Blood and Treasure: Daniel Boone and the Fight for America's First Frontier
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- Create Date：2021-04-26 18:31:32
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Bob Drury
- ISBN：B089YBW5GC
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Reviews
Bookreporter。com Biography & Memoir
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The biographer has one main advantage and one main disadvantage。 The advantage is perspective: you have a fuller understanding of your subject’s story and their times than they themselves ever had。 You can know things about them that they never knew about themselves。 The disadvantage is that you can’t fully share the subject’s perspective， understand how their thinking developed， what influenced their worldview and how they made decisions。 You can approach their thinking by reading what they wro The biographer has one main advantage and one main disadvantage。 The advantage is perspective: you have a fuller understanding of your subject’s story and their times than they themselves ever had。 You can know things about them that they never knew about themselves。 The disadvantage is that you can’t fully share the subject’s perspective， understand how their thinking developed， what influenced their worldview and how they made decisions。 You can approach their thinking by reading what they wrote about themselves and inferring their motivations， but you can’t always grasp what was going on inside their heads。One of the ways to deal with this drawback， especially the farther back you go from the present， is to do what you can to explain the circumstances and factors that shaped the subject and their worldview。 In telling the story of Daniel Boone， biographers Bob Drury and Tom Clavin must tell the story of the frontier in the late colonial and revolutionary period， which usually gets filed in the American imagination as “the French and Indian Wars” and quickly forgotten。Drury and Clavin set the stage for young Daniel Boone’s wandering， and for his key role in the expansion of the frontier， by examining what was taking place around him --- the importance of the river transportation network， the formidable barrier of the Appalachians， the rivalries of the Native American tribes， and the power politics of the European colonizers。 Boone follows George Washington in a doomed English incursion in the area near present-day Pittsburgh and comes away with a disdain for the British leadership。But he also hears the rumors about Kentucky， which at the time was a contested borderland between rival tribes; its plentiful natural resources and game simultaneously made Kentucky ripe for white settlement。 Boone was a “market hunter” in his youth， killing and skinning deer to bring their prized hides to market。 Drury and Clavin explain that this is where the term “buck” comes from since deer hides were as good as currency。Because this area of history is so often neglected， it’s extremely helpful that the authors pause in telling Boone’s story to provide the missing perspective。 Many factors went into Boone’s decision to move across the Cumberland Gap into Kentucky aside from mere wanderlust and commercial exploitation --- the decimation of the Native American tribes by smallpox， the expanding colonial population， and the emerging independent spirit of the colonists。This is especially helpful in terms of the focus placed on the tribes that were ultimately displaced and dispossessed by Boone and the settlers who came after him。 BLOOD AND TREASURE is clear about the human cost of American expansion beyond the Appalachians， portraying Boone not so much as a heroic pioneer but as one of many participants in what turned out to be an unequal struggle。The history of the frontier， from the Cumberland Gap to Sutter’s Mill to the Oklahoma Land Rush， has always been wreathed in fable。 Drury and Clavin， to their credit， aren’t in the mythmaking business and present Daniel Boone as a player in a larger theater rather than a protean force of nature。 BLOOD AND TREASURE highlights an oft-forgotten stage of American history and does it --- and its subject --- justice。Reviewed by Curtis Edmonds 。。。more
Juli
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I have read several of Tom Clavin's books and have enjoyed them all！ I always learn something new about America's early history。 One thing I appreciate about his books is that he keeps the story interesting。 It isn't just dry historical nonfiction。。。。he keeps it interesting and entertaining。 These books don't read like a textbook， but rather an unfolding of history by someone who obviously loves it。 Drury and Clavin build a history of the early push beyond the Appalachian mountains using obvious I have read several of Tom Clavin's books and have enjoyed them all！ I always learn something new about America's early history。 One thing I appreciate about his books is that he keeps the story interesting。 It isn't just dry historical nonfiction。。。。he keeps it interesting and entertaining。 These books don't read like a textbook， but rather an unfolding of history by someone who obviously loves it。 Drury and Clavin build a history of the early push beyond the Appalachian mountains using obviously in-depth research and contemporary sources including diaries， newspaper articles and firsthand stories。 That makes this book about the real Daniel Boone and the time he lived in -- not not a re-telling of the myth behind the man。 This book is about the man。。。。not the larger than life hero from old fiction novels and television shows。 And it doesn't pull punches。 The foray into the unsettled west was bloody， violent and grim at times。 Native American tribes were brutalized， and attacked those venturing into their lands to save their way of life。 Men， women and children died。 Many， many of them。 Loved this book！ As usual I'm going to buy a hardback copy for my husband and the audio book for myself。 For me these books always warrant a revisit。 And my husband loves history as much as I do。 I'm definitely eagerly awaiting the next book from both of these authors！ **I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from St。 Martins Press。 All opinions expressed are entirely my own。** 。。。more
Jennifer Lara
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Blood and Treasure by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin focuses on Daniel Boone and his role in the fight for America’s first frontier。 In the mid-18th century， the drive to conquer and settle the area beyond the Appalachian Mountains， North America’s “first frontier。” That drive would commence a series of bloody battles against the Native American tribes， the French and lastly British as the fight for independence intensifies。 Drury and Clavin provide an epic narrative of Daniel Boone， as America’s firs Blood and Treasure by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin focuses on Daniel Boone and his role in the fight for America’s first frontier。 In the mid-18th century， the drive to conquer and settle the area beyond the Appalachian Mountains， North America’s “first frontier。” That drive would commence a series of bloody battles against the Native American tribes， the French and lastly British as the fight for independence intensifies。 Drury and Clavin provide an epic narrative of Daniel Boone， as America’s first and great pathfinder， whose explorations would become legend， while tearing down the coonskin cap-wearing caricature that many Americans are familiar with。 Blood and Treasure is more than just Daniel Boone’s story。 