What do you think?
Rate this book
The Great Camel Experiment of the Old West
In the mid-1800s, the United States needed a better way to protect the great flood of immigrants, pioneers, and settlers headed west along the southern route from Indian attacks, thieves, and murderers. Sending more cavalry wasn’t the answer. The land known as the great American Desert was inhospitable to horses and mules. Only one animal “stood the test” in the southwest, and it wasn’t a horse. The Great Camel Experiment of the Old West chronicles the journey of that noble beast from the Middle East to the deserts of the American Southwest.
ebook
First published August 5, 2015
261 people want to read
About the author
Sherry Alexander
7 books16 followersAdmittedly obsessed with American and Native American history, Sherry Alexander comes by it honestly. Her ancestors were pioneers who traveled west in hopes of making a new life, and she was fascinated by the stories of their lives on the frontier.
“As a kid, I wanted to be a pioneer, so reading books was the last thing on my mind. Instead, I lead my siblings and cousins on great adventures into the forests of Scappoose, Oregon, hunted and fished with my brother, and dreamed of forging new trails to an unknown land.”
Sherry is also not one to take a dare lightly. She started writing on a dare, and her first book, published in 1987, was the result of that dare. Recently retired, Sherry now spends her days writing children’s articles and books, homeschooling her 10 year old granddaughter—a job she says is the best part about being a grandmother, sharing her new found love of books with her family and friends, and enjoying life with her husband on their ten forested acres in Southwest Washington.
Visit her website to learn more. www.sherryalexanderwrites.com
“As a kid, I wanted to be a pioneer, so reading books was the last thing on my mind. Instead, I lead my siblings and cousins on great adventures into the forests of Scappoose, Oregon, hunted and fished with my brother, and dreamed of forging new trails to an unknown land.”
Sherry is also not one to take a dare lightly. She started writing on a dare, and her first book, published in 1987, was the result of that dare. Recently retired, Sherry now spends her days writing children’s articles and books, homeschooling her 10 year old granddaughter—a job she says is the best part about being a grandmother, sharing her new found love of books with her family and friends, and enjoying life with her husband on their ten forested acres in Southwest Washington.
Visit her website to learn more. www.sherryalexanderwrites.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 28, 2016
Synopsis- The Great Camel Experiment was an experiment conducted by the US Secretary of War, Jefferson Davis (before he became President of the Confederacy) to see if they could find a mount for transport in the West Coast area, as horses and mules kept dying from exhaustion and dehydration. The book chronicles how they thought of the idea of using camels, how they received the camels, and what they did with the camels. It is an informative book about one of the more obscure times in American history.
What I Thought- This was a good nonfiction book about a little known event in American history. I knew nothing about this experiment, and I learned a lot about the movement to get camels working to help settle the Old West. I think kids will enjoy learning about the experiment and the book could be used as a resource for history classes. There are pictures in the book (B&W in paperback, color on the ebook) of camel experiment reenactment scenes (The only problem I have with the reenactment group is that you can see a pickup truck on the front cover – not going with the time period of the story). I enjoyed the facts in the book, and the journal entries from the men in charge of the camel experiment. The story was tight but there were a few editing errors, but they are very subtle, and don’t take you away from the story. I enjoyed learning about the experiment, this time period in American history and camels in general.
*note* I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this book
What I Thought- This was a good nonfiction book about a little known event in American history. I knew nothing about this experiment, and I learned a lot about the movement to get camels working to help settle the Old West. I think kids will enjoy learning about the experiment and the book could be used as a resource for history classes. There are pictures in the book (B&W in paperback, color on the ebook) of camel experiment reenactment scenes (The only problem I have with the reenactment group is that you can see a pickup truck on the front cover – not going with the time period of the story). I enjoyed the facts in the book, and the journal entries from the men in charge of the camel experiment. The story was tight but there were a few editing errors, but they are very subtle, and don’t take you away from the story. I enjoyed learning about the experiment, this time period in American history and camels in general.
*note* I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this book
March 26, 2016
I received a copy of this book free through Goodreads Firstreads. I was absolutely fascinated in the amount of history covered in this little book. As I read, I could just picture the middle school readers I know enjoying a story of American history.
This book presents the development of the American Southwest as I had never known. Jefferson Davis was Secretary of War under Franklin Pierce, and it was during his Presidency that Davis convinced Congress, after a long struggle, to authorize the importation of camels. Why is this stage of development so often overlooked in our school history books? This would certainly have kept my interest as a student!
All in all, a very well-written concise telling of the whole story of the use of camels by the U.S. military.
This book presents the development of the American Southwest as I had never known. Jefferson Davis was Secretary of War under Franklin Pierce, and it was during his Presidency that Davis convinced Congress, after a long struggle, to authorize the importation of camels. Why is this stage of development so often overlooked in our school history books? This would certainly have kept my interest as a student!
All in all, a very well-written concise telling of the whole story of the use of camels by the U.S. military.
March 21, 2016
I don’t usually read non-fiction, but I’m happy to say I enjoyed this one. The book has a story-like quality following the years camels were tested as pack animals. There are photos in every chapter, and many tables filled with comparisons and information. The book covers the trials and victories of the men committed to proving the camels worth and also care and behavior of these animals. With an extensive bibliography at the end, it makes a useful reference for a unique history project for animal lovers. A ton of information packed into a story-like text.
October 24, 2015
I won this book through the giveaways. This book is an excellent story about the old west and American history. Great for students and anyone interested in the old west.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews