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misajane79's review against another edition
5.0
In some ways, I'm still processing this book, even though I finished it two days ago.
Take everything you think you know about Native Americans, and twist it, just a bit. Gwynne masterfully tells the story of the Commanches--why they were unlike any other tribe, how they achieved their power, why they raided, kidnapped, and tortured white settlers. And how the only thing that really conquered them was technology.
It's also the story of the Parker family--Cynthia Ann, who was kidnapped when she was just a girl, and her son, who led violent raiding parties, who chose to become a "token" Indian for the US Government. Well, sorta.
Even though I consider myself fairly knowledgable about 19th century history and Texas history, there were lots of "well, duh" moments--those moments in a book where the author makes a completely logical point that somehow every other historian has missed for the past 100 years. Like why the horse made all the difference. Why traditional battle tactics didn't work with Commanches (and why it took so long for anyone to realize this). And why women and young children were kidnapped, but men were killed during raids. And all sorts of other things.
It's a gruesome, powerful and remarkable book. Larry McMurty is supposedly working on a screenplay, and even with his skills, I can't imagine turning this into a movie with the nuance, grace and power of the book. Highly, highly recommended. Cannot wait for the book club discussion of this one.
Post-Book Club conversation addendum: Had to up it to 5 stars. Revisionist history in the best possible sense of the word. Will change the way you think about American history.
Take everything you think you know about Native Americans, and twist it, just a bit. Gwynne masterfully tells the story of the Commanches--why they were unlike any other tribe, how they achieved their power, why they raided, kidnapped, and tortured white settlers. And how the only thing that really conquered them was technology.
It's also the story of the Parker family--Cynthia Ann, who was kidnapped when she was just a girl, and her son, who led violent raiding parties, who chose to become a "token" Indian for the US Government. Well, sorta.
Even though I consider myself fairly knowledgable about 19th century history and Texas history, there were lots of "well, duh" moments--those moments in a book where the author makes a completely logical point that somehow every other historian has missed for the past 100 years. Like why the horse made all the difference. Why traditional battle tactics didn't work with Commanches (and why it took so long for anyone to realize this). And why women and young children were kidnapped, but men were killed during raids. And all sorts of other things.
It's a gruesome, powerful and remarkable book. Larry McMurty is supposedly working on a screenplay, and even with his skills, I can't imagine turning this into a movie with the nuance, grace and power of the book. Highly, highly recommended. Cannot wait for the book club discussion of this one.
Post-Book Club conversation addendum: Had to up it to 5 stars. Revisionist history in the best possible sense of the word. Will change the way you think about American history.
readouid's review against another edition
3.0
This is truly a fascinating history that holds some sympathy for Indigenous peoples but doesn't do enough to divorce itself from stereotypes and problematic characterizations of Native Americans, which is particularly glaring given that the author himself is not Indigenous.
eowyns_helmet's review against another edition
5.0
Really enjoyed this. The level of detail makes such a convincing case about the real tensions, misunderstandings, and geopolitics of the encounter between Mexico, the Comanche, and white immigrant settlers. Gwynne describes the Comanche as American Scythians or Mongols or Magyars, and the analogy helps place them as a formidable people. But a number of factors, among them the development of new, pre-loaded guns as well as a taste for genocide among Tejanos, helps explain their rapid downfall. Highly recommend.
tilt5710's review against another edition
5.0
One of the few books I did not want to put down and take a break.
zkendall's review against another edition
5.0
Fascinating. Learned a lot about natives and the west during the 1700s and 1800s, the power of the Comanches, the incompetence of colonists, and the creation of Texas Rangers. Interesting history and cool characters. There is lots of violence, with various parties being savage and bad ass. The Comanches are another empire that Game of Throne's Dothraki could be based on.
The author does a good job not "taking sides" and just telling it like it was. It can be nice to have history as a story instead of a thesis.
The author does a good job not "taking sides" and just telling it like it was. It can be nice to have history as a story instead of a thesis.
danchibnall's review against another edition
4.0
A fascinating and wild read about the history of the Comanche natives of North America. I recently took a trip to Texas and learned more about the Comanche, so when I returned I picked this book up immediately. The research is well done but this does not read like a dry history book. Instead it is filled with stories and tales of the Comanche, the Texas Rangers, war, revolution, culture, etc.
I knew nothing of the Comanche before reading this but now I know that they were probably the greatest horse-riding warriors in the history of the world. A very enjoyable book.
I knew nothing of the Comanche before reading this but now I know that they were probably the greatest horse-riding warriors in the history of the world. A very enjoyable book.
jennyp0208's review against another edition
3.0
Until now, I knew just about nothing about the history of Texas and the Plains Indians, beyond what made it into Disney's Spirit and a watered down public school curriculum. This is a complicated and interesting story, with layers of details and years of humans being terrible to each other on both sides - it must be said. The "noble savage" is a myth. People are people and the norm is to be horrid to the "other". So much of the story is about cultural misunderstanding - each group not grasping the communications and motivations of the other. Each group pursuing their own benefit to the detriment of the other. Notice I say "each group" - the book is clear, neither party was purely victim or aggressor. It could have ended differently.
Quanah himself is an engaging character. But for a book with his name on it, he wasn't the primary character. More ink was spent on the Comanche history as a whole. I wish Gwynne had gone into even more detail on his reservation years. While they started the comparison between him and Geronimo, I would have been interested in elaboration.
I still don't know much about this era, and I'm not planning to dive deep into it. But overall I feel leaps and bounds more educated than I was. I feel the presentation was balanced but as I said, I know very little so I can't easily fact-check.
Quanah himself is an engaging character. But for a book with his name on it, he wasn't the primary character. More ink was spent on the Comanche history as a whole. I wish Gwynne had gone into even more detail on his reservation years. While they started the comparison between him and Geronimo, I would have been interested in elaboration.
I still don't know much about this era, and I'm not planning to dive deep into it. But overall I feel leaps and bounds more educated than I was. I feel the presentation was balanced but as I said, I know very little so I can't easily fact-check.
joeyfrench's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0