Empire of the Summer Moon tells the extraordinary story of Quanah Parker, the last great Comanche chief, and his people during and after the Texas War for Independence. S.C. Gwynne vividly brings to life remarkable events that have long been obscured by mythmaking and stereotypes about America’s olden days on the frontier.
For who is this book for ?
The biography is for those who are interested in American history, particularly concerning the old west and its native inhabitants.
Pros :
- Gwynne does an excellent job of portraying the Comanches as a complex and nuanced tribe, rather than the one-dimensional “savages” often depicted in popular culture.
- He also provides interesting insights into American history during the 1800s, including the Texas War for Independence and post-Civil War Reconstruction.
- The book is well written and engaging, making it easy to read even though it covers dense material.
Cons :
- The book is dry and uninteresting
- It’s not well written
- There isn’t enough action
Learn more about the author
S.C. Gwynne is a journalist and the author of two books, Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, The Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History and Rebel Yell: The Violence, Passion, and Redemption of Stonewall Jackson. He has been a senior editor at Texas Monthly since 1998.
Reader Reviews
“This is one of the most lucid and compelling historical narratives I’ve read in a long time. S.C. Gwynne has a historian’s eye for detail and an enviable gift for storytelling.”
“Gwynne’s riveting and exhaustively researched account of the rise and fall of the Comanches challenges conventional wisdom about American Indians while restoring these proud people to their rightful place in history.”
“Gwynne has written an important book that restores to history a great Native American leader. His finely researched and dramatic account of the rise and fall of the Comanches provides keen insights into Indian culture, U.S.-Indian relations, and early Texas.”
“This book is excellent. I am a high school history teacher and this books changes the way I will teach westward expansion.”