I’ve written before about my love for Audible books. I usually listen to a couple a month, mostly while I’m doing chores around the house or driving around town and sometimes when I’m working out by myself. I like to listen to fast-moving guy fiction which serves up lots of spies, explosions, and geopolitical intrigue. I also like to dip into biographies and history when something catches my eye.
Today, I finished one of the best non-fiction books I’ve listened to in a long time. Empire of the Summer Moon is about the rise and fall of the Comanches in Texas and beyond. Having grown up in the Texas Panhandle and being familiar with many of the landmarks and towns mentioned in the narrative, I found this telling of the Quanah Parker/Comanche story to be riveting.
I didn’t realize how fierce and feared the Comanches were. They were pretty much an unsolvable problem for most of the 19th Century. I also didn’t realize how brutal they were. I thought that maybe Larry McMurtry exaggerated some of the gruesome details in his Lonesome Dove novels. He didn’t. In fact, he probably didn’t go the whole way in describing how hard the Comanches were on those they raided, captured, tortured, and killed.
In Texas, we sometimes call a full moon a “Comanche Moon.” It might sound quaint now, but back in the day it filled settlers with dread as the Comanche were known for conducting raids in the moonlight.
If such things are of interest to you, read or listen to this book. I predict you’ll be fascinated, entertained, and glad you don’t live on the Texas frontier in 1855.
Telling Stories, Asking Questions, Learning Lessons
I’ve actually been thinking about reading this book. I’ve always loved Texas history, and especially Comanche history. They were always my favorite tribe.