It is the story of the ordinary and the extraordinary men and women， colonists and Native， who witnessed the road that led to the birth of the United States。 The reader is placed in the middle of America's first frontier and the tales of courage and sacrifice that occurred there。 I have been interested in Daniel Boone’s story ever since I discovered that his older sister， Sarah Boone Wilcoxson （1724-1815） is my 14th great grandmother on my paternal grandfather’s side。 I dived into Blood and Treasure as I was eager to learn more about the man and how he became a legend。 It is evident that Drury and Clavin painstakingly researched the story of Daniel Boone and the events surrounding his life。 Boone was a man born with wanderlust and the perfect individual to explore the unexplored。 While the information seemed overwhelming， and it took me a few days as I carefully read， Drury and Clavin are able to take a complicated history and provide a fast-paced， fiery narrative and honest depiction of the frontier。 What I liked about the book is， while the main focus is on Daniel Boone， his contemporaries were allowed to have a voice and help provide a bigger picture of the events than just through Boone’s own recollections。 Blood and Treasure provides a clearer picture of who these men and women really were， the good， the bad and the ugly， and not the just pedestal heroes that we have been led to know。 I highly recommend Blood and Treasure。 Blood and Treasure is available in hardcover， eBook， and audiobook。 。。。more
christopher
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Read with audiobook。 Narration is perfect for the book。 The life of Daniel Boone is well intwined with the Native Americans and this book does not shy away from it。 Very interesting book and very little dry parts。 Highly recommend for history buffs and those interested in early frontier life and a different perspective of the Revolution。
Dan
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My thanks to NetGalley and St。 Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book。Popular history tends to get short shrift among the literati。 Vivid narration， celebrity subjects （of the historical nature）， not much in the way of analysis or the big issues of the time。 This is the wrong way too look at this genre， as many books， this one included， while supposedly about one subject does reach as high in many ways。Blood and Treasure: Daniel Boone and the Fight for America's First Frontier， by Bob My thanks to NetGalley and St。 Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book。Popular history tends to get short shrift among the literati。 Vivid narration， celebrity subjects （of the historical nature）， not much in the way of analysis or the big issues of the time。 This is the wrong way too look at this genre， as many books， this one included， while supposedly about one subject does reach as high in many ways。Blood and Treasure: Daniel Boone and the Fight for America's First Frontier， by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin is really about more than the titular frontiers man， or as he would probably prefer long hunter。 The book is about the founding and growth of America， its birthing pains， the men and women who suffered and the evil that men do。 Daniel Boone cones across as a decent man， a natural leader， a huge hunter of animals， and a man who really just wanted to be left alone。 There is derring-do of course， but the book balances this with the reality of how tough a time it was to survive。The research seems very comprehensive。 I particularly enjoyed the footnotes。 One footnote on honey bees sent me down an Internet tunnel for quite awhile。 I've enjoyed other books by these authors， both together and separate。 This would be a fine Father's Day gift， with much to think and contemplate on besides how much a legend Daniel Boone continues to be。 。。。more
Claudia
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Drury and Clavin have written a very-well-researched piece about the American legend， Daniel Boone。 While I was anticipating a more novelized version， this unemotional， fact-based version paints a clear， realistic picture of the beloved woodsman。 It also clearly explains his role in both readily familiar as well as more obscure historical events。 The book is definitely a vocabulary booster， and made me glad that I could simply highlight words such as chiaroscuro， atavistically， and eponymous on Drury and Clavin have written a very-well-researched piece about the American legend， Daniel Boone。 While I was anticipating a more novelized version， this unemotional， fact-based version paints a clear， realistic picture of the beloved woodsman。 It also clearly explains his role in both readily familiar as well as more obscure historical events。 The book is definitely a vocabulary booster， and made me glad that I could simply highlight words such as chiaroscuro， atavistically， and eponymous on my Kindle to discover their meaning。 I recommend this book to both those who have a passion for American history and those who simply want to know a bit more about Boone and the times in which he lived。 I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Blood and Treasure from St。 Martin Press via NetGalley without obligation。 All opinions expressed here are my own。 。。。more
Dorothy
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This is a nonfiction book about the life of Daniel Boone and the push for settlements in Kentucky。 It was very informative and the writing made the reader see how hard it was for the pioneers to survive in Indian territory。 Also it told how the British and French used the Indians during the Revolutionary War and French and Indian Wars to aid in their advantage。 I liked the book aside from the fact that in many places the author would back track to tell of things going on prior to where you were This is a nonfiction book about the life of Daniel Boone and the push for settlements in Kentucky。 It was very informative and the writing made the reader see how hard it was for the pioneers to survive in Indian territory。 Also it told how the British and French used the Indians during the Revolutionary War and French and Indian Wars to aid in their advantage。 I liked the book aside from the fact that in many places the author would back track to tell of things going on prior to where you were which was sometimes confusing。 。。。more
Hobart
