Empire of the Summer Moon
Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches
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Empire of the Summer Moon
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Narrated by:
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David Drummond
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By:
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S. C. Gwynne
About this listen
In the tradition of Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, a stunningly vivid historical account of the 40-year battle between Comanche Indians and white settlers for control of the American West, centering on Quanah, the greatest Comanche chief of them all.
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 is 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 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.
Against this backdrop Gwynne presents the compelling drama of Cynthia Ann Parker, a nine-year-old girl who was kidnapped by Comanches 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.
©2010 S.C. Gwynne (P)2020 W F HowesWhat listeners say about Empire of the Summer Moon
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Harrison
- 15-03-2021
A bit dry, but very interesting.
If youre interested in history you'll enjoy this, a truly interesting story but the telling of it is a bit dry.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Julianne
- 22-06-2023
Very good book
1 of the better books I have listened to for a very long time , very informative
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Apriori
- 30-09-2021
A raw glimpse into brutal endings and rebirth.
Well written and performed by a superb narrator, Highly recommended.
As an Australian, I had no idea regarding the history of the clashes with the North American Indian, other than movies. Be aware that this book stares directly into the empty eye sockets of totally unrestrained warfare without blinking.
No quarter was ever given for anyone involved; regardless whether they were combatants or not. Old men, children or women, there were very, very few exceptions and the outcome horrific and unimaginably painful. Prolonged torture (typically by the women) of the defeated and then the cruellest death possible was assured.
History is written by the survivors and hence I was half-expecting a slanted view, but the story is not trying to glorify any of this - instead it seems to try to stick to the brutal, verifiable facts. All parties are shown as equally guilty, and horrible atrocities occurred on all sides. But the book goes into length as to explain why events probably happened - from all viewpoints.
The book describes the great hardship and utter remorseless terror that must have been routine life during this time. And then the clash of cultures kicked off in earnest. In this age of comfort, smart phones, internet and widespread morbid obesity, the lives all of our ancestors led would shock all but the most hardened.
One of the most thought provoking realisations was this all happened in my great grandparents' youth. It was the cataclysmic upheaval of an ancient culture and way of life and replacement by foreign invaders and their way of life. And it was only four-to-five generations ago.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Yvonne
- 20-08-2021
insightful listening
Being Australian I found this an extremely interesting, eye opening, and a tremendously sad inspection of both American and Indian history. I had never appreciated how recent these events were and how relatively new the "United States" are.
For me, being having limited knowledge of the geography, keeping track of the locations was the biggest challenge.
I felt Gwynne kept a neutral stance and David Drummond did an excellent job.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 16-06-2021
A different world, not so long ago
Starts off strong, diving into the life of the Comanche, a world that is completely alien to our modern world but not that far in the past. Honest, eye-opening, heartbreaking.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- michael
- 22-02-2025
Excellent
Enjoyed this historical book greatly. Credit to the author! The stories of peoples journeys was very moving.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 21-05-2021
The best book on Native American history in years
This is a wonderful look at what must been seen as one of the most exciting periods in recent history. Savage beautiful and sad a great read.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 30-09-2021
captivating and enthralling
Dan's
portrait and ability to capture how the Great Plains story played out in history has peaked my curious dive into a more indepth look all the accounts accociated with the diverse and often undervalued way of life the people that shaped and made it the one of the last unexplored place for white's in America's history and its draw to drag people there from afar for what so much of us seek everyday
the uncertainty of adventure
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 23-01-2022
bloody amazing
could not stop absolutely amazing and at times horrific 10/10 no move shows the true nature of the Indians
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Declan
- 02-01-2023
Inspiring
History to be respected.
(They ask for more words … nothing changes under the Sun)
Honour the Comanche.
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