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Erin's Reviews > Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History
Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History
by S.C. Gwynne
by S.C. Gwynne
The fascinating stories of Cynthia Ann Parker and Quanah Parker bookend an endless recounting of battle after battle, in depth tactics (stressed again and again - once is interesting, 10 times, not so much) and all. In finally getting to the last stage of Quanah's life, a small portion of the book, some of the anecdotes have justifications that they are "worth noting" - of course they are, they are the most interesting parts! I do think that Gwynne stresses quite well the blow that reservation life was to the Indians and how their way of life disappeared. There were other personalities sprinkled throughout, but I feel like I just read one long recounting of a century of battles rather than the stories of people I was hoping for. Not recommended.
An addendum on the racist language/unbalanced nature of the book that other reviewers mention: I had interpreted Gwynne's words as how white people regarded Native Americans, but I also know that I wasn't always able to give 100% of my attention while reading through this so I could very well have misinterpreted or be remembering wrong.
I don't think the book as a whole is skewed completely against Native Americans as some make it out to be, it certainly illustrates how cruel, stupid and racist many of the white people were - especially in the retelling of Cynthia Ann's story. Gwynne stresses again and again how many of the supposed (and reported as such) incredible victories of white forces against Native Americans ended with them limping home, lucky to even be alive.
At the same time, I did often wonder about the veracity of many of the accounts given the truth in the criticism that this seems to be told mainly from white sources. What else was completely false in the accounts he used or colored by outright racism? I think Gwynne did a great job telling the stories of both Cynthia and Quanah, as well as revealing the true stories behind many of the battles rather than what had been reported. At the same time, the Comanches really are made out to be a marauding, bloodthirsty band that killed and raped and plundered just for the joy of it (The book is also full of many forces of Caucasians that love and pointedly seek to kill Indians.). Truth or racism? My own apparent "noble savage" complex made that stuff tough to swallow. I do find myself wishing there was more actual Comanche voices and accounts in the book.
An addendum on the racist language/unbalanced nature of the book that other reviewers mention: I had interpreted Gwynne's words as how white people regarded Native Americans, but I also know that I wasn't always able to give 100% of my attention while reading through this so I could very well have misinterpreted or be remembering wrong.
I don't think the book as a whole is skewed completely against Native Americans as some make it out to be, it certainly illustrates how cruel, stupid and racist many of the white people were - especially in the retelling of Cynthia Ann's story. Gwynne stresses again and again how many of the supposed (and reported as such) incredible victories of white forces against Native Americans ended with them limping home, lucky to even be alive.
At the same time, I did often wonder about the veracity of many of the accounts given the truth in the criticism that this seems to be told mainly from white sources. What else was completely false in the accounts he used or colored by outright racism? I think Gwynne did a great job telling the stories of both Cynthia and Quanah, as well as revealing the true stories behind many of the battles rather than what had been reported. At the same time, the Comanches really are made out to be a marauding, bloodthirsty band that killed and raped and plundered just for the joy of it (The book is also full of many forces of Caucasians that love and pointedly seek to kill Indians.). Truth or racism? My own apparent "noble savage" complex made that stuff tough to swallow. I do find myself wishing there was more actual Comanche voices and accounts in the book.
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Reading Progress
| 10/25/2011 | page 60 |
|
16.0% | "Having a really hard time with this. Maybe because I don't have much in the way of reading time, just fits and starts so it's hard to keep the narrative straight." |
| 11/16/2011 | page 200 |
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52.0% | "Plodding along. Some portions of the book are REALLY interesting, others are just repetitive. I'd prefer to hear once that the Comanches were predictable, fleeing every time their chief was killed rather than have it recounted to me every time while reading through descriptions of 5 other similar battles. I can understand chronicling the battles in detail for context, but better organization would do wonders." |
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Megan
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Dec 03, 2011 07:33am
Too bad! I was looking forward to reading this myself, as I grew up in Comanche country in West Texas, and was looking forward to a thoughtful, modern account of Quanah Parker's story. What a bummer. As a former history major, there's nothing I hate worse than battle tactics histories. Yawn!
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Perhaps if you get it from the library you can just read the story of the Parkers and forget about the battle stuff. This book was a real slog though.
No, no, I'll take your word for it, haha! I'm already in the process of reading several slow and tedious books, I don't think I could bear another! Funny, but the best book I'm reading at the moment is Mattimeo, the 3rd Redwall book. Most of the adult books I've been reading lately aren't doing it for me. :)
Ugh, yeah. I need to start a new one and I'm nervous I'll pick up yet another slow and tedious book.
Nah, I couldn't disagree more with this review. Yes the book is based on the Parker history but it is more of a historical document of the Comanche. A lot of the "savagery" describing the Comanche is not just how white settlers saw it. Spaniards, White Settlers, and surrounding Native American tribes all acount for the same historical stories. You may see this as a narrow view point of the Comanche, but to disregard it as racist means you just didn't understand the entire premise of the book. If gruesome details puts you off a bit, then that is one thing but to disregard it completely because a white man wrote it? Seriously? Isn’t that a type of racism?
Disregard it completely? I didn't do that at all. I mentioned my own misgivings about the text, but that doesn't mean I'm discounting the book out of hand. Reread the review. As you have accused me, you seem to have missed the entire premise - let me pick out a few phrases for you "...Gwynne did a great job...", "...Gwynne stresses quite well...", "I don't think the book as a whole is skewed completely against Native Americans...."I also wasn't questioning Gwynne's authorship as a white man, but rather his sources in light of the fact the recounting of battles (as he illustrated) by white sources against the native americans were often laughably twisted to cast white forces in a positive light - read again: "What else was completely false in the accounts he used or colored by outright racism?" I think he more than proved that if aware of such discrepancies, he'd call attention to them.
Sorry Erin, I stand by my comment. I got more out of the book that just the life history of the Parkers. I believe that was a small premise of the book used to acocount for how the Comanche lived, died and fought. You said gwynne did a great job about the Parkers, but there was so much more than just that. I felt as though you missed or just discounted the facts regarding how the Comanche lived. Gwynne also accounted that many accounts were from Surrounding Native American tribes and Mexicans that fought and traded with the Comanche so I don't have to read again. And I never said anything about completely false accounts...I just disagree with your review thats all.
That's fine - if you got more out of the book than me, I'm glad. I already mentioned that unfortunately I had trouble devoting 100% of my attention to it and may not have properly remembered or missed things. In addition, my experience was different from yours. But you completely misinterpreted my comments regarding racism and it's for that I suggested you reread my review. I never disregarded the book as racist, or because a white man wrote it. And yeah, apparently you do have to read again - I was quoting my review regarding false accounts - nothing you said.