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★ ★ ★ 1/2 （rounded up）This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader。---WHAT'S BLOOD AND TREASURE ABOUT？It's pretty much in the subtitle—this book is about 2 things—Daniel Boone and the fight （literal and metaphoric） for America's first Frontier—with a focus on what we now know as Kentucky， but pretty much everything on the Western edge of the American colonies/states。It's not a biography of Boone （I'll tell you now， I wrongly expected this to be more of one）， it's more like he's the organ ★ ★ ★ 1/2 （rounded up）This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader。---WHAT'S BLOOD AND TREASURE ABOUT？It's pretty much in the subtitle—this book is about 2 things—Daniel Boone and the fight （literal and metaphoric） for America's first Frontier—with a focus on what we now know as Kentucky， but pretty much everything on the Western edge of the American colonies/states。It's not a biography of Boone （I'll tell you now， I wrongly expected this to be more of one）， it's more like he's the organizing principle for the book， as we learn about Boone's roots， early life， and adulthood the authors talk about the conflicts with the Indians on the edge of white civilization's expanse。 We'd get a chunk of a wide-view of history over a period， and then we'd focus on Boone's life around that time。 Then the focus would widen a bit and we'd look at another period of time—and so on。Two significant ingredients in "the Fight" for the Frontier were what's called The French and Indian War and the American Revolution。 There's the French and Indian War （and conflicts that led up to it and sprang from it） to begin with， paved the way for the latter conflicts—we see the pressure put on various tribes from the expansion of settlers， the resistance those settlers faced （from shifting alliances of Indians between themselves， and varying alliances between Western powers and the Indians）。As for the Revolution—while most histories/documentaries/etc。 about it will acknowledge the fighting in the South and West， few take any time to focus on it。 Instead， we casual history readers just get repeated retellings of the stuff we learned in elementary school—Washington*， the Continent Army， Benedict Arnold， Nathan Hale， the Green Mountain Boys， and whatnot—and whatever expansions on some of those topics that Hamilton has taught us in the last few years。 This book is a great corrective to that showing how the Indians were largely pawns for the British to use against the colonies， to distract from the larger skirmishes as well as to try to open up another front on the war—another way to steal power and influence from the colonies。 You see very clearly how easily the entire War could've changed if not for a couple of significant losses suffered by the British and their Indian allies。* Washington is also featured pretty heavily in the earlier chapters， too—even if he maybe only briefly met Boone on one occasion。LANGUAGE CHOICES I know this sort of this is pretty customary， but I really appreciated the Note to Readers explaining the authors' language choices—starting with the tribal designations they used—the standard versions accepted today （there are enough various entities mentioned throughout that if they'd gone with contemporary names and spellings， I—and most readers—would've been very confused）。At the same time， they did preserve the varied and non-standard spellings for just about everything else。 For example， there were at least three variant spellings for Kentucky: Cantucky， Kanta-ke， and Kentucki （I think there was one more， but I can't find it）。I was a little surprised that they stuck with the term "Indian" as much as they did—but their explanation for it seemed likely and understandable。AN IMAGE SHATTERED—OR MAYBE JUST CORRECTED Yes， I know that the Fess Parker TV show I saw after school in syndication was only very loosely based in reality。 And that the handful of MG-targeted biographies I read several times around the same time were sanitized and very partial。 Still， those are the images and notions about Boone that have filled my mind for decades。 So reading all the ways they were wrong and/or incomplete threw me more than I'm comfortable with。His appearance was particularly jarring—the actual Boone eschewed coonskin caps because they were flat-topped and preferred a high-crowned felt hat to look taller。 THat's wrong on so many levels。 "Tall as a mountain was he" is about as far from the truth as you can get。The fact that he spent most of his life bouncing between comfort and/or wealth and massive debt is both a commentary on his strengths and weaknesses as it is the volatile times he lived in—he lost so much thanks to colonial governments being mercurial。 It was reassuring to see the repeated insistence that he was an honest man， who worked to repay his debts even if it took too long。In the end， Boone seemed to be a good guy trying his best to get by and provide for his family—who accidentally stepped into some degree of celebrity， that magnified some good qualities and replaced the man with a legend。SO， WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT BLOOD AND TREASURE？ The writing itself？ There are moments that were fantastic。 On the whole。。。。， but from time to time， when Drury and Clavin wanted to drive an image or description home， they could be stunning。 I would have preferred things to be a bit more even—a bit more balanced and consistent on that front。 But the topic and scope didn't really allow for that。 So I'll just enjoy those moments of it that I got。As for the book as a whole？ It was impressive， entertaining （generally）， and informative。 When it was at its best， it didn't feel like reading dry history but a compelling look at that portion of US History。 At its worst， it was a litany of names， dates， and ideas that didn't do much for me。 Thankfully， those moments were few and far between。 It's not a difficult read at any point， just pretty dry on occasion。There are so many other things I'd like to have mentioned or discussed—but it would make this post unwieldy。 The notes about hunting （both the good and the horrible）， Boone's heroics， his character， and family; various aspects of the Indian customs discussed and so much。 There's just so much in this book to chew on that I can't sum it up。I liked this—I liked it enough to look at a few other books by this duo to see what they can do with other topics， people， and eras。 I think anyone with a modicum of interest in Boone will enjoy this and be glad for the experience。Disclaimer: I received this eARC from St。 Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this。 。。。more
Susan
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See my review at Reading World See my review at Reading World 。。。more
Darla
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Daniel Boone was a man who wore many hats。 Perhaps you picture him in his iconic coon cap to accessorize his buckskin shirt and britches -- a rifle perched on his shoulder。 After reading this new release， I have a much more comprehensive view of the famous pioneer and his role in colonizing the area west of the Ohio River and as a part of the Revolutionary War。 In his 70+ years， Daniel was a son， brother， husband， father， hunter， scout， guide， negotiator， real estate mogul， engineer， and more。 H Daniel Boone was a man who wore many hats。 Perhaps you picture him in his iconic coon cap to accessorize his buckskin shirt and britches -- a rifle perched on his shoulder。 After reading this new release， I have a much more comprehensive view of the famous pioneer and his role in colonizing the area west of the Ohio River and as a part of the Revolutionary War。 In his 70+ years， Daniel was a son， brother， husband， father， hunter， scout， guide， negotiator， real estate mogul， engineer， and more。 He was larger than life and times were messy。 This meticulously researched volume shed so much light on what it was like to live in the mid to late 18th century。 There was so much blood shed over the treasure of the land and quest for freedom。 My horizons have been widened considerably and I have gained a larger understanding of the plight of the indigenous peoples as our country expanded beyond the Appalachians。 You might be wondering， why my rating is not five stars。 There are two reasons: 1） The ARC I read did not have maps and I process new information more efficiently with visual aids。 2） There were a large number of names and places introduced and I would have loved access to an index to revisit the other mentions of that person or place in the narrative。 Coincidentally， I had already been planning to rewatch 'The Last of the Mohicans。' Can't think of a better movie to complement this book。Thank you to St。 Martins Press for sending me a paperback ARC of this fascinating new book。 It truly is a treasure。 。。。more
