Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History

S. C. Gwynne

May 2010 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

*Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award*
*A New York Times Notable Book*
*Winner of the Texas Book Award and the Oklahoma Book Award*

This New York Times bestseller and stunning historical account of the forty-year battle between Comanche Indians and white settlers for control of the American West “is nothing short of a revelation…will leave dust and blood on your jeans” (The New York Times Book Review).

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 readers may be more familiar with the tribal names Apache and Sioux, it was in fact the legendary fighting ability of the Comanches that determined 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.

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, and the amazing story of Cynthia Ann Parker and her son Quanah—a historical feast for anyone interested in how the United States came into being.

Hailed by critics, S. C. Gwynne’s account of these events is meticulously researched, intellectually provocative, and, above all, thrillingly told. Empire of the Summer Moon announces him as a major new writer of American history.

Ratings and reviews

cool book. you just left out the gang raping rangers that's all. but I guess they heroes in WW2 so it don't matter. whitewash. still give it 4 outta 5 for the savagery.

This is , to date, in the top two best books about the Western United States that I have ever read. The other is Cadillac Desert. I will boldly assert that if anyone reads Empire of the Summer Moon, and Cadillac Desert, they will have a better understanding of the Western U.S. than anyone who hasn't read these books. I will also assert that these two books should replace "The Grapes if Wrath" and"East of Eden" for highschool students. To be clear, I think those two Steinbeck books would be third and fourth in my list.

“Empire of the Summer Moon”... INSIGHTFUL... POWERFUL ! If I had two words to sum it up… Those would be the two. I not only learned about Quanah Parker and the Comanches, but about Texas and its history. This book was objective and did not come across as biased toward either the Comanche or the White settlers. I read it years ago... and it is a book that truly leaves an indelible impression. Perhaps it’s time for a rereading? 🤔

About the author

S.C. Gwynne is the author of His Majesty’s Airship, Hymns of the Republic, and the New York Times bestsellers Rebel Yell and Empire of the Summer Moon, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award. He spent most of his career as a journalist, including stints with Time as bureau chief, national correspondent, and senior editor, and with Texas Monthly as executive editor. He lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife.