Product Description

Their heads filled with images of glory and battle, most young men joined the frontier army only to endure a life of tedious drills, bad meals, uncomfortable quarters, and ill-fitting uniforms. Working hard seven days a week and in all weather, soldiers frequently found themselves lonely and bored, with little opportunity for advancement but many ways to be punished all for $13 a month.
Focusing on the Indian Wars period of the 1840s through the 1890s, Life of a Soldier on the Western Frontier captures the daily challenges faced by the typical enlisted man and explores the role soldiers played in the conquering of the American frontier. In addition to describing the nitty-gritty details of a soldier s daily life, this fascinating study explores the Indian Wars from the perspective of both the military and the Indians and examines all aspects of the post Civil War army, including its organization, its weapons, and its personnel. The book also contains two appendices, one summarizing significant battles and the other listing selected western forts. Both include site locations and information for visitors. Dozens of photos and several maps add to the reader s understanding and enjoyment.
Life of a Soldier on the Western Frontier is more than a convenient reference book it s also a gripping and affecting story.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #122473 in Books
• Published on: 2008-02-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

About the Author
Jeremy Agnew, born in England, moved to Colorado to attend college and has essentially lived there ever since. Eventually earning a PhD in engineering, he currently works as a consultant in the medical electronics field. Dr. Agnew is the author of three previous books and numerous articles.

Customer Reviews

Inspired by tales of glory and battle
Outdoorsman and western history buff Jeremy Agnew presents Life of a Soldier on the Western Frontier, a reference that quite literally lives up to its title as an accurate portrayal of the day-to-day life of young men who joined the frontier army, particularly in the 1840s through the 1890s. Inspired by tales of glory and battle, their realities consisted of hard work seven days a week, drills, questionable meals, cramped living quarters, badly-fitting uniforms, little opportunity for advancement, and harsh discipline, all for $13.00 a month. Black-and-white photographs and maps help round out the reader's understanding of the challenges enlisted men faced as they helped conquer the American frontier, in this fascinating presentation sure to intrigue western historians, Western storytellers, and lay readers alike.

Misleading title
As a researcher of this time period, I had expected to find a more narrative approach to a soldier's life on the frontier, in a kind of timeline fashion. Instead this author presents a more generic picture of the attributes of a soldier's life, such as how the Indians fought, the guns the soldiers used, and what post duties were like, in separate chapters.

I can see this being a handy reference guide for some, but I want to know how their lives changed over the years, and why, in a more political framework, which is the focus on my book, told from the eyes of one soldier. I dislike books that are not told in a timeline so that we can see how changes affected the soldiers on the frontier.

If you're fairly new to this topic, you might find this book invaluable. And I will admit to finding some new material that I could use, along with some good National Archives photos. It's always best to look very closely at the chapters before purchasing, but in this case, I think I got my money's worth.

a great read


Many thanks for a great item & price, and for prompt service! A +++