Bonnye Reed
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I received a free electronic copy of this historical biography from Netgalley， Tom Clavin and Bob Drury， and St。 Martin's Press。 Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me。 I have read Blood and Treasure， and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work。 St。 Martin's Press is bringing us more exacting， more exciting histories and biographies than I have seen previously。 Thank you again for sharing。 This is a must-read for history lovers。This is a special， intimate look back in time I received a free electronic copy of this historical biography from Netgalley， Tom Clavin and Bob Drury， and St。 Martin's Press。 Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me。 I have read Blood and Treasure， and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work。 St。 Martin's Press is bringing us more exacting， more exciting histories and biographies than I have seen previously。 Thank you again for sharing。 This is a must-read for history lovers。This is a special， intimate look back in time that puts us right there， next to Daniel Boone as he works his way into the history of the United States。 Whatever your historical interest， Blood and Treasure will catch your attention。 This is not a story of coonskin hats and blunderbusses， but an intricate spotlight on life as it was in October 1773， beginning before our battles with England for independence， and carrying forward to the disastrous Battle of Blue Licks in August 1782。 With Clavin and Drury， we go back to when the American West started at the peaks of the Alleghany Mountains and every inch of soil was paid for with blood and treasure。Pub date April 20， 2021Reviewed on April 12， 2021， at Goodreads and Netgalley。 Reviewed on April 20， 2021， at AmazonSmile， Barnes&Noble， BookBub， Kobo， and GooglePlay。 。。。more
James （JD） Dittes
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Looking back on his life with his biographer， John Filson， Boone remarked on the “blood and treasure” spent to secure Kentucky for American settlement。 He lost two sons to Indian attacks。 His family had fled Boonesborough after his 1778 kidnapping by the Shawnee--and his wife’s family “did not bother to hide their loyalist feelings，” even as he languished in captivity。But there was more blood and treasure lost than kith and kin for the Boone family， and Drury and Clavin really bring the frontier Looking back on his life with his biographer， John Filson， Boone remarked on the “blood and treasure” spent to secure Kentucky for American settlement。 He lost two sons to Indian attacks。 His family had fled Boonesborough after his 1778 kidnapping by the Shawnee--and his wife’s family “did not bother to hide their loyalist feelings，” even as he languished in captivity。But there was more blood and treasure lost than kith and kin for the Boone family， and Drury and Clavin really bring the frontier of the Revolutionary War Era to life in this vividly written history。The land of "Kenta-ke，" named by the Iroquois for its "many meadows" was an intertribal park， stretching from the Cumberland River in the south （along which Nashville， Tennessee， lies today） and the Ohio River in the north。 It was a preserved land with no permanent settlements。 And the bands of hunting Shawnee， Cherokee， and Chickasaw， met in peace on this land--despite many other armed conflicts throughout the years。Boone entered the region first as a long hunter， taking his share of the abundant bison and beaver， along with many other colonists。 But when Boone found the Cumberland Gap--a pass in the Appalachain Moutain Chain where the states of Kentucky， Tennessee， and Virginia all meet--Kenta-ke was ripe for settlement， and the settlement of Boonesborough was the result。As Boone， his family， and settlers from North Carolina， crossed the mountains to settle in the intertribal game park， the Revolutionary War burst to life in faraway Lexington， Massachusetts。 The most interesting parts of this book are found when Drury and Clavin show Boone's travails in Kentucky in the context of the greater war。 Shawnee attacks were swift in response to settlement on their historic hunting lands， but the Shawnee and Boones also allowed themselves to become pawns in the greater fight between Britain （which armed and supported the Indians， promising to keep the Appalachians as the fixed border between Indian and colonial lands） and the Colonies， which were fighting， in part， to gain access to the riches of trans-Appalachia。Growing up in the Ohio Valley， I have heard tales of Boone throughout my life--the kidnapping of his daughter， for example， and his time as an adopted son of the Shawnee chief， Blackfish。But Kentucky was a part of a much larger conflict， even as Boone's "blood and treasure" would one day make it a part of a much greater nation。I grew up in the Ohio Valley。 I live in the Cumberland Valley。 There is much history between them， and this book really captures it。 Special thanks to NetGalley for the preview in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
James
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Perhaps the fullest picture of Daniel Boone and his era that I've read， way beyond the textbook glorification of the man as a myth。 The authors also take care to really explore the conflict and pressures faced by the Native American tribes by the growing push for land by European settlers。 The tribes and their leaders are not presented an one dimensional players in this struggle and peoples lost to "manifest destiny" are brought back， with glimpses of village life。 A must read for anyone wanting Perhaps the fullest picture of Daniel Boone and his era that I've read， way beyond the textbook glorification of the man as a myth。 The authors also take care to really explore the conflict and pressures faced by the Native American tribes by the growing push for land by European settlers。 The tribes and their leaders are not presented an one dimensional players in this struggle and peoples lost to "manifest destiny" are brought back， with glimpses of village life。 A must read for anyone wanting a more complete view of the early American push into the wilderness beyond the original 13 colonies。 。。。more
Shelly
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I received an advance review copy through NetGalley。 Recognizing that you can’t write an historical book about Daniel Boone and his accomplishments as a frontiersman without also providing contextual stories about the Native indigenous population and subsequent conflicts， I often found myself wondering which one was the book about。 Did the authors really want to tell the story of the much aligned Native population and used the documented life of well-known Daniel Boone as the focal point of the I received an advance review copy through NetGalley。 Recognizing that you can’t write an historical book about Daniel Boone and his accomplishments as a frontiersman without also providing contextual stories about the Native indigenous population and subsequent conflicts， I often found myself wondering which one was the book about。 Did the authors really want to tell the story of the much aligned Native population and used the documented life of well-known Daniel Boone as the focal point of the British expansion？ If so， I might have suggested a different title， subtitle。 Overall。。。 I did enjoy gaining more information about the history presented in this scholarship - the back and forth contextual setting for the expansion of colonists into western North Carolina and then over the Appalachia into the Kentucky River Valley and the subsequent interactions with multiple native tribes。 The book is well researched and valuable for understanding the political nature of the native population as it existed during this time。 There are a lot of atrocities on both sides， although the authors do show a preference。 I hated the ending。 The final paragraph completely soured the book for me。 In this advance copy there are quite a few phrases， turns of phrases， adjectives that reveal a distaste for Boone， frontier settlers， and the expansion。 The story weaves an informative narrative when suddenly the authors personal opinion sticks out， leaving you wondering why that was necessary。 This subtle sourness is the only reason I give the book four-stars。 。。。more
