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

Empire Of The Summer Moon (Scribner, $16) revives the era when Mexicans and Americans—both settlers and businessmen—sought the Western territories. Despite this competition between these two rivals, the Comanches managed to maintain control of the area for forty years. In this fascinating look at the time and place, S. C. Gwynne vividly portrays the facts of daily life, the personal histories of those involved, and the political realities. At the center of the story is the chief Quanah Parker, whose white mother, captured as a young girl, embraced the Indian way of life, and who himself defiantly battled for his people’s autonomy.