In the tradition of Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee; a stunningly vivid historical account of the forty-year battle between Comanche Indians and white settlers for control of the American West; centering on Quanah; the greatest Comanche chief of them all. S. C. Gwynne’s 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 just how and 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. So effective were the Comanches that they forced the creation of the Texas Rangers and account for the advent of the new weapon specifically designed to fight them: the six-gun. 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—a historical feast for anyone interested in how the United States came into being. Against this backdrop Gwynne presents the compelling drama of Cynthia Ann Parker; a lovely nine-year-old girl with cornflower-blue eyes who was kidnapped by Comanches from the far Texas frontier in 1836. She grew to love her captors and became infamous as the "White Squaw" who refused to return until her tragic capture by Texas Rangers in 1860. More famous still was her son Quanah; a warrior who was never defeated and whose guerrilla wars in the Texas Panhandle made him a legend. 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.
#3109515 in Books 2005-06-30Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 11.00 x .66 x 8.25l; 1.57 #File Name: 1410224678316 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. How Kindle Can Botch Up a BookBy sixtringOnce upon a time; in the mid 1990s; a trio of historians produced a scholarly study of the U.S. Army's all-black 24th infantry regiment's Korean War experience. They did a good job; distilling a balanced story from archival research backed with scads of interviews with survivors. This was no small undertaking: biases were apparent in many ways in original; official histories. By reading this book; the reader gets a more balanced picture. Did all-black units display incompetence and ineffectiveness on the battlefield? Plenty of instances indicate "yes." However; a more thoughtful analysis (thanks to the authors) suggests the systemic cause of these failings-- the natural consequence of isolating men of poor educational attainment under leadership that was often indifferent or downright hostile. Cultural rules-of-the-day dictated that no black officer should command white officers-- a formula that ensured the squandering of competent black leadership. Only because of dire wartime emergencies was the army forced to segregate its units-- only to discover that integration allowed for more effective use of manpower and leadership. Now; about the Kindle version of this book-- I really should have demanded my money back. No care was taken to stratify the text from its numerous footnotes. This jumbling of content yields a VERY frustrating read. Text and footnotes were taken--page breaks included-- and slapped into one flow. The Kindle reader must decide where the breaks are; and flip back and forth accordingly. It's also apparent that someone prepared a number of maps; which are crucial to a presentation like this. The maps were not properly translated into Kindle. The art was non-existent. All that came out were the maps' place-name labels; all left-justified. If you want this book; get the hard copy and save yourself a LOT of aggravation. TWO STARS because I'm so frustrated with the Kindle version. The content is really worth more.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Who formatted this Bozo the ClownBy Ron WilderAfter reading the first few chapters; I often wonder why the big publishing houses did not publish my book The Ordinary Man's Guide to the History of Information Technology: Computer History 7th Edition. This book Black Soldier/White Army is by far the worst formatted book I have ever read. Footnotes stare you in face in the middle of a paragraph. The author begins a a paragraph and tells you For example at location 2958 the book reads "On 18 July the unit assumed its" the next line at the same location reads new paragraph; "including war diaries; historical summaries command and staff reports;..." That paragraph is followed by an explanation of footnote 2. Even high school students using the ibid and op. cit. reference method know that footnotes are rendered at the end of the chapter or at the bottom of a page and not in the middle of the page. I think Bozo could done a better job formatting the text. As far as I am concerned as it is presently formatted; this not a good Bachelor thesis let alone a graduate thesis.Formatting aside; what is the author trying to state; I read a list of officers shuffled around; I read that equipment was not available. The author does not bother to tell you the history of the unit. It is like an apology for what other authors wrote about the shabby treatment the 24th received. If this book was turned in to me for a graduate degree; I would have thrown it back in their face laughing.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. A Good Book; Horrible Electronic Formatting and EditingBy Hoyt L Duff IIThe content of the book is excellent and provided a unique perspective and insight into the problems of a segregated Army and the day-to-day operation and logistics of how the Army works.The e-book editor should be shot. So fine a story deserves better treatment than the obvious neglect of the editors. The footnotes were confusingly interspersed with the main text (they should be converted to end-notes). The maps do not display at all. The exhibits are a jumbled mess.With all this editorial negligence; reading the book takes an almost superhuman effort; but it was well worth it. It's obvious that the publishers care less about this book than the Army cared about the Buffalo Soldiers; but they should both feel a sense of shame for their disrespect.The stars for the author; the one-finger salute for the publisher and editor.