Lori L （She Treads Softly）
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Blood and Treasure: Daniel Boone and the Fight for America's First Frontier by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin is a highly recommended account of the life of the legendary Daniel Boone。Drury and Clavin present a detailed and well written narrative that is both a history of the times and a biography of Daniel Boone。 This was a different time and place from the world we know today。 It is the mid-eighteenth century in Colonial America。 There are wars between the French， English， and Native tribes。 All of Blood and Treasure: Daniel Boone and the Fight for America's First Frontier by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin is a highly recommended account of the life of the legendary Daniel Boone。Drury and Clavin present a detailed and well written narrative that is both a history of the times and a biography of Daniel Boone。 This was a different time and place from the world we know today。 It is the mid-eighteenth century in Colonial America。 There are wars between the French， English， and Native tribes。 All of this affected the lives of settlers， including the Boone family。 This history focuses on the settlement of North America's first frontier and the Boone families migration from New England to settle the Carolinas and across the Appalachians to Kentucky。It is clearly presented why Daniel Boone is such a legendary， larger-than-life， amazing historical figure。 This is a well-written， accurate， well-researched， and unbiased account that is placed firmly in the context of the times， so it can be violent。 It is told through the people who were there， experiencing the events depicted。 Once the narrative starts， it is full of fast-paced， non-stop action。 Drury and Clavin include footnotes to document the chronicle of events in Boone's life and times。 The narrative covers a lot of territory， covering areas ranging from Pennsylvania， Virginia， North Carolina， Kentucky， Florida， and Illinois。Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of St。 Martin's Publishing Group in exchange for my honest opinion。 。。。more
Tom Mathews
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In my youth Daniel Boone was a hot commodity， as were Lewis and Clark， Crockett， Custer， Carson， and a long list of other figures whose lives made America’s dream of manifest destiny a reality。 At my young age， Boone’s adventures in opening the wilderness were a thrill， but that is all they were， adventures。 The authors of the books I read back then did little to provide context to his deeds。 Over the years， America’s attitudes towards its interactions with native Americans underwent a quantum s In my youth Daniel Boone was a hot commodity， as were Lewis and Clark， Crockett， Custer， Carson， and a long list of other figures whose lives made America’s dream of manifest destiny a reality。 At my young age， Boone’s adventures in opening the wilderness were a thrill， but that is all they were， adventures。 The authors of the books I read back then did little to provide context to his deeds。 Over the years， America’s attitudes towards its interactions with native Americans underwent a quantum shift。 The publication of books such as Dee Brown’s Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West changed our view from that of Indian wars to genocidal extermination。 In the final decades of the twentieth century the heroic luster of early American explorers and pioneers tarnished in the face of unrelenting condemnation to the point where my daughters， both in their twenties， had never heard of Daniel Boone before today。Fortunately， the new millennium has brought us a new generation of historians whose interests lie more in telling an accurate， unbiased story than in glorifying one side or the other。 Authors such as Nathaniel Philbrick and Erik Larson have made careers out of taking all we think we know about famous people and events and turning it on its head by the simple expedient of telling the unvarnished truth。 High on this list of authors are Bob Drury and Tom Clavin who have cowritten books spanning U。S。 history from Valley Forge to Vietnam， including a biography of Oglala Sioux Chief Red Cloud。 Their newest book， Blood and Treasure， relates the events surrounding Daniel Boone’s settlement of Kentucky and his role in the American Revolutionary War。 It has been fifty years since I last read a book about him。 Back then， books told the story of Daniel Boone， the legend。 Now， I finally get a chance to learn about Daniel Boone， the man。 It is not a ‘warts and all’ exposé aimed at trashing his reputation， but a skillfully researched account of his life provided in the context of the times in which he lived。 Many of the more memorable stories of him are about Boone the Indian fighter， his close calls and escapes， but they leave out the fact that these events were part of a larger war。 During the Revolution， the British actively recruited warriors from numerous tribes to make war on the American settlers。 By opening up a western front， they hoped to pull men and resources away from George Washington’s army and thereby end the war。 To this end， the British Army offered bounties for American scalps。 When the Shawnee and several other tribes besieged Boonesborough in 1778 they were accompanied by forty to fifty British and and Canadians and fought under the Union Jack。 Had the siege succeeded， they could have easily taken several smaller settlements and “flank the coastal revolutionaries from the rear， forcing Washington’s Continental Army to defend two fronts。 Gen。 Cornwallis was already planning to open a southern theater， and it is easy to imagine he and Hamilton crushing the southern rebels between them”。 In the Shawnees’ defense， The British were offering them the one thing that their survival depended on， all the land west of the Alleghenies and laws prohibiting white settlements in Indian lands。 Stamp Acts and ‘taxation without representation’ be damned。 This vast expanse of unsettled land is what the war was all about。 Bottom line: Drury and Clavin penned an amazing book that revisits a history that has been all but forgotten。 As a genealogist， I appreciate the tremendous amount of research that went into it。 I highly recommend this book。 *Quotations are cited from an advanced reading copy and may not be the same as appears in the final published edition。 The review was based on an advanced reading copy obtained at no cost from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review。 While this does take any ‘not worth what I paid for it’ statements out of my review， it otherwise has no impact on the content of my review。FYI: On a 5-point scale I assign stars based on my assessment of what the book needs in the way of improvements:*5 Stars – Nothing at all。 If it ain’t broke， don’t fix it。*4 Stars – It could stand for a few tweaks here and there but it’s pretty good as it is。*3 Stars – A solid C grade。 Some serious rewriting would be needed in order for this book to be considered great or memorable。*2 Stars – This book needs a lot of work。 A good start would be to change the plot， the character development， the writing style and the ending。 *1 Star – The only thing that would improve this book is a good bonfire。 。。。more
