What do you think?
Rate this book
Heroes of History #9
Daniel Boone: Frontiersman
In search of open spaces and land to call his own, Daniel Boone fearlessly led a band of brave settlers into the bountiful Kentucky wilderness. Daniel's expert hunting ability, incredible outdoor survival skills, and courage under fire helped his companions stay alive in a dangerous and unknown land despite threatening encounters with soldiers, Indians, and even other settlers.
From the childish pranks of his youth to his daring feats as a pioneer, Daniel Boone's lifelong quest for adventure made him a spirited leader. His heroic accomplishments on the frontier made him an American legend for all time (1734-1820).
From the childish pranks of his youth to his daring feats as a pioneer, Daniel Boone's lifelong quest for adventure made him a spirited leader. His heroic accomplishments on the frontier made him an American legend for all time (1734-1820).
224 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2004
10 people are currently reading
231 people want to read
About the author
Janet Benge
175 books307 followersJanet and Geoff Benge are a husband and wife writing team with twenty years of writing experience. They are best known for the books in the two series Christian Heroes: Then & Now series and Heroes of History. Janet is a former elementary school teacher. Geoff holds a degree in history. Together they have a passion to make history come alive for a new generation. Originally from New Zealand, the Benges make their home in the Orlando, Florida, area.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
December 22, 2024
An American folk hero, Daniel Boone was a woodsman and early pioneer in Kentucky. He established an early settlement called Boonesboro along the Kentucky River. He survived many fights with Cherokee Indians. By 1800, over 200,000 settlers followed the trail he made easier into Kentucky. He lived to the ripe old age of 85, and died in 1820. A heroes of history series by Janet Benge.
September 18, 2024
Look, I'm a girl, OK? Because I read this and thought Daniel Boone was an idiot who could have avoided half the troubles he ran into. Yeah, that's probably what made him the legend he became, but maybe one can achieve great things a little more wisely? 🤷♀️
November 17, 2021
A good, simple book on the life and history of Daniel Boone. Interesting to read about the lives of those early pioneers in the beginning of America days. Talk about a pretty difficult and brutal way of life. Makes you appreciate all of the modern day amenities that we are so used to.
August 17, 2024
Such an amazing man! Wow! What a time to be alive!
March 25, 2019
I love the books the Benges have written. Each one is special in its own way, but my favorite ones are the ones that show the way the main person the book lived their lives—I’ve come across one or two biographies by them that seemed to just tell the story, but some are good at taking you there, as well.
Daniel Boone: Frontiersman was one of them. We got to listen to it while on a trip, and several times when my mom had to talk to my brother, she had to call his name multiple times in order to get his attention! That’s the mark of a well-written story.
Daniel Boone lived a very adventurous life, always wanting to go explore or experience something new. He rarely became content with a place, because the regions beyond always called to him, and throughout his life he always was moving on to something new and exciting, which his patient wife then had to turn into a semblance of home.
I feel like this biography captured Daniel Boone’s life pretty well. Of course, there are always things that may be missed—but I learned a lot of little facts about him that I haven’t picked up elsewhere, and the story was interesting enough that it is easier to remember than other similar books that I have read.
Note: This book may not be for younger readers under the age of 10 or so. There is some violence, as wars are described and there is some fighting with Indians.
Daniel Boone: Frontiersman was one of them. We got to listen to it while on a trip, and several times when my mom had to talk to my brother, she had to call his name multiple times in order to get his attention! That’s the mark of a well-written story.
Daniel Boone lived a very adventurous life, always wanting to go explore or experience something new. He rarely became content with a place, because the regions beyond always called to him, and throughout his life he always was moving on to something new and exciting, which his patient wife then had to turn into a semblance of home.
I feel like this biography captured Daniel Boone’s life pretty well. Of course, there are always things that may be missed—but I learned a lot of little facts about him that I haven’t picked up elsewhere, and the story was interesting enough that it is easier to remember than other similar books that I have read.
Note: This book may not be for younger readers under the age of 10 or so. There is some violence, as wars are described and there is some fighting with Indians.
