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

Great story in need of better narration

Such a fascinating dive into a distinct part of history. The only critique is it seems the narrator was emotionally disengaged from the book's content, which left more to be desired from such a powerful story.

Pride and shame

Wow, this was such a good book. I laughed, I cried, I cringed. There was good, bad and ugly but it was all real. I don’t think a book has ever given me simultaneous feelings of such pride and shame for history. I really hope someday that Quanah’s home can be restored. If you google it, it’s still there in Oklahoma but is in disrepair.

If you thought you knew how the West was won, you were misinformed!

This is book that lays bare all the stereotypes of the Western Movement, the cowboys, the Indians and the naïveté of our government in dealing with the native peoples of the plains, particularly the Comanches. It is a stark historical review of human resourcefulness and intelligence in conflict between two civilizations separated by a 2000 year gap in culture. Beautiful written, it is a sorrowful, joyous and exciting historical review of our westward expansion.

Good but rambling

A good telling of the story of the Comanches. Could have been a little more straightforward the jumps are jarring. Competent narration.

Fascinating story

Very well done story of both the Comanche and their last chief. Highly recommend this story.

great book, terrible narration

The narration is monotone and boring, it almost sounds computer generated. Absolutely no emotion. The story, while maybe a little drawn out, was very good.

Amazing Story of the Comanche Indians

Great historical accounts and narration of the Comanche Indians, of how the Texas and Oklahoma frontiers were settled by whites, and how the Parker family played such a pivotal role in this history.

Red_Shamas from Washington, D.C.

I recommend this book to anyone that wanna know about Indian culture/history.
A complete book about the American frontier and how the west was won. A book without bias and prestige...good narrator, great story, and great performance.

A riveting look into history

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, which gave me a deep insight into a corner of history I knew very little to nothing about. The writer lays it out in such a way that you understand the big picture while being sucked into the stories and lives of the frontier Indians and settlers alike. I now have a much more open minded understanding of the Native Americans in the early struggles of western expansion and it eradicated and cleared up some of the preconceived notions and misconceptions I have had for many years.

Great story, terrible narration

Thoroughly enjoyed the story and history lessons. Would have liked more on the Comanches and a little less on the Rangers, but will use the knowledge gained from here as a launch point for other works on the Comanches.
Terrible narration. Boring, dull, no inflection where one would expect in normal readings. Recommend this book is re-narrated by another