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

Narrated by: David Drummond

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 listeners may be more familiar with the 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. 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.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2016 S. C. Gwynne (P)2016 Simon & Schuster

Must read for frontier history lovers

An even-handed dealing of researched info on the trajectory of the Comanche culture and their headlong crash into the Spanish and European settlement of the United States. The sociology presented from a larger historical perspective gives Gwynne's book much validity. It's refreshing in that it stands above and apart from others that can at times get bogged down in present day social justice perspectives.

Hate Facts

Man it sure does seem like the absolute worst thing that the white man did the equivalent to the daily atrocity done by every Comanche brave.

great history of 19th century Texas

great history of 19th century Texas. it was fun to recognize the characters and the famous ranches, landmarks, and counties named after them

This book is very long and drags BUT...

it is expected that a history is going to drag on a little. sometimes it was hard to follow but i listened to it in many sitting, so that could be my fault. it really picked up at the end and that made it worth it!

Wow this book is dark and riveting

In a time like 2020 this book is important because it sheds light on how the west really played out. Make no mistake America could have treated the Natives better however the Natives would not go quietly and were brutal to the settlers. They laid all their cards on the table.

Will read more from this author

I’m glad I didn’t like back then and through all the raids and rapes of the frontier. It’s a pity that you can’t have it both ways. The Comanche’s were really happy roaming the plains with the Buffalo, albeit they were not exactly noble savages, then the Texans and Americans were hell-bent on settling them. It’s a dark and complicated part of history. I think it worked out for the best, even anti-climatically when Quannah lead his people to the reservation and became a fairly successful cattle-rancher, with a large polygamist family. I hope the descendants of the Native Tribes take consolation in being Americans. I hope they take advantage of it and become the happy and successful people they ought to be. God Bless America.

Eye opening

Fascinating to learn about the early west. It was savage and how difficult it must’ve been for Indians, white man and Spanish alike. We have no way of understanding such hardships today.

All encompassing

The stories are enthralling and tell an overarching history of the Comanche! I will encourage everyone to read it or listen.

One of the most informative and well written books

The way the information and stories are intertwined and recalled, it's like a masterful tapestry woven out of words. One of the most well-written books I've ever came across. Thank you.

Empire of the Summer Moon

First time delving into a historical piece about the frontier. I thought it was well detailed and balanced and that was refreshing. Really hoping to find something equally as intriguing.