January 31, 2022
This was really good. Daniel Boone is a cool character, and it is remarkable to see how his legend grew and he became an American Icon. The things he did, the adventures he had were awesome. He didn't want to fight Indians, actually had a relationship with his adoptive Native American father, and really just wanted to be left alone in the wilderness.
He was happy in the frontier and made himself successful simply through hard work. It was very neat.
It was a little dry for my little guys, they just didn't quite understand and it was hard to keep their attention. It is also a long read-aloud. It just felt like it took a long time for us to get through it. The others we've read in this series were fun, fast, and exciting reads, this just never seemed to reach those heights. I think it was because Daniel's story was pretty tame in comparison. He wasn't working for the Lord, so it ended up being mostly shallow successes without a greater purpose being served.
Still, this was well written and gave a great biography of Daniel Boone.
He was happy in the frontier and made himself successful simply through hard work. It was very neat.
It was a little dry for my little guys, they just didn't quite understand and it was hard to keep their attention. It is also a long read-aloud. It just felt like it took a long time for us to get through it. The others we've read in this series were fun, fast, and exciting reads, this just never seemed to reach those heights. I think it was because Daniel's story was pretty tame in comparison. He wasn't working for the Lord, so it ended up being mostly shallow successes without a greater purpose being served.
Still, this was well written and gave a great biography of Daniel Boone.
March 8, 2021
Listened to this audible with my 8 year old son and 10 year old daughter. Here are their thoughts.
“He was very much a legend. He was very brave. I would describe him as fearless in the face of danger. Daniel Boone is very adventurous and loved the outdoors. He has a very big family and loves to have people around him. He likes to be the leader.”
“Be warned that there are a lot of intense parts. There are a lot of fighting with the Indians. There are also a lot of great parts in the book.”
“Daniel Boone had a pretty hard life. His story taught me to stay calm in times of danger and to act quickly.”
“He was very much a legend. He was very brave. I would describe him as fearless in the face of danger. Daniel Boone is very adventurous and loved the outdoors. He has a very big family and loves to have people around him. He likes to be the leader.”
“Be warned that there are a lot of intense parts. There are a lot of fighting with the Indians. There are also a lot of great parts in the book.”
“Daniel Boone had a pretty hard life. His story taught me to stay calm in times of danger and to act quickly.”
March 27, 2019
We read this aloud as we have others in the series and this one was by far the most violent. I had no idea the violence on the frontier and it really opened my eyes to that and they way the French and English both pitted Native Americans against each other.
The author used Indian to refer to Native Americans and that bugs me cause we live in India with Indians and they aren’t the same. I just substituted in Native American as I read aloud but I do wish that would be addressed.
The author used Indian to refer to Native Americans and that bugs me cause we live in India with Indians and they aren’t the same. I just substituted in Native American as I read aloud but I do wish that would be addressed.
October 4, 2022
This was a fascinating story and history lesson about the great hunter and explorer, Daniel Boone. It gave interesting insight into what life was like in the 1700s. It made me grateful that I wasn't born in that time, and also grateful for how hard our forefathers worked to pave an easier road for the rest of us! I recommend this to families taking a road trip. Great for boys or any kids passionate about adventure - ages 10 and up.
February 11, 2023
3.5 stars.
I grew up admiring Daniel Boone and Davy Crocket. Walt Disney made both these frontiersmen come alive on the TV screen. I appreciated the honesty and factual details of this short biography of the pioneer. The early move toward the west via Kentucky and Ohio involved dangerous times, conflicts with the British, the French, and the Native American tribes.
I grew up admiring Daniel Boone and Davy Crocket. Walt Disney made both these frontiersmen come alive on the TV screen. I appreciated the honesty and factual details of this short biography of the pioneer. The early move toward the west via Kentucky and Ohio involved dangerous times, conflicts with the British, the French, and the Native American tribes.
January 19, 2024
As someone who has never enjoyed studying history, this book is a game changer. This story held my attention from start to finish. It makes you extra thankful for the safety we're able to provide our families, and for the conveniences of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Our freedom isn't free.
A brave, intelligent fighter and peacemaker. I learned so much!
Our freedom isn't free.
A brave, intelligent fighter and peacemaker. I learned so much!
October 11, 2024
Very thorough biography of Daniel Boone. Plenty of excitement. I was only disappointed that no credit was given to the Lord for all His help, understanding that Daniel didn't serve Him for most of his life, "nature helping" them win a siege was a disappointing way of telling those parts if the story that were clearly God's providence. I expected more from a Christian publisher.
February 8, 2021
This was part of our homeschool unit on Daniel Boone. It’s fairly prolific and very informative. Sometimes it was a bit dry, and others times it was too graphic (for my boys) in its descriptions of skirmishes with the Indians. Overall, I think it was a great resource, and I learned a ton.
September 17, 2024
We learned a ton about frontier life in this book. Daniel Boone's life is fascinating and crazy and heart wrenching. We all decided we are very grateful to not have to live in that time period. This book was great!
June 26, 2017
Daniel Boon moved A LOT!He moved from Virginia to Kentucky for land.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 9, 2018
Boring. So boring.
January 30, 2022
Just too gruesome for me. Very sad. Shows well how their were good and bad of whites and native Americans. 13+
June 25, 2022
Enjoyed learning about the life of this man. Interesting fact, Daniel never wore a coin skin cap, he disliked them.
September 22, 2022
Loved the details about the end of his life! So much I didn’t know about this man—glad to learn.
September 27, 2025
First five star review I’ve given in a long time. What an incredible, brave man, and what a life he lived. My kids kept begging me to “read one more chapter”. They loved it
February 16, 2025
Great summary of Daniel Boone’s life. It doesn’t make me like him very much, but I learned a lot.
September 2, 2020
Unsure about marriage to 5'3 Rebecca, he cut her favorite apron while they were eating pie 🥧 to see how she would respond. She did not fly into a rage, but maintained calm and a gentle spirit.
After that Daniel knew she was the chosen one, married her at 17 and had 10 children together.
Once in a war, where Daniel Boones daughter was kidnapped, he tracked the Indians for several days and ended up killing an Indian chieftains son and rescued his daughter.
When Daniel Boone was captured, instead of killing and revenge, the chieftain would adopt the frontiersman to take the place of his dead son.
The culture was different back then as Daniel Boone, owned a slave and conducted the marriage of his son to a 14 year old girl.
The frontiersman would tell stories to his grandchildren, "While it may have been necessary to fight them. I am very sorry that I ever killed a Shawnee. They have been kinder to me and kept their word more often then the white people I know."
After that Daniel knew she was the chosen one, married her at 17 and had 10 children together.
Once in a war, where Daniel Boones daughter was kidnapped, he tracked the Indians for several days and ended up killing an Indian chieftains son and rescued his daughter.
When Daniel Boone was captured, instead of killing and revenge, the chieftain would adopt the frontiersman to take the place of his dead son.
The culture was different back then as Daniel Boone, owned a slave and conducted the marriage of his son to a 14 year old girl.
The frontiersman would tell stories to his grandchildren, "While it may have been necessary to fight them. I am very sorry that I ever killed a Shawnee. They have been kinder to me and kept their word more often then the white people I know."
April 15, 2020
After hearing numerous references to Daniel Boone, and admittingly lacking much knowledge of anything about him or what he did, I wanted to learn something about one of the first "American Heroes", as he has been labeled.
I am so glad I did. I really enjoyed this glimpse into Daniel Boone's life.
What dark times humanity lived in back in those days. Native American Tribes scalping "the white man" or also known as "wide mouths" while they are still alive. Coming into the night and stealing supplies, capturing settlers and torturing them.
Of course, both parties committed a lot of wrong. Peaceful Native American's that wanted to co-exist with the settlers were betrayed, and some of the settlers even returning the favor of previous encounters... by scalping Native American women.