Cat
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This is a well-researched history of Daniel Boone and westward expansion。 Drawing from tons of documentation， the authors bring to life the various men and women who traveled into the unknown of western America and faced the perils， often not surviving。Daniel Boone is an amazing person， he seems bigger than life。 But the research and documentation the authors refer to throughout the book make this man’s life believable。 He had an extremely strong and independent family behind him， that aspect wa This is a well-researched history of Daniel Boone and westward expansion。 Drawing from tons of documentation， the authors bring to life the various men and women who traveled into the unknown of western America and faced the perils， often not surviving。Daniel Boone is an amazing person， he seems bigger than life。 But the research and documentation the authors refer to throughout the book make this man’s life believable。 He had an extremely strong and independent family behind him， that aspect was most interesting to me。It’s somber reading this when we know all along what happened to the Indian culture。 Their lands were invaded， their homes and tribes annihilated， and history was written by the victor。 But I write this review comfortably sitting on a patch of land where that exact history occurred （Missouri）。 That’s the downside of historical writing; we know how it ends。 I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions， the detail， and the life these authors breathed into their characters。 I regret what happened to the Indian culture in the occupation of western America， but sadly， so goes the evolution of Man。Sincere thanks to NetGalley and St。 Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review。 The publishing date is April 20， 2021。 。。。more
Liz
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This book about Daniel Boone starts off with the graphic killing of Boone’s son by the Indians。 This nonfiction continued to keep my interest throughout。 It does a masterful job of combining historic facts （battles， politics） with details about not only Boone’s life but several other well known figures （George Washington）。 This is one of those nonfiction books that reads almost like fiction。 The authors give us both big and small pictures of the times and places。 I loved seeing how decisions by This book about Daniel Boone starts off with the graphic killing of Boone’s son by the Indians。 This nonfiction continued to keep my interest throughout。 It does a masterful job of combining historic facts （battles， politics） with details about not only Boone’s life but several other well known figures （George Washington）。 This is one of those nonfiction books that reads almost like fiction。 The authors give us both big and small pictures of the times and places。 I loved seeing how decisions by the British made in England played out in the Yadkin Valley of what became North Carolina。 I hadn’t a clue that a royal proclamation made in 1763 designed to stop a war with the Indians played into the start of the colonists’ unhappiness with England。 This book doesn’t spare the reader from a lot of gruesome details。 Indians and settlers alike killed， tortured and mutilated anyone they caught。 I was unaware of the role the Indians played during the Revolutionary War and how they used the “civil war” among the whites， as they saw it， to attempt to take back their lands。 And， of course，in the end， both English and Americans hung them out to dry。 Drury and Calvin have a wealth of information， which allows for copious amounts of detail。 My thanks to netgalley and St。 Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book。 。。。more
KarenK
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I received this from Netgalley。com。 An interesting telling of Daniel Boone and his escapades， but it was rather dry reading。2。75☆
Jordan
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Very much enjoyed this！ Although， I would say that this is more of a history of the mid-eighteenth century with a focus on Daniel Boone， as there was a lot that did not center around Boone in this book。 I don't mind that at all， but just a head's up。 I thought Drury and Clavin did an amazing job of researching and relaying the chaos and events of this time period。 I was exceptionally pleased to see that this was not a sugarcoated account of interactions with Native Americans and that there was p Very much enjoyed this！ Although， I would say that this is more of a history of the mid-eighteenth century with a focus on Daniel Boone， as there was a lot that did not center around Boone in this book。 I don't mind that at all， but just a head's up。 I thought Drury and Clavin did an amazing job of researching and relaying the chaos and events of this time period。 I was exceptionally pleased to see that this was not a sugarcoated account of interactions with Native Americans and that there was plenty of respect， detail， and nuance included in all of their accounts。 If you， like me， are lacking at all in your knowledge of this time period in what is now the United States， then this is a great book to pick up。 。。。more
Janilyn Kocher
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Blood and Treasure is a good introduction to the life of Daniel Boone and the intersection of white encroachment west of the Appalachian Mountains。 Readers are given an informative backdrop of Native American perspective and actions while whites continuously tread upon their land。 Boone is a legendary figure in frontier history and this book is a nice contribution to the introductory level。 I love frontier history and while the book didn’t add anything new to what I already knew， I always like t Blood and Treasure is a good introduction to the life of Daniel Boone and the intersection of white encroachment west of the Appalachian Mountains。 Readers are given an informative backdrop of Native American perspective and actions while whites continuously tread upon their land。 Boone is a legendary figure in frontier history and this book is a nice contribution to the introductory level。 I love frontier history and while the book didn’t add anything new to what I already knew， I always like to read about Boone’s life。 Thanks to NetGalley and St。 Martin’s Press for the advance read。 。。。more
Casey Wheeler
