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Empire of the Summer Moon

Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History
Jun 24, 2016Rvanderroest rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I valued reading this book immensely as it greatly changed my perspective on the history and subject of the American West. I am also greatly impressed by the military accomplishments of the Comanche Tribe from the before 1800 till the end of their Empire around 1880. It is thanks to them that Spain's conquistadors were halted, no annihilated. The missions in Comanche territory were abandoned. At the same time I was deeply angered by the accounts of torture to the death of captives, which included women and children, and infants! In one word, this is unspeakable; and even it was in European Pioneer culture of the 1800's. It was very accepted among many native American tribes, and they did it also to other native American tribes. The accounts in this book helped me to understand the hatred most pioneers had for Comanche and other tribes. A side that is not often illustrated or sympathized with. The book is obviously from the Euro-American perspective as the writer is true to his own. I did not find the book to be biased or racist, though. S.C. Gwynne has meticulously researched his historical facts, and it is a very truthful and accurate account of events. In all, this book sets the record straight and improves our understanding of both sides of the frontier.