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383rd out of 673 books
—
707 voters
Diary of an Early American Boy
by
Eric Sloane
Part the diary of Noah Blake, who was 15 in 1805, and part a re-creation of the life that a boy in his circumstances would have lived, this book is a loving tribute to a vanished way of life. Profusely illustrated, it will give its readers a sense of participation in the past that is all too rare in conventional histories.
Paperback, 128 pages
Published
January 12th 1975
by Ballantine Books
(first published 1958)
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Apr 29, 2008
Noran Miss Pumkin
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
young of age and spirit
Recommended to Noran by:
my husband
Shelves:
favoritve-of-my-live
THIS BOOK GOT ME MARRIED! I KID YOU NOT!!! When i met my husband, he read only tech manuals, never anything for personal enjoyment/pleasure. I started to introduce him to art, ethnic foods, and real books--fun reads. One day in a bookstore, on a hunt for new finds, he stumbled upon this book--this edition in leather though. He bought it because it was about a boy from another century, and how he kept an illustrated journal about how he and his father built stuff. I mean barns, bridges, and the l...more
Apr 29, 2008
Michael Warot
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone intersted in science or history
Recommended to Michael by:
Noran
Shelves:
stuff-i-read-a-while-ago
This book portrays life in the early United States from the perspective of a boy coming of age. The knowledge and ingenuity of our ancestors is sadly underestimated by all of us. They knew far more about things that most of us learn in our lifetimes.
Intertwined is the story of a romance... a romance so innocent and profound it moved me to tears, and made me realized that I needed to propose to Noran.
While you probably won't be proposing because of this book... you can definitely learn a lot abou...more
Intertwined is the story of a romance... a romance so innocent and profound it moved me to tears, and made me realized that I needed to propose to Noran.
While you probably won't be proposing because of this book... you can definitely learn a lot abou...more
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This is a real gem of a book. It's only a slim volume - just a shade over 100 pages - but this is history speaking. The book is exactly what it says on the cover - a diary of an early American boy. Sloane stumbled upon an old diary, written by a boy called Noah Blake in 1805. He then wrote the book around the diary, many extracts of which are included as part of the book. It's the story of a teenage boy working on his father's New England farm while falling in love with a girl from a neighbourin...more
Phenomenal. I read this to my 4th grade daughter, maybe 5-8 pages per day, and we both loved it. Sloane is a master both of Americana-style line drawing and of succinct, crystal-clear explanations. The reader not only gains a strong sense of early American rural life but also benefits from a virtual primer of basic mechanical concepts. We were truly sad to see this one end. A must-read for fans of Little House, woodcraft in general, and those quirky Alone in the Wilderness videos popularized by...more
The author found a young man's journal from 1805. It's about daily life and quite a lot to learn. The author gives information regarding some of the more obscure items that perhaps only serious antique collectors would know what they are or perhaps farmers.
We learned about the plumbing of a door based on the lead plumb, which my ds connected to the element of lead being pb.
We learned that it was easier for the settlers to travel during the snowy months than the summer months due to the roads....more
We learned about the plumbing of a door based on the lead plumb, which my ds connected to the element of lead being pb.
We learned that it was easier for the settlers to travel during the snowy months than the summer months due to the roads....more
I came across Eric Sloane's books when I was a teenage wanna-be author researching a book set in early America. Well, reading through Sloane's books I enjoyed the research so much I never actually got around to writing the story. His books are wonderful descriptions of everyday life in this young country, and his penciled illustrations are absolutely wonderful and informative. I collect all his books now, and pick them up when I find them.
I was at the library looking for gardening books and this book was shelved with them. (I'm not sure why!) The author had found an old diary of a young boy named Noah Blake who was 15 in 1805. Using the diary the author embellished the story and turned it into this book. The book was okay, interesting in the description of building techniques from the era but Sloane ended the story very abruptly. It was an okay read but I would have liked more.
Nice drawings of a farmstead for my art project. This book reveals the mind of a real fifteen year old boy in 1805, a certain Noah Blake. I recommend that if you have a 15 years old boy, you have them read this to see how the context of their lives have changed. The story's a bit corny but...what the heck....corn was the dominant crop.
