Frontier Living: An Illustrated Guide to Pioneer Life in America [Paperback]

Edwin Tunis (Author)

Book Description

With more than 200 illustrations by the author.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Frontier Living brings to light every significant aspect of daily life on the American frontier, with vivid text and more than 200 wonderful drawings. Immerse yourself in the character and culture of the men and women who stood at the harsh cutting-edge of our civilization: their dwellings, clothing, food, furniture, household articles; their hunting, farming, schooling, transportation, government; their amusements, superstitions, and religion.In Frontier Living the reader finds the forest frontiersman in his log cabin, the ranchero in his casa, the sodbuster in his prairie sod house. Here is the keel-boatman, the cotton farmer, the fur trader, the mountain man, the forty-niner, the cowhand - each helping to shape a new and distinctive way from untamed country. The flintlock gun, the Kentucky rifle, the freight and Conestoga wagons, the stagecoach, the Ohio flatboat, the first steamboat and steam railroad, are all reconstructed here in exact detail.This informative, authentic re-creation of the American frontier, seen in relation to its historic perspective, offers a major contribution toward an understanding of the American character. (8 1/2 X 11, 168 pages, maps, illustrations)

About the Author

EDWIN TUNIS has a distinguished reputation as an artist, illustrator, and muralist. He is also the author of several books on American history, including Colonial Living, which won the Thomas A. Edison Award, as well as Oars, Sails and Steam, Wheels, and The Young United States: 1783-1830.

Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: The Lyons Press; 1st edition (August 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 158574137X
• ISBN-13: 978-1585741373
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #175,022 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Indispensable for adults as well as young readers, January 17, 2003

By 

Chrijeff (Scranton, PA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Frontier Living: An Illustrated Guide to Pioneer Life in America (Paperback)

The subtitle says it all: "An Illustrated Guide to Pioneer Life in America, Including Log Cabins, Furniture, Tools, Clothing, and More." From about 1725 to the closing of the frontier, Tunis examines dozens of aspects of American frontier life in this sequel to his "Colonial Living," and even touches on history (the little-known Black Hawk War, the Santa Fe trade, etc.). His clear, detailed pen-and-ink sketches provide a perfect visual accompaniment to written commentary. (Check out the household articles on pp. 24-5, the tub mill on p. 40, the spinning wheels and loom on pp. 46-8, and--my favorite--the elementary prairie well-drilling rig on p. 157, to take just a few examples.) As is often the case with juvenile social histories, he manages to touch on things you don't learn in books written for an adult audience, so the volume should be useful to researchers of every age. My one complaint is the positioning of the page numbers, which are buried in the crack of the binding! This is a book I was delighted to add to my collection, and I recommend it to everyone who has an interest in pre-1900 America.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully Illustrated Tale of Westward Expansion, May 24, 2008

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Marco Antonio Abarca (Colorado) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Frontier Living: An Illustrated Guide to Pioneer Life in America (Paperback)

In "Frontier Living", Edwin Tunis follows out country's century long westward expansion from the Eastern Seaboard, over the Appalachian Mountains, into the Midwest and South and finally across the Missisippi River to the West Coast. Tunis' focus is not on dates and famous leaders but on the lives of ordinary pioneers. What makes this book so special are Edward Tunis' msterful pen and ink illustrations. He was one of the master illustrators of the Twentieth Century. Tunis' drawings of such ingenious things as flutter-wheel sawmills, bullboats and tree stump pulling equipment are absolutely fascinating. For those who love books that focus on material culture, be sure to check out eh works of Eric Sloane, another master illustrator. Highly recommended.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Nice art, sketchy history, April 15, 2011

By 

Linda Magleby - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Frontier Living: An Illustrated Guide to Pioneer Life in America (Paperback)

The art work is beautiful, but as an overview of history this book falls short. There are no sources cited and some of the "facts" are less than factual. I am surpirised it got a Newbery Honor award.