- Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
- Publisher: Forge Books (Feb 15 1997)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0812551052
- ISBN-13: 978-0812551051
- Product Dimensions: 17.2 x 10.7 x 2.3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 181 g
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
-
Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
#2,183,523 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #86 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Westerns > Pioneer
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
To kick off his Black Sabre Chronicles, a series about African American military men, Willard tells the tale of Augustus Sharps, who in 1866 is saved from certain death in a buffalo stampede and from further slavery (even though it's after emancipation) by two black cavalrymen. The Buffalo Soldiers were black freemen and former slaves who joined the U.S. Army's 9th and 10th Cavalry in 1866, fighting hostile Indians, Mexican bandits, bitter racism and extreme weather along the western frontier. Among the Buffalo Soldiers (so named by Plains Indians as a sign of respect), Augustus finds comradeship and purpose. For 30 years, he serves his regiment with distinction, winning the admiration and respect of his fellow soldiers and their white officers. Augustus and his devoted wife, Selona, share a life of hardship and sacrifice, raising two sons amid the perils of the frontier. From the freezing plains of Kansas to the harsh Texas deserts and the arid mountains of New Mexico and Arizona, the Buffalo Soldiers battle Indians as well as the taunts and prejudice of the white settlers they protect. Success on the battlefield, however, does not protect Augustus from the racist hatred of a murderous Texas Ranger or the ruthless threats of the Ku Klux Klan. Willard delivers a compelling and action-packed story filled with historical personages and a proud sense of national redemption.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
Held captive by the Kiowa and then bartered to a white buffalo hunter, Augustus Sharps is freed in 1869 by troopers of the all-black Tenth U.S. Cavalry, in which he enlists. First in a series chronicling African American contributions to U.S. military history, Willard's (Death Squad, HarperCollins, 1992) well-researched novel traces Augustus's soldiering from Fort Wallace, Kansas, until his retirement to an Arizona ranch. Through it all, he and his long-suffering wife, Selona, cross paths with such luminaries as Buffalo Bill Cody and George A. Custer. Not to be confused with Robert O'Conner's brooding, Helleresque Buffalo Soldiers (Knopf, 1993), this book begins shakily with needless hyperbole but recovers sufficiently to paint a compelling portrait of a family that not only endures the hardships of 19th-century army life but also the ingratitude of white society. Recommended, with slight reservations, for public libraries.?Robert P. Jordan, Univ. of Iowa, Iowa City
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
First Sentence
In January 1869, the major problems standing in the way of the Kansas Pacific Railroad were the Arapaho, Cheyenne, Comanche, and Kiowa nations. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
In January 1869, the major problems standing in the way of the Kansas Pacific Railroad were the Arapaho, Cheyenne, Comanche, and Kiowa nations. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Building a Legacy,
By The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (RAWSISTAZ.com and BlackBookReviews.net) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Buffalo Soldiers (Mass Market Paperback)
BUFFALO SOLDIERS begins by featuring excerpts from a speech given by Colin Powell in 1992 at the dedication of a monument to honor Buffalo Soldiers at Fort Leavenworth. Immediately, readers become aware of the significance of this monument as well as the important role that these soldiers played in defending our nation and in helping to establish the American West. As the story begins, we are introduced to Augustus Talbot, later known as Augustus Sharps and the 10th United States Calvary (Colored) and we follow them through more than 30 years of history in the making. Throughout the book readers are constantly reminded of the paradox of African American soldiers. These soldiers faced prejudice and injustice on a daily basis, were provided with hand me down, and in most cases poor quality equipment, yet they defended the United States with unyielding bravery and honor. When Augustus marries and starts a family, readers become privy to the sacrifice, frustrations and hardship that the families of the soldiers had to endure in order to "make a way out of no way." We are also introduced to some Whites who were willing to stand alone to defend and show respect for the African American soldiers and their families. From the first page, BUFFALO SOLDIERS draws readers into a different time in history where African American men were fighting for a nation that barely recognized them as men, no mind the heroes that they were. While this is a work of historical fiction, readers will learn a great deal about the history through this wonderful book. I found myself searching the Internet to learn more about Buffalo Soldiers in general and some of the specific things, like the types of rifles, mentioned in the book. Willard has written a book that not only educates, but also touches the hearts of the readers. You feel for the characters as they experience hardships, lengthy separations and even death. I gained a deeper respect not only for the Buffalo Soldiers, their wives and families, but also for the brave men and women that have followed in their footsteps through military service. While the Buffalo Soldiers were struggling to build a legacy and gain respect from Whites, they indeed proved themselves to be the greatest of heroes. Reviewed by Stacey Seay
5.0 out of 5 stars
Courage and Valor and Duty,
By
This review is from: Buffalo Soldiers (Mass Market Paperback)
Some up this remarkable book about Colored soldiers after the Civil War taking up arms to help tame the newly expanding American Western frontier. This book tackles the expanding never ceasing politics of race between those with power, and those without, those with weapons, and those with none, those who formerly wore chains, and those who fight to keep them off. Willard's portrayal of the harsh environs of the expanding frontier match and may surpass those of Larry MacMurty's "Dead Man's Walk". The stregnth, valor, bravory, courage, and duty Willard gives his colored sodiers through adversity gives the reader a better understanding and apprciation of those who came before us, those who died for us, and those who were forgotten.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
3.9 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews) 5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
mild recommendation,
By Orrin C. Judd "brothersjudddotcom" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Buffalo Soldiers: A Novel (Audio Cassette)
Tom Willard is in the midst of a series of novels focussing on the role of black soldiers in American military history. The first of these, Buffalo Soldiers, begins with Congress creating the first black peacetime units in 1866. Augustus Sharps is a black man who, despite the Civil War, has been held as a virtual slave by a white hunter who purchased him from Indians. Freed by men of the 10th Calvary, Augustus, who is already an expert shot, joins up and spends most his life in the U.S. Army, then joins Buffalo Bill's Wild West show after fighting with the Rough Riders at San Juan Hill. The novel closes with America's entry into WWI, Augustus is too old to serve by then, but as his two sons head off to war, he presents them with his battle saber. While one admires Willard's effort to recover the memory of the black heroes who served America so ably and with so little reward in the years before the nation desegregated, the story is ultimately more earnest than interesting. I'd give it a mild recommendation. A formulaic rehash of classic Western themes, redeemed only by the reminder that blacks played an important and underappreciated role in creating the American West. GRADE: C 5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
An extraordinary read,
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Buffalo Soldiers (Hardcover)
Buffalo Soldiers by Tom Willard is one of the best books I have ever read. The principal at my high school donated it to the library and when I saw it on the shelf, I was instantly intrigued. I could not put it down. The words of my principal -- "America has been blessed with courage and patriotism from all of its people" -- were very true. Willard has told an important story that is sure to move you. In the novel, Sergean Major Augustus Sharps and his wife, Selona, show great measures of strength and courage. This compelling novel is definetly on my list of best books.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Courage and Valor and Duty,
By J. A. Clark - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Buffalo Soldiers (Mass Market Paperback)
Some up this remarkable book about Colored soldiers after the Civil War taking up arms to help tame the newly expanding American Western frontier. This book tackles the expanding never ceasing politics of race between those with power, and those without, those with weapons, and those with none, those who formerly wore chains, and those who fight to keep them off. Willard's portrayal of the harsh environs of the expanding frontier match and may surpass those of Larry MacMurty's "Dead Man's Walk". The stregnth, valor, bravory, courage, and duty Willard gives his colored sodiers through adversity gives the reader a better understanding and apprciation of those who came before us, those who died for us, and those who were forgotten.
|
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