To even further darken this era, was human slavery taking place, the french in the background supplying the Native American's with weapons and even buying the scalps of the settlers.
We truly live in a different era now, it is really incredible. I heard a woman at work yesterday expressing her frustration with her dish-washing home appliance not drying off her dishes. "I mean, it cleans them good... but they come out wet, even if I set it to dry mode! This is ridiculous. I am calling the manufacturer." Mean while....... Daniel Boone is barricaded in his fort while 400-500 Native American's have them surrounded and they are starting to dig, aka tunnel their way under the walls. I couldn't help but laugh at how much times have changed.
Again, I really enjoyed this book and imagining what it would be like to live life back in those days. Also a fun bonus to this book is a lot of talk about hunting buffalo, bear, deer, etc., which being a hobby of mine also of course makes the book at much more enjoyable to read.
If you don't know anything about Daniel Boone, the things that took place with the settlers and the Native American's, or want a little bit of history mixed with a little bit of hunting... I highly recommend this book.
I am so glad I did. I really enjoyed this glimpse into Daniel Boone's life.
What dark times humanity lived in back in those days. Native American Tribes scalping "the white man" or also known as "wide mouths" while they are still alive. Coming into the night and stealing supplies, capturing settlers and torturing them.
Of course, both parties committed a lot of wrong. Peaceful Native American's that wanted to co-exist with the settlers were betrayed, and some of the settlers even returning the favor of previous encounters... by scalping Native American women.
To even further darken this era, was human slavery taking place, the french in the background supplying the Native American's with weapons and even buying the scalps of the settlers.
We truly live in a different era now, it is really incredible. I heard a woman at work yesterday expressing her frustration with her dish-washing home appliance not drying off her dishes. "I mean, it cleans them good... but they come out wet, even if I set it to dry mode! This is ridiculous. I am calling the manufacturer." Mean while....... Daniel Boone is barricaded in his fort while 400-500 Native American's have them surrounded and they are starting to dig, aka tunnel their way under the walls. I couldn't help but laugh at how much times have changed.
Again, I really enjoyed this book and imagining what it would be like to live life back in those days. Also a fun bonus to this book is a lot of talk about hunting buffalo, bear, deer, etc., which being a hobby of mine also of course makes the book at much more enjoyable to read.
If you don't know anything about Daniel Boone, the things that took place with the settlers and the Native American's, or want a little bit of history mixed with a little bit of hunting... I highly recommend this book.
February 26, 2017
Do you want adventure? Daniel Boone had a wonderful wife, and many children. He loved trapping and exploring, and wound up fighting a lot of indians. He saw adventure and sorrow, but lived to a ripe old age. He did NOT fight in the Alamo. Excellent read. All boys should read or be read this book.
May 3, 2013
We read this as part of our homeschool curriculum. This book was a fantastic way for the kids to learn about frontier life. I especially liked the portrayal of the settlers' relationships with the Indians - you could see the struggle on both sides. Sometimes the Indians' actions were portrayed positively and sometimes negatively - but the same went for the white men. Of course, the story was written mostly from the settlers' perspective, but you often saw the positive aspects of the Indians, just as Daniel Boone did. I think the book gave a pretty realistic view of what it was like to live in those times in the frontier.
December 28, 2016
Was really an interesting read for me. We love the outdoors and those who love living in it, and this book put us in the risky decisions and in the events of his life. It was a way to put some places we have personally visited in Kentucky in greater light. I like the way the story uses facts in the dramatic form
March 20, 2013
Daniel has to protect the colonists in Kentucky. The Indians lay siege to their fort. The colonists win! Jemina and some other girls get kidnapped by some Indians! Daniel and some other men rescue them, fortunately!!
April 16, 2024
I read this aloud to my boys(ages 8 to 12). It was full of adventure and quite graphic at points. My boys claimed that Daniel Boone was their absolute favorite read aloud this year. He was indeed a tough dude.
March 13, 2014
Just read this with my girls. We really enjoyed learning about Daniel Boone!
November 18, 2023
Kind of boring. Not much mention God.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews