Empire of the Summer Moon in Around the Year in 52 Books

Jun 01, 2013 Karen rated it really liked it

I bought this in Whitefish, Montana while on spring break this year. Firstly, I love a man who does his homework. Nice work Mr. Gwynne.

Secondly, having lived in NM for 5 years, I appreciated the extraordinary story of Comanche chief Quanah Parker within the larger history of the Comanche empire, and the author's fair handling of the contentous relations between whites and the People. I didn't realize what amazing horsemen the Comanche were nor the extent of violence they visited upon Texans and ...more

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Aug 26, 2011 Kathleen (itpdx) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: lwv-book-group, non-fiction

An excellent book to add to our understanding of the mosaic of Native American cultures. S.C. Gwynne gives us a very readable and interesting look at the Comanches with an emphasis on Quannah Parker, their first and last Chief and his white mother. Without being pedantic, Gwynne tells us what little we know about the origins of the Comanches and their transformation by the arrival of horses on the American plains; the Comanche interactions with their rival tribes and how they frustrated the Span ...more

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Nov 09, 2016 SibylM rated it it was amazing

Shelves: nonfiction, history

4.5 stars. Very well-researched and meticulously documented. Beautifully written. A little heavy on military tactics for my personal taste but really a superb book. Definitely recommended for fans of American history and particularly the Southwest. A great nonfiction companion read for News of the World by Paulette Jiles. ...more

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