Daniel Boone

The Life and Legend of an American Pioneer

By: John Mack Faragher

Narrated by: Tom Parker

In the first and most reliable biography of Daniel Boone in more than 50 years, award-winning historian Faragher brilliantly portrays America's famous frontier hero while illuminating the American hero-making process itself.

Drawing from popular narrative, the public record, scraps of documentation from Boone's own hand, and a treasure trove of reminiscences gathered by 19th-century antiquarians, Faragher uses the methods of new social history to create a portrait of the man and the times he helped shape. Blending themes from a much vitalized Western and frontier history with the words and ideas of ordinary people, Faragher has produced a book that will stand as the definitive life of Daniel Boone for decades to come, and one that illuminates the frontier world of Boone like no other.

©1992 John Mack Faragher (P)1993 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Well-written and immensely satisfying in several ways, this biography separates myth from fact while also showing that this is a man about whom legends have been made.... Boone speaks to the American spirit in an elemental way that is wonderfully conveyed by this author, in a book that readers will find memorable." ( School Library Journal)
"Tom Parker read this with a quiet voice, using a variety of expressions and intonations. Faragher's story, combined with Parker's narration, aids in the digestion of this new insight into early American history." ( Library Journal)

great history of Boone and Kentucky

I enjoyed the book very much. good for history buffs and Boone ancestors. I like the early life with the Quakers and the revolution.

Great Book!

The best book on Daniel Boone that I’ve read. The facts have been researched and presented eloquently and the narrator is excellent.
The book covers Daniel’s life from boyhood to death and then goes on to address other views of his life and legend. Highly recommended!

A GOOD MAN

I grew up with Fess Parker reprising his Crockett role with a name change. DB was a very good frontier man, hunter and explorer. He was not the great hero the press pushed him into. This is a good bio and gives an interesting insight into life in the 1800's

Found out I knew nothing about Daniel Boone

Listening to this book I realized I didn’t really know a thing about Daniel Boone, a name I’ve heard all my life like almost every US Citizen. How many of us really know who he was or what he did in his lifetime?

Boone sounds like he really enjoyed being mostly alone in the wilderness, out hunting for long stretches of time. He loved his wife and children so I have to wonder why he was gone just as much as he was? His wife certainly was a very forgiving or understanding wife to be on her own with all the children they had out In territory that had yet to really be safe. They lost at least one if not more children to Indian raids.

Parts of the books certainly seemed a bit boring but I just kept listening. On the whole, it was a good history lesson. It isn’t a book just for anyone as it is more of a historical book. This is the reason I rated it 4 stars. The reader was okay, did get on my nerves just a bit so also a 4. If you know nothing about the Boone family, this has a lot of interesting information.

Good book

This is a good book. Daniel Boone was a badass American. I recommend this book to all.

Surprisingly good

Didn’t think there could be that much to write about someone who spent much of his life in the woods, but came away with a deep appreciation of the man. Also, disdain with the state of Kentucky following Boone’s death. Tom Parker did an excellent job with his reading of the manuscript.

Very comprehensive.

Learned a lot about. The author is honest and respectful towards Daniel Boone and his family. The narrator did a phenomenal job.

Simple Frontier Explorer

Enjoyed listening to the book and the various disagreements on historical accuracy vs legends. Nonetheless, an interesting figure in American history. One reference was of particular note for me. a Gen Richard Butler cited I Chapter 7 or 8 I believe is a distant great uncle to me. Sad to hear of Boones legal troubles. And more disconcerting is the account of his disenternment and relocation to KY after the treatment he received during his legal troubles and plea for consideration on a land deed there. His disappointment and anger causing his move away from KY never to return. But KY was not to let a source of local pride and income be shared with MO.

good read of a Kentucky legend

growing up on Hickman creek many of the stories match the locations and stories I have heard.

A good overview of Daniel Boone

The book provides a very good overview of the life of Daniel Boone. It covers everything from birth to death as well as some evolution of his legend in the subsequent years. I especially appreciate the addition of multiple sources for many stories. This provided context to indicate how some stories were shaped and changed over the years depending on the particular aims of the authors. The addition of testimony from relatives and contemporaries was also helpful.

In general, the narration was well performed. The most disappointing moment was the absolute butchering of the title Don Juan (Don Jew-an). It stuck out like a sore thumb. Otherwise, I thought the reading was well paced and intoned.