Amazing book! I have read this perhaps a dozen times and love it every time. The diary is an actual history of the life of a young boy on a farm in America. Complete with excellent drawings, descriptions of life, work, and play. This is a tremendous picture of life in early America. Classic. A must read.
The narrative of this book is totally outdated and cheesy. The concept is fantastic. Although this mostly focuses on men's work and the early American tools, I was starving to hear more about women's lives and work during the turn of the century. Not my favorite, but interesting nonetheless.
An eighteen year old boy tells in one or two lines per day the events of life in the early 1800's. The author adds commentary and explanations for the entries as well as beautiful black and white inked drawings. I enjoyed this book because it explained so many things and showed the lost wisdom of our ancestors. There is a little romance in the book, but it's very subtle. This book would be interesting for anyone who enjoys working with their hands in wood or metal. It shows some of the interesti...more
Sloane found the diary of Noah Blake, a boy who wrote it when he was 15 years old in 1805. The actual journal entries are brief, but Sloane discusses what they mean in a very readable format that fleshes out the life of this farm boy, his family, friends & the area in an amazingly thorough way given how short the book is. Even better, Sloane's amazing ink sketches convey thousands of words each starting with a map of the farm over a decade or so. Any place an image might speak better than wo...more
Part the diary of Noah Blake, who was 15 in 1805, and part a re-creation of the life that a boy in his circumstances would have lived, this book is a loving tribute to a vanished way of life. Profusely illustrated, it will give its readers a sense of participation in the past that is all too rare in conventional histories.
The actual diary portion is valuable and there's some good information, but I didn't really like the fictionalized events written around the actual journal entries.
Magical stuff, if you hanker for the simplicity of a "storybook" colonial life. One of those "sends me back" books that can be reread in an hour or so.
Great living history book for remembering the colonial days. Lots of illustrations and descriptions of how things used to be done.
Based on the found diary of 15-year-old Noah Blake from 1805 New England, Eric Sloane explains and elaborates on Noah's charming entries and the customs, words and activities of the time. With descriptions of probable encounters and his (as always) gorgeous pen-and-ink illustrations, Sloane takes us through the building of a timber bridge and mill, various fences and tools, mazes and games, "cyder" mills, ladders and rocking chairs, among much else. The deep knowledge, craftsmanship and hard wor...more
Beautiful treasure of a book. Written in ~1958 but still in publication today.
Instantly one of my favorites. Most enjoyed book in a long time.
I loved reading about the way that this young man worked and lived.
Reading this with Isabella. Interesting and educational.
Amazing things...the lost art of living and craftsmanship.
Nice upper elementary reading.
May 15, 2013
Li Bi
added it
I like it
A wonderful exploration of colonial American life with gorgeous illustrations of forgotten practices and a simple, sweet narrative that kept me interested until the final page. This book is targeted somewhere halfway between children and adults and it's perfectly enjoyable for both groups. Eric Sloane is one of the half dozen authors I search for whenever I visit a used bookstore.
I have my students at the University read this book. Based on a diary the author found, Eric Sloane builds a story of the day to day life of a young boy in colonial America. It will change your perceptions about technology and life in these early times.
A fascinating and inspiring small book. Makes you want to pick up some wood and do something creative (if only we knew such skills today). Delightful illustrations too!
Was interesting to see how Noah lived.
Instructive and artful. This book captures the imagination and harsh realities of early American life through simple and compelling sketches and narration.
Great book! I loved the illustrations and learned a ton about 1805.
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Eric Sloane (born Everard Jean Hinrichs) was an American landscape painter and author of illustrated works of cultural history and folklore. He is considered a member of the Hudson River School of painting.
Eric Sloane was born in New York City. As a child, he was a neighbor of noted sign painter and type designer Frederick W. Goudy. Sloane studied art and lettering with Goudy. While he attended th...more
More about Eric Sloane...
Eric Sloane was born in New York City. As a child, he was a neighbor of noted sign painter and type designer Frederick W. Goudy. Sloane studied art and lettering with Goudy. While he attended th...more
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