Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History
Select Format
Select Condition 
Book Overview
*A New York Times Notable Book*
*Winner of the Texas Book Award and the Oklahoma Book Award* This New York Times bestseller and stunning historical account of the forty-year battle between Comanche Indians and white settlers for control of the American West "is nothing short of a revelation...will leave dust and blood on your jeans" (The New York Times Book Review). Empire of the Summer Moon spans two astonishing stories. The first traces the rise and fall of the Comanches, the most powerful Indian tribe in American history. The second entails one of the most remarkable narratives ever to come out of the Old West: the epic saga of the pioneer woman Cynthia Ann Parker and her mixed-blood son Quanah, who became the last and greatest chief of the Comanches. Although readers may be more familiar with the tribal names Apache and Sioux, it was in fact the legendary fighting ability of the Comanches that determined when the American West opened up. Comanche boys became adept bareback riders by age six; full Comanche braves were considered the best horsemen who ever rode. They were so masterful at war and so skillful with their arrows and lances that they stopped the northern drive of colonial Spain from Mexico and halted the French expansion westward from Louisiana. White settlers arriving in Texas from the eastern United States were surprised to find the frontier being rolled backward by Comanches incensed by the invasion of their tribal lands. The war with the Comanches lasted four decades, in effect holding up the development of the new American nation. Gwynne's exhilarating account delivers a sweeping narrative that encompasses Spanish colonialism, the Civil War, the destruction of the buffalo herds, and the arrival of the railroads, and the amazing story of Cynthia Ann Parker and her son Quanah--a historical feast for anyone interested in how the United States came into being. Hailed by critics, S. C. Gwynne's account of these events is meticulously researched, intellectually provocative, and, above all, thrillingly told. Empire of the Summer Moon announces him as a major new writer of American history.
Customer Reviews
Rated 5 starsGreat book
This is a book I will read again.It tells of the brutal true history of that time you may have never heard about .I wanted to understand the history of how bad the native indians were treated.Unbelvable but true. It's a disgraceful part of U.S history
4Report
Rated 3 starsThe good, the bad, and the ugly
I have a love/hate relationship with books that account the fall of the Native Americans. It’s a part of our nations history that I think everyone should know. But, it’s a shame all the same. The two cultures could hardly exist in harmony given the different ways ownership and property rights were viewed. That said, I enjoyed reading about Quanah and his mother.
5Report
Rated 5 starsGreat book!
Thoroughly enjoyed this book! If you are the least bit interested in this part of history, you need to read this book. Highly recommended.
5Report
Rated 5 starsVery interesting
An engaging history
1Report
Rated 4 starsExcellence through objectivity
Gwynne does an excellent job in balancing the romanticism of the west and the southern horse tribes with the harsh reality that was. If you're looking for a book that perpetuates a revisionist narrative of indigenous people...look elsewhere. If you desire an objective historical view into life on the southern plains during the mid to late 19th century, this book will impress.
4Report
ThriftBooks ® and the ThriftBooks ® logo are registered trademarks of Thrift Books Global, LLC
