EMPIRE OF THE SUMMER MOON

Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and a New York Times bestseller described as 'Nothing short of a revelation.' The sub-title is 'Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History', it's a vivid historical account of the 40 year battle between Comanche Indians and white settlers for control of the American West, centring on Quanah, the greatest Comanche Chief of them all. Spanning two astonishing stories, the first traces the rise and fall of 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. It was the legendary fighting ability of the Comanches that determined just how and when the American West was opened up. Comanche boys became adept bareback riders by the age of six. Full Comanche braves were considered the best horsemen who ever rode. They were so masterful at war and so skilful 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 his backdrop, Gwynne presents a 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. This exhilarating account delivers a sweeping history that encompasses Spanish colonialism, the American Civil War, the destruction of the buffalo herds, and the final tragic defeat of Quanah's warriors. 'Cavalrymen remember such moments: dust swirling behind the mule packs, regimental bugles shattering the air, horses snorting and riders' tack creaking through the ranks, their old company song rising on the wind...the date was the 3rd October, 1871.' Intellectually provocative and meticulously researched. 497 page paperback.