He was obviously a brilliant leader who understood that i initially picked up this book to read after finding out that quanah parker is one of my ancestors and i wanted to know what he was like. Nonfiction account of comanches, chief quanah parker captivates readers. Life and times of quanah parker new edition by neeley, bill isbn. Comanche chief quanah parker realized his people were in danger, and. His book chronicles quanahs entire life, beggining with the capture of his white mother at parkers fort. He is remembered for his leadership, dignity, business savvy, and intelligence. The last comanche chief ebook quanah, native american. Quanah parker by bill dugan nook book ebook barnes. Having spent much of my life living and traveling over the area where quanah parker led his comanche warriors, this new book by s. He later became the main spokesman and peacetime leader of the native.
Quanah parker was a comanche chief and the last leader of the powerful quahadi band, as well as a leader in the native american church. I read a book by walter prescott webb called the great plains. Cynthia ann parkers story is a fascinating case study in cultural assimilation. Quanah was born around 1845 to chief peta nocona and cynthia ann parker, a white captive of the comanche, near the wichita mountains of oklahoma. Cynthia ann parker white woman in a comanche world. Following the trail of quanah parker true west magazine. Quanah then led his people to the reservation, and turned his attention to ranching and governance. In the tradition of bury my heart at wounded knee, a stunningly vivid historical account of the fortyyear battle between comanche indians and white settlers for. Between 1875 and his death in 1911, quanah dealt with local indian agents and with presidents and other high officials in washington, facing the classic dilemma of a leader caught between the dictates of an occupying power and the wrenching physical and. Empire of the summer moon is an intriguing book of the comanches in general, and quanah parker in particular.
Quanah parker and the rise and fall of the comanches, the most. Updated and expanded with supplemental information, illustrations and maps. Is the summer moon referred to in the title of this book the time when some comanche ritual occurredthe ritual, perhaps, that would pray for another successful buffalo hunt. Quanah parker last chief of the comanche legends of. Following the trail of quanah parker comanche chief quanah parker, circa 1890, standing in front of what looks to be the doorway of his star house, a twostory frame house built for him at the behest of the founder of the 6666 ranch, texas cattleman burk burnett.
Gwynne addresses quanah parkers role in the history of the comanche nation is his new york times best seller empire of the summer moon. One hopes a better fate awaits empire of the summer moon, s. Both lives of quanah, who led his people during the wars on the southern plains and then guided them through the reservation years, are competently chronicled in bill neeleys biography, the last comanche chief. Quanah parker, the son of a comanche chief and a white female captive, rose to lead his peoplenot into abject slavery, but into proud coexistence with an unfolding history that was unstoppable. What led you to tackle quanah parker and the comanche nation. Quanah parker started out as one of the comanche war chiefs and then became the leader of his people on the reservation. The last stand by nathaniel philbrick empire of the. Cynthia ann parkers son quanah would go on to play an important role as the last comanche chief, for 25 years providing leadership, promoting selfsufficiency and selfreliance on a comanche reservation in southwestern oklahoma. Or did this quality play a role in his rise through the comanche ranks.
Unlike the many accounts which are concerned mainly with his role as a warrior this book then continues to follow. Quanah parker and the rise and fall of the comanches, the most powerful indian tribe. Quanah parker and the rise and fall of the comanches, the most powerful indian tribe in american history. Bill neeleys book the last comanche chief, the life and times of quanah parker is the most comprehensive account of the greatest comanche chief ever to roam the plains. He was born into the nokoni wanderers band, the son of comanche chief peta nocona and cynthia ann parker, an angloamerican who had been kidnapped as a child and assimilated into. Gwynne, in your next edition, tell us the connection. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read empire of the summer moon. The book goes into the history of the comanche tribe that lived in. Quanah parker and the rise and fall of the comanches. Quanah parker, indeed, was a man of different worlds. A picture narrative about cynthia ann parker, her twentyfive year captivity among the comanche indians, and her son, quanah parker, the last chief of the comanches, a comic book version of the story constructed in the style of texas history movies. Quannah parker was the last great chief of the comanche.
After 24 years of living with the indians, quanahs mother was recaptured in the battle of pease river by texas rangers. This is a brief but informative book on the life of quanah parker, a mixedblood comanche who was prominent in the history of what is today southwest oklahoma from 1875 to his death in 1911. Empire of the summer moon npr coverage of empire of the summer moon. Finalist for the national book critics circle award. Army was called in to force the comanche onto reservations. Stream and download audiobooks to your computer, tablet or mobile phone. I have read several books on native americans, but hadnt covered the comanches yet. The rise and fall of an empire quanah parker, considered the greatest comanche chief, was the son of cynthia ann parker, a white pioneer woman. We have given this book to so many family members and friends.