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This book is a billed as a biography of Daniel Boone and the opening of the original American northwest。 The book is intended for a wide audience and is written in that manner。 The chapters are short with some going into great detail and others not so much。 It is an enjoyable read as I have read many books by both authors and found them engaging and entertaining。 This book presents a good overview treatment of both the life of Daniel Boone and opening up the country west of the Appalachians。 The This book is a billed as a biography of Daniel Boone and the opening of the original American northwest。 The book is intended for a wide audience and is written in that manner。 The chapters are short with some going into great detail and others not so much。 It is an enjoyable read as I have read many books by both authors and found them engaging and entertaining。 This book presents a good overview treatment of both the life of Daniel Boone and opening up the country west of the Appalachians。 There are several others books that treat both subjects in greater detail for those that desire more than what the book presents。I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley， Goodreads， Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog。 I also posted it to my Facebook page。 。。。more
Carl Nelson
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Blood and Treasure: Daniel Boone and the Fight for America's First Frontier weaves a biography of legendary frontiersman Daniel Boone with the larger history of the expansion of American settlers beyond the Appalachians。 The folk hero's life， adventures， and personality are placed within the larger historical events。 Boone comes through as a man of skills， patience， a preference for peace， and the backbone to fight when necessary。 His role in blazing a trail through the Cumberland Gap into the r Blood and Treasure: Daniel Boone and the Fight for America's First Frontier weaves a biography of legendary frontiersman Daniel Boone with the larger history of the expansion of American settlers beyond the Appalachians。 The folk hero's life， adventures， and personality are placed within the larger historical events。 Boone comes through as a man of skills， patience， a preference for peace， and the backbone to fight when necessary。 His role in blazing a trail through the Cumberland Gap into the rich fields of Kentucky was pivotal in American history， and his ability to survive， improvise， and lead under adversity served him well on the frontier。 The text also admirably separates man from mythology。The savagery of fighting on the frontier is shocking， with torture， scalping， and wholesale murder occurring with regularity between both settlers and Indians。 The way the Indians were regarded and bargained with， only to have treaty after treaty broken when they became inconvenient， is heartbreaking， and Blood and Treasure does not shy away from this。 I felt one of the best-told parts of the book was the shifting interplay of politics， alliance， and enmity between settlers， colonial governments， Indian tribes and leaders， and the New World imperial aspirations of Great Britain and France。Authors Bob Drury and Tom Clavin's skillfully narrates the events in an extremely readable presentation。 This book was both a pleasure to read and an excellent insight into this chapter of American history。ARC kindly provided by NetGalley。 。。。more
Debra Pawlak
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I received an advance reading copy （arc） of this book from NetGalley。com in return for a fair review。 This book details the life of the legendary Daniel Boone。 As a boomer， when I think of Daniel Boone， Fess Parker and his coonskin cap immediately come to mind， along with a sense of great adventure。 In reality， Boone stood about 5 foot 8 and he didn't wear a coonskin cap， but the great adventure part certainly rings true。 Boone was， at heart， a long hunter， which meant he left home and lived for I received an advance reading copy （arc） of this book from NetGalley。com in return for a fair review。 This book details the life of the legendary Daniel Boone。 As a boomer， when I think of Daniel Boone， Fess Parker and his coonskin cap immediately come to mind， along with a sense of great adventure。 In reality， Boone stood about 5 foot 8 and he didn't wear a coonskin cap， but the great adventure part certainly rings true。 Boone was， at heart， a long hunter， which meant he left home and lived for months at a time in the wild scouting new areas and fur trapping when he wasn't shooting big game。 But this book isn't just about Boone although the story centers on him。 This book brings to life what it was like during the 1700s when settlers headed west at the same time George Washington was fighting the British。 Back then， 'west' was Kentucky where Boone eventually settled。 In between wrangling with Indians， （the term used in the book）， defending his territory， and keeping his family together and safe， Boone was a man of his word。 At times， he seemed fearless， and he had a knack for sensing trouble， but he always made shrewd decisions in the face of adversity。 You could almost hear the drums and war cries as the Indians and the white men fought over the land。 Both sides committed horrific atrocities that were hard to read about。 Authors Drury and Clavin did an excellent job researching these Indian wars and explaining what happened from both viewpoints。 My only complaint about this book was the very end。 Instead of telling us about Boone's death and burial， the authors penned a commentary about how the war between the Indians and the white men continue。 It seemed they used the book to make a political point instead of wrapping up Boone's amazing storyline。 That was the difference between four and five stars for me。 。。。more
R
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This was an extensively research book centering around the life and times of Daniel Boone but in the same sense it also involved those other prominent and lesser known figures that were part of this historic time period。 This included many Native Americans who fought to preserve their land and way of life。 When learning about this time period， we were only afforded a glimpse into the past。 However， with each chapter the authors provided in-depth accounts surrounding important events。 It almost f This was an extensively research book centering around the life and times of Daniel Boone but in the same sense it also involved those other prominent and lesser known figures that were part of this historic time period。 This included many Native Americans who fought to preserve their land and way of life。 When learning about this time period， we were only afforded a glimpse into the past。 However， with each chapter the authors provided in-depth accounts surrounding important events。 It almost felt like watching a historical mini series-with each chapter bringing these events to life。 Some of these detailed events were very heartbreakingly sad。 The title， Blood and Treasure， was aptly named。 An ARC was given for an honest review。 。。。more
PamG
