Whitmen, Emerson, Lord Byron, Faulkner, Guthrie, and many, many others were influenced by Boone the man and his deeds. His life also had a major impact over one of our first major schools of art, the Hudson River School. (Being a bit on the romantic side, this is one of my personal favorites).

I have read quite a number of biographies and stories about Boone over the years, and will quite likely read more, given the time. This work though, stands at the top of my list of informative and enjoyable reads on the life of a very unique American and indeed, is one of the better biographies I have read over the past couple of years.

What strikes me as the greatest accomplishment of Robert Morgan in this biography of Daniel Boone is stripping away the myth and describing the person. I read a recent biography of Kit Carson that did the same thing. As such, both authors have done readers a great service.

Boone himself was a complex figure. He was a great success as a trapper and explorer. He routinely failed as a businessman and land speculator. He was lucky and he made his own luck. Despite being so well known to Americans, he died in Missouri at 86 and pretty much broke. His story was such that he was mentioned in the works of poets and writers. James Fennimore Cooper based a number of novels on his life and exploits, Natty Bumppo, "la longue carabine," the Pathfinder, Hawkeye [in Last of the Mohicans], and so on.

The book does a nice job of relating his family background, his childhood, and his increasing interest in trapping, hunting, and exploring. He fought in the French and Indian War (serving with Braddock on this ill-starred campaign) and the Revolutionary War. He was instrumental in helping the process of development of American interests in Kentucky. His relationship with Native Americans was complex. He respected them and developed some friendships and was even adopted after his capture at one point. But he also fought against them.

His business efforts, designed to provide security for his family, routinely ended in failure. Land that he thought had been given him in Kentucky was lost through court action; he once lost $20,000 as he was going back to Virginia to deposit this and finalize land claims; and so on.

And, a stunning realization. . . . He went with a group of explorers and visited the Yellowstone area while he was in his mid 70s! How many 70 year olds would be able to cross half a continent in 1809 and return?

This book is a wonderfully balanced view of the life of Boone. For those who want to know the man more than the myth, this is most rewarding. Some nice features: a genealogy at the outset, a brief chronology of Boone's life. More maps would have been useful, to place his travels and life in a broader geographic perspective. Nonetheless, a fine work.

Daniel Boone lived from 1734 to 1820.

I knew almost nothing about Boone before reading this biography, and so cannot critique the book on its historical or biographical accuracy. My only complaint is that it is not longer. This seems an excellent book to begin a study of Daniel Boone. It has gotten me curious to read more.

And yes, I am one of those who grew up watching Fess Parker's TV show Daniel Boone.

The style of this work reminded somewhat of McCullough's (writer of a biography of John Adams)in that the writer seeks to understand Boone's motivations within the context of the times he lived in. Unlike Adams however much less in definitely known about Boone and the writer is forced to include many stories and legends that are needed to embelish the biography but also pose the risk of pulling Boone's image and reputation in undesirable or unfair directions. The problem of course is that there are hundreds of legends and hundreds of variations on those legends and the writer must pick and chose how much weight to give the views of his different sources. Overall he has done a good job and the reader is treated to a realistic view of life in Kentucky when buffaloes roamed, the plight of the Indians etc... Recommended

Daniel Boone was a long hunter and it brought him to the hunting ground of Kentucky. He hunted the land several times before he brought his family to Boonesborough a fort on the Kentucky River. Faragher shows that Boone was a man of character. He loved the frontier and wanted to be a part of it. Boone wanted to live in peace with the Indians but at times he found them to be his enemy. The people he encouraged to come west began to crowd him and he began to look for a new frontier farther west. The Author was very factual about the man, Daniel Boone. By Ruth Thompson author of "The Bluegrass Dream" and "Natchez Above The River"

This book provided very detailed information regarding Daniel Boone and his relatives. He's a legend worth learning about. You'll be able to separate the myths about him from the truth, according to the best available data.
Be ready for a long read.

Well written and detailed book on America's back woodsman who seemed a precursor to the Mountain Man. Hailing from Pennsylvania, the author tracks Boone's introduction and love of hunting from his early years through his family's move to North carolina to Kentucky finishing his mature years in Missouri due to his constant thirst for better hunting and less people. Fascinating account of Boone's unique relationship with the Indians and cool head. His ability to sustain himself like a native and stay in the wilds alone or with small bands. The author not only does well detailing how Boone led parties into Kentucky and creating settlements but also verifies several exploits such as his saving the lives of his daughter and her friend who were kidnapped by Indians by using his knowledge of the geography of the land and the trails that the Indians used.

