Frontier House (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Ursula Smith (Creator), Linda Peavy (Contributor) "If you were told that an artist had devised this place, you'd believe it..." (more)
Key Phrases: Frontier Valley, Montana Territory, Boulder Valley (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Go west with PBS in this behind-the-scenes look at the television series that sent modern-day Americans "back in time" to the harsh frontier of 1880s Montana.

Frontier House

America's period of westward expansion has long captured the imagination of history buffs and adventurous spirits; the era seems to embody the very daring enterprise that made America what it is today. As a result, frontier life has often been romanticized in television and film. But all of that changed with PBS's Frontier House.

Bringing the trials and triumphs of nineteenth-century homesteaders to life in a way we might never have imagined, Frontier House re-creates life in the wilderness for three households of spirited twenty-first-century Americans and documents their six-month experience for television.

Roughing it on their allotted plots of land while all of America watches, these brave souls relinquish grocery stores, microwaves, and plumbing in favor of raising chickens, churning butter, and outhouses. Gone are all the modern amenities they're accustomed to. In their place: just the will to do whatever it takes to survive.

Covering the inception of the show, the historical basis for the lifestyle re-created, the selection of the participants, the logistical challenges of production, and the impact of this experiment on the participants -- along with profiles of actual nineteenth-century homesteaders -- Frontier House is a first-rate companion to one of the most innovative and fascinating reality shows of our time.

About the Author

Simon Shaw is the series producer of Frontier House. He has spent more than twenty years as a television and radio producer for such prestigious organizations as the BBC. In 1999 Shaw joined Wall To Wall, under the leadership of Managing Director Alex Graham, one of the United Kingdom's leading independent producers of quality factual programming and drama. There Shaw had a unique opportunity to immerse himself in a lifelong fascination: trying to understand the everyday experiences of life in the past. First up was the award-winning television series 1900 House, in which a British family spent three months enduring the ups and downs of life in a Victorian home. After taking on World War II in The 1940s House, Shaw was thrilled to explore the settlement of the American West for public television. The experience left him with a deeper love of beautiful scenery but an even greater appreciation of modern life's luxuries.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Atria (May 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743442709
• ISBN-13: 978-0743442701
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #302,819 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As Good If Not Better Than The Series, May 17, 2002

By	K. Giorlando "amateur social historian" (Eastpointe, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews

This book is proof positive why movies will NEVER replace the written word.
There were six of us who, together, watched this PBS television series about seeing if three modern day families could survive being Montana homesteaders in 1883. They had to dress from the period, use tools and medicine from the period, and eat the types of foods available for the time of year (summer) that they were living in (not like today where we can eat any vegetable any time of year). We were all hooked and couldn't wait 'til the next episodes. After each of the three nights it was shown, we would have these great discussions about what we saw, and offered our own opinions about each family and how well (or how poorly) they were doing compared to the others. But we had questions - a lot of them. Questions like, did they really drink the water from the stream? After all, you don't know what bacteria and year 2001 pollutants could be in it. Also, how different were their lives in comparison to the actual homesteaders of the 19th century? These questions and many others we would answer with our own opinions instead of the facts.
Well, now we have the facts. This book has more than answered all of our questions. We also got to know each family a little better and realized that the TV series didn't do each family justice (except the Brooks family). There was so much more that happened than was shown that they could have (SHOULD have) made the series at least two hours longer! There is MUCH more detail, and many more explanations in this book that it acually brought the whole experiment to life more vividly than watching the show! It even gives a rather enjoyably well written history of the REAL homesteaders and tells what their lives were actually like.
If you enjoyed the series (and didn't get enough of it), this book is just what you need. It is written in a lively 'I can't put this down!' manner. Highly recommended!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great! Now is there anymore?, January 21, 2003

By	Theresa Mcdonald "Terri McDonald" (new orleans) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I didn't think I could love anything more than watching the Frontier House series on PBS. I am pleased to report that I loved this book even more. I don't think it would be a great read for someone who hasn't seen the series, but for those of us who have and loved it this is a must have companion.

The book intertwines facts about and stories of real life settlers on the Frontier with the stories of the Frontier House families, the Clunes, the Brooks, and the Glenns. It gave more indepth information about the selection process these families went through to be chosen for the show, the training they received and some of the questionable behavior they displayed while on the frontier. My absolute favorite parts where where they catalouged all of the clothing Nate Brooks was given to survive the winter as well as what rations of food the Clunes were given to last them the first five weeks of the experiment until they could get to the general store. My only complaint is that I wish they would have included this kind of information on each and every one of the participants. It may seem like minutae to some, but I loved every minute I spent with this book and have to say it was my favorite Christmas present I recieved in 2002.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you liked the show, get the book!, May 9, 2002

By	Cassandra Lm Toth "clmtoth" (Terre Haute, Indiana USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I saw the show and had numerous questions and a desire to
find out more about the families and the details of the
project. This book answers nearly all of the questions
and gives considerably more detail. It also portrays
the families and individuals in a more sympathetic and
realistic light. The photos and layout of the book are
a pleasure, it is worth the price!