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Blood and Treasure – Daniel Boone and the Fight for America’s First Frontier by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin is an extremely well written history and biography book。 While it covers Daniel Boone’s life， it also covers the history and events of the times and shows where they intersect。The author brought a strong sense of time and place to the people and events in the book。 It is not just a recitation of facts， but a story of the people and events。 It draws the reader into Daniel Boone’s world。 It Blood and Treasure – Daniel Boone and the Fight for America’s First Frontier by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin is an extremely well written history and biography book。 While it covers Daniel Boone’s life， it also covers the history and events of the times and shows where they intersect。The author brought a strong sense of time and place to the people and events in the book。 It is not just a recitation of facts， but a story of the people and events。 It draws the reader into Daniel Boone’s world。 It also doesn’t shy away from the grimmer aspects of life in the 1700’s and early 1800’s as well as some less than amazing aspects of Boone’s life。 He was definitely an extraordinary pioneer that was a capable leader， hunter， and fighter with a work ethic he got from observing his parents。 However， he was much more than this。 He was fascinated by Native American culture， weapons， clothing， jewelry， and medicines from an early age。 But he also struggled throughout his life with financial debt。 His marriage to Rebecca Bryan was also fascinating。 They both had to have a lot of patience and be slow to anger。The authors don’t shy away from the various wars that followed European immigrants coming to the New World。 These had a severe detrimental effect on Native Americans resulting in loss of homelands， loss of hunting grounds， starvation， disease， loss of life through war， and other adverse effects on their culture。 This is not the sanitized history and biography books that one often reads in school。 It also debunks some of the legends about Daniel Boone。 Men， women， and children were killed by the colonists， the British， the French， and the Native Americans; not just one or two of these。 This book doesn’t gloss over the negative aspects of life or human activities and the atrocities that occurred。 We need to learn what really occurred。 It was interesting to read about the intertribal dynamics and how they changed over time。 Additionally， communication and semantic misunderstandings often had grave consequences。 The book’s timeline includes the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War so the actions of several other famous people of the times are included。The prose was very readable and did not feel like so many dry nonfiction books。 The writing style kept me engaged throughout。 Overall， this book was well-written and well-researched。 I learned a lot and want to read more by these authors。 My only quibble is that there were no maps of the times included in the book。 However， I was able to find some applicable maps online。 Readers that like history and adventure may enjoy this book as much as I did。St。 Martin’s Press， Bob Drury and Tom Clavin provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley。 This is my honest review。 Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way。 Publication date is currently set for April 20， 2021。 。。。more
Dennis
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I would like to thank NetGalley and St。 Martin’s Press for providing me an ARC for this title。 As a long-time history student， I was interested in this book as soon as I heard of its upcoming publication。 I have read a lot of early American history books， but the only ones that make my bookshelf are the ones like BLOOD AND TREASURE。 First， what it is not: （1） It is NOT an elementary narrative of just Daniel Boone; （2） It is NOT a boring recitation of details and facts lacking any human elements; I would like to thank NetGalley and St。 Martin’s Press for providing me an ARC for this title。 As a long-time history student， I was interested in this book as soon as I heard of its upcoming publication。 I have read a lot of early American history books， but the only ones that make my bookshelf are the ones like BLOOD AND TREASURE。 First， what it is not: （1） It is NOT an elementary narrative of just Daniel Boone; （2） It is NOT a boring recitation of details and facts lacking any human elements; and （3） It is NOT 1，000 pages long。 Second， what it is: （1） It IS a “man and his times” story， allowing the reader to know what was happening politically & culturally before， during， and after each of Boone’s adventures; （2） It IS a great story that captures the reader in Boone’s world; and it IS only a little over 400 pages， including notes and bibliography。 The only criticism that I have is related to the scarcity of relevant maps。 Any book that covers a large area and continually involves battles and troop movements should provide a framework of geographical reference。 This increases the sense of reality to the narrative， and relates it to the cities， hills， valleys， and paths still surviving today。There is no doubt that Daniel Boone was an extraordinary pioneer in a very dangerous age。 He was a great leader， adventurer， fighter， and hero to many people in the swiftly growing western expansion of the late 1700s。 Blood and Treasure is exactly the type of book he deserves。 It is also the kind of book all of us （both amateur and professional historians） can enjoy and keep on our shelves to share with others。 。。。more
Rachel
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Blood and Treasure by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin is an awesome book that delves into the history of Daniel Boone， the expansion into the lands of the western frontier， the beginnings of the Revolutionary War， and so much more。 It was gripping from beginning to end。I know this is a nonfiction book， however the smooth way that the prose was written and how well the narrative unfolded at times made it all seem so exciting and flawless as if I was reading a fictional account。 I learned so much more ab Blood and Treasure by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin is an awesome book that delves into the history of Daniel Boone， the expansion into the lands of the western frontier， the beginnings of the Revolutionary War， and so much more。 It was gripping from beginning to end。I know this is a nonfiction book， however the smooth way that the prose was written and how well the narrative unfolded at times made it all seem so exciting and flawless as if I was reading a fictional account。 I learned so much more about Daniel， different viewpoints from the colonists， the Native Americans， British citizens， and events that are a part of our American history that I truly could not appreciate when it was first presented to me in middle school。 Now as an adult， I see and understand things differently。 Is our past as a nation unblemished and perfect？ Nope。 We were flawed in many ways， and definitely were in the wrong in several ways on our quest for our own independence and should have done many things differently， but that isn’t what happened。 We need to learn what really occurred， why， what was right and wrong despite the century differences， and how we can modify things for the future （if applicable）。 I really enjoyed learning so much more about Daniel Boone then I could have ever imagined。 He is a fascinating and complex figure that is an integral part of our nation’s history。5/5 stars Thank you NG and St。 Martin’s Press for this arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion。I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon， Instagram， and B&N accounts upon publication on 4/20/21。 。。。more
James
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Blood and Treasure is an account of Daniel Boone's life。 It discusses the development of the wilds of Kentucky， Virginia and Tennessee。 It is essentially a romanticized whitewashing of the Native American genocide。 Blood and Treasure is an account of Daniel Boone's life。 It discusses the development of the wilds of Kentucky， Virginia and Tennessee。 It is essentially a romanticized whitewashing of the Native American genocide。 。。。more
James
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