The author also details well Boone's controversial surrendering of his men to the Indians in exchange for sparing families at Boonesboro that is still somewhat puzzling as many thought him a traitor. Also a bit of a paradox is Boone's love of the hunt, staying away from home sometimes for a year or more while fathering 8 to 10 kids with Rebecca. Also interesting is his relationship with Rebecca who endured his long hunts and disappearances and may have had a child not Boone's that he accepted as the the consequences of his absence. Well worth reading, even covers Boone's warts particularly as a land surveyor, that obviously was not his skill. And unlike Fess Parker and the legend, he never wore a cookskin cap. But the author makes the facts as fascinating as the legend as Boone was in fact a fearless and independent man of the wilderness.

The book is good but most of the stories are the same that has appeared in many other books. After all there are only so many Disney Movies! But your children are going to love it.

Our four year old twins still routinely choose this one from the bookshelf for their nightly story. Read it so much that the cover is getting quite worn.

The abridged nature of the classic disney stories keeps them interested but allows me read it to completion without falling asleep. A great balance.

Great classic addition to the toddler's home library.

My 4 year old really enjoys these books. Each story is about 14 pages, so they're not too long. We have read 3 different story books twice, and just got 3 new books for Christmas.

This is a good book for a 2-3 year old, but after that, the small reader realises that the stories have been abridged to the point of not making any sense unless you know the original version. I am happy we bought it, though, and we get a lot of joy out of it.

What can I say... Any Disney collection is fantastic. I've read and reread these stories to my daughter. Sturdy books, great pictures.

I was very young when Have Gun Will Travel aired and didn't appreciate the intelligence of the show. I have rediscovered it in my early 50s and am quite impressed. Reading this book made me realize that Richard Boone was a driving force in keeping this from being just another western.

But don't think this book is only about HGWT. Nay, nay. It's about everything Richard boone has done (within reason of course) and covers a wide ground with amazing clarity and makes it interesting to boot! The many interviews with people who knew and/or worked with Boone make it seem like you are sitting down with them and chatting about an old friend. Before long the friend walks in and joins the conversation. Highly recommended.

I was just a kid when Have Gun, Will Travel was on TV. I didn't realize how good it was, however, until I recently saw the 1st 3 seasons on DVD. This led to an interest in Richard Boone, the man.

I found the book fascinating. I like the interview format, as I think that gives a more realistic picture of a real, complex human being. Each person knew him in a different context, and often during a different stage of his life.

I highly recommend it.

I thank the author of this book for sharing his insights into a complex man and a versatile talented actor, Richard Boone. Book is chock full of recent conversations with his family, assoicates and friends.
Thank you.

Tip of the hat to Rothel for putting together such a fine book. if you have ever admired the film career of Richard Boone, this is the book. A biography, lots of photos, interviews reprinted, and a somewhat listing of his film credits. HOWEVER, if you are looking for a book that covers the Have Gun, Will Travel TV show, this is NOT the book. Amazon offers The Have Gun Will Travel Companion by Rayburn and Grams and it's far more retailed. Heck, the first season's episodes list the dates the episodes were filmed. Rothel's doesn't. The Rayburn book is 500 pages thick and covers nothing but the Have Gun program, Rothels is half the number of pages and only spends a part of this book covering the Have Gun program. But, Rothel's book has better photographs. If you want a book about Have Gun, buy Rayburn's. If you want a book about Richard Boone, buy this one.

When I was born in 1953, my first memory of television consisted of Westerns Television shows as well as movies. I loved them at the time but after time, I grew blaise.

Just since last year, I have been faithfully watching "HGWT" each Saturday morning (like a child) and became fascinated and.... admittedly a little enamored of Richard Boone.

This month I have just read "Richard Boone: A Knight Without Armor in a Savage Land" by David Rothel. What a fascinating and complex man Richard Boone was, and I was delighted to have it affirmed how much I suspected that the character of "Paladin" was the real Richard Boone.

The book is filled with interesting photographs, interviews along with summaries of all the "HGWT" episodes. I was astonished to learn that Richard Boone was also starring in three others tv series. I had never heard of "Medic", and wish his anthology series could be televised. I always respect the work of repertory theate. And what a group of performers he had selected! Typically, TV execs aired this anthology series opposite "I Love Lucy"...unfair competition.

It was heartwarming to read of his wife's memories of her 30+ years with Boone. She has alot of guts and staying power!

This is the perfect book for any devoted fan of TV westerns!
I am thankful to the author for this labor of love.