Born about 1845, comanche leader quanah parker lived two vastly different lives. She lives in east stroudsburg, pennsylvania, where she is active in local libraries. Impeccably researched, rich with reallife characters and period detail, this powerful historical novel vividly recounts the decline and fall of the. This book is very misleading by the title and blurb. Overall, the book covers their battles with the spaniards and mexicans before it turns into the 19th century. There he oversaw the building of schools, helped create ranching operations and established crops. Quanah parker and the rise and fall of the comanches, the most powerful indian tribe in american history by s.
Chief quanah parkers story written and narrated by his great grandsons. Quanah parker and the rise and fall of the comanches, the most powerful indian tribe in american history 2010, hardcover at the best online. Quanah parker, half nativehalf white, last chief of the comanche quanah parker comanche chief who was part scotirish. In 1875, quanah parker surrendered his people to the u. The life and times of quanah parker kindle edition. William r sanford read about how this great chief of the comanche led his people into a war for survivalprovided by publisher. The comanche campaign is a general term for military operations by the united states government against the comanche tribe in the newly settled west. The son of white captive cynthia ann parker, quanah parker rose from able warrior to tribal leader on the comanche reservation. Cynthia ann parker, also known as naduah, was an angloamerican who was kidnapped in 1836, around age 10, by a comanche war band which had attacked her familys settlement. A very fascinating account of the evolution of the comanche nation and quanah parker in particular. This book has only a tiny, tiny mention about quanah. The front cover has been cut 1 centimetre from the edge of the book. Daughters of the powerful comanche war chief who refused to accept the terms of the 1867 medicine lodge treaty, which would have sent his band to indian territory. Quanah parker and the rise and fall of the comanches, the most powerful indian tribe in american history audiobook by s.
The life and times of quanah parker neeley, bill on. Gwynne, first published in 2010, tells the entertaining and informative, somewhat scholarly account of the comanche tribe. In this biography, the author tells the real story of this fearless leader, who led attacks on buffalo hunters, including the famous battle at adobe walls. The last comanche chief covers quanahs early life and interesting family history,takes the reader through the years of war and dignified surrender. She began her writing career in high school and is a member of the international womens writing guild and the pocono writers. Empire of the summer moon, quanah parker and the rise and fall. Produced to preserve history by whistling boulder productions in conjunction with friends of the historic motley county jail. William r sanford as white settlers moved onto the great plains, trouble began. Not much of this book details quanahs early life before his relegation to the comanchekiowa reservation after the red river war of 187475. Good books come to us in a variety of ways, and i guess todays recommendation. This book, although a fantastic, sweeping history of the comanche, it is not a work to.
Son of chief peta nocona and cynthia ann parker, quanah fought until it was no longer possible to live the life of the free plains comanche. Gwynne uses the histories of cynthia parker the historic inspiration for. Quanah parker and the rise and fall of the comanches, the most powerful indian tribe in american history reprint by s. Between 1867 and 1875, military units fought against the comanche people in a series of expeditions and campaigns until the comanche surrendered and relocated to a reservation. Parker was adopted by the comanche and lived with them for 24 years, completely forgetting her white ways. It proves to be a compelling insight into how the comanche evolved, how vast the american continental lands they roamed over, and their conflict with the intrusion of the whites into what they believed to be theirs. Legendary indian chiefs who advocated for their tribes, quanah parker quanah parker find a grave memorial asetite, comanche, in indian territory quanah parker, chief of quahada tribe of the comanches. Nonfiction account of comanches, chief quanah parker.
Neeley, a freelance writer, traces his life from youth to warrior chief to respected cattleman. The life and times of quanah parker by bill neeley is a detailed and interesting insight into not only the comanche and native american cultures, but the transition of the native americans into a white culture during the late 1800s and early 1900s. After his wifes recapture, quanahs father was a broken and bitter man. Quanah parker and the rise and fall of the comanches, the most powerful indian tribe in american history audiobook written by s. She married a comanche chieftain, peta nocona, and had three children with him, including the last free comanche chief, quanah parker. Quanah parker and the rise and fall of the comanches, the most powerful indian tribe in american history ebook written by s. Son of a comanche chief and a white woman, he had led war parties through north texas for 12 years. Quanah parker remained free for the next seven years finally surrendering to general randal mackenzie and accepting the governments terms and confinement on a reservation.
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