Empire of the Summer Moon

by S.C. Gwynne
Category: "U.S. History - Military"
Pages:319
Year of Publication:2010
Date Added:04/22/2020
Date Read:04/23/2020
Notes:Subtitle: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History

The Comanches were a horse tribe that lived on the southern plains in present day Texas and Oklahoma. Their culture was built around buffalo hunting and war. Before Whites began infringing on their land, the Comanches were constantly at war with neighboring tribes. After Texan independence, they turned their attention mostly to stealing horses from the Whites, kidnapping, raping and torturing White women and killing White men. Cynthia Ann Parker was kidnapped when she was 12. She was raised as a Comanche and married in the tribe. Her oldest son was named Quanah, and he became a war chief early in life. When he was in his late 20's the Comanches were finally defeated and forced onto the reservation. Quanah embraced the new life and soon became a successful cattle rancher, dying in 1911.
My Rating: 8

Reviews for Empire of the Summer Moon

Review - Empire of the Summer Moon

Very informative and well-written. But I certainly had no sympathy for the Comanches and found myself rooting against them at every turn. They are defended as trying to protect their way of life and land, but they reveled in causing pain to captives in the most disgusting and cruel ways they could devise. Quanah was part of that lifestyle for several years, and I found no reason to root for him after he was finally defeated.

Reviewed by Roger on 2020-04-22 20:30:04

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