Comanches the destruction of a people book

The destruction of a people, and that started me reading more. The comanche empire is the best book anyone has written about the comanche indians of the southern plains. Like virtually all good books about the american indian, it tells a tragic story, but. Why did he embark on this study of the comanches in 18th and 19thcentury. This is a well written, balanced look at the history of the comanches by t. While its likely the definitive history of the comanches, it certainly didnt capture the imagination the way gwynnes book has succeeded. This is among the best written on the comanche people. Like other plains indians, the comanche were very hospitable people. Fehrenbach and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Intrigued, he began reading more books about the tribe, such as t. Fehrenbach died of a congenital heart defect at northeast baptist hospital in san antonio on december 1, 20.

But he insists that the comanches were vicious predators, not from white oppression or survival necessity, but from an. In these comanche raids property was stolen and at least six people were killed. The destruction of a people, a book that despite its title has little to do with dee browns bury my heart at wounded knee and others that see things from the indian perspective. How comanche indians butchered babies, roasted enemies alive and would ride 1,000 miles to wipe out one family. Authoritative and immediate, this is the classic account of the most powerful of the american indian tribes. Senator john mccain called this book perhaps the best book ever written on the korean war. Comanches the destruction of a people by t r fehrenbach. After moving to texas in the 1990s, gwynne discovered that the lone star state still remembered the indian wars. Vast in scope, comanches begins with an anthropological study of the warring tribes development and domination of rival indians. For them the powwow, or dance gathering, had become an important method of maintaining comanche kinship. Native american images native american beauty native american history american indians native american features seneca indians plains indians george vi foto art. In a word, fehrenbachs scholarlevel book leaves you with a deep respect for the comanches. For this blueeyed, yellowhaired survivor of an almostforgotten massacre. The great raid of 1840 was the largest raid ever mounted by native americans on white cities in what is now the united states.

January 12, 1925 december 1, 20 was an american historian, columnist, and the former head of the texas historical commission 19871991. The destruction of a people, which, for western history buffs, is. Absolutely authoritative and immediate, this is the story of the most. Peta nocona chose his wife from among the members of the nokoni band. Oct 22, 2015 the last part of her story was detailed by t. He was the son of the quahadi comanche chief pohebitsquasho iron jacket. A most thorough analysis and wonderful storytelling. The people are also united by pride in their rich comanche heritage, an element that has remained constant through years of tumultuous change. Fehrenbach, author of an excellent study on mexico fire and blood, 1973, gives compassionate due to the comanches as they moved from stone age duress in the mountains to horseback command of southern plains bison ranges, and ultimate surrender to u. For a complete history of the comanches, this book probably has. He came to prominence after the council house fight when he led the comanches on the great raid of 1840.

Parker july 4, 1797 1864 was the uncle of cynthia ann parker and the great uncle of quanah parker, last chief of the comanches. Comanche indians the handbook of texas online texas state. The comanches the destruction of a people published by user, 19 years ago an excellent book. He, along with santa anna, was part of the great raid of 1840 which buffalo hump organized to take revenge for what the comanche viewed as the utter betrayal of their people at the council house. Fehrenbach 1974, hardcover at the best online prices at ebay. Fort griffin and the prairieplains frontier was written by steve dial. Fehrenbach was a historian and journalist specializing on texas, his native state. The rise and fall of the comanche empire quanah parker, considered the greatest comanche chief, was the son of cynthia ann parker, a white pioneer woman kidnapped by a. Fehrenbach 1994, paperback, reprint at the best online prices at ebay. The destruction of a people 1975, so i picked it up. He graduated from princeton university in 1947 and wrote more than twenty books, including the bestseller lone star.

He led his tribe during the extensive indian wars in texas, from the late 1840s until the 1860s, as the united states tried to suppress his people. Entertainer te ata fisher taught people in america and europe about her own chickasaw folklore but also about the legends and customs of many other indigenous peoples. The comanches were almost as new to texas as the spanish. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read comanches. The definitive history of a remarkable people, from their prehistoric origins to their destruction in the mid19th century about the author t. Quanah parker and the rise and fall of the comanches, the most powerful indian tribe in american history hardcover. Fehrenbach provides a valuable service in this day and age when he describes, unflinchingly, the utter savagery employed by indian tribes particular brand of warfare not warfare at all really but more of a rite of passage for males in the band. Fehrenbach traces the comanches rise to power, from their prehistoric origins to their domination of the high plains for more than a century until their demise in the face of angloamerican expansion. Bestselling book tells story of fierce comanches voice. Fehrenbach traces the comanches rise to power, from their prehistoric origins to their domination of the high plains for more than a century until their demise in.

Comanches the destruction of a people by t r fehrenbach for. The comanche wars began in 1706 with raids by comanche warriors on the spanish colonies of new spain and continued until the last bands of comanche surrendered to the united states army in 1875, although a few comanche continued to fight in later conflicts such as. Aug 18, 20 the truth johnny depp wants to hide about the reallife tontos. It followed the council house fight, in which republic of texas officials attempted to capture and take prisoner 33 comanche chiefs who had come to negotiate a peace treaty, killing them together with two dozen of their family and followers. Plummers book is considered an invaluable glimpse into the culture and mindset of the comanche as a people before disease and war forced them onto reservations. They prepared meals whenever a visitor arrived in camp, which led to outsiders belief that the comanches ate at all.

His concern was real people, and he pulled few punches. T r fehrenbach absolutely authoritative, this is the story of the most powerful of american indian tribes, the comanches who rode into modern history in a headlong collision with western civilization. So while teaching cormac mccarthys blood meridian recently, i learned hed been inspired by t. The destruction of a people, which, for western history buffs, is the mothers lode. A history of texas and texans and this kind of war, about the korean war. The history of a people and over 8 million other books are available for amazon kindle. For many readers, it will be an eyeopener because of its vigorously advanced argument that for much of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the comanches created a midcontinental empire that controlled the economy of a huge part of. Fehrenbach, 9780306805868, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Absolutely authoritative and immediate, this is the story of the most powerful of american indian tribes, the comanches they called themselves the true human. In 1995 the comanches had an enrolled tribal population of 9,722 scattered across the united states. Authoritative and immediate, this is a brilliant account of the most powerful of the american indian tribes. Galbreath, lester 1997 fort griffin and the clear fork country. The citizens responded by pursuing the comanches to a village on the pease river, but because there were too many comanches, the citizens had to wait for a larger force to arrive.

Fehrenbach hardcover nonfiction english 9780735101661. Seeing the destruction of the buffalo herds and the expansion of industrialized society, gwynne says the last great comanche chief led his people to a reservation in oklahoma and quickly learned. Like most comanche chiefs, old owl came to white attention following the council house fight. The comanches were once part of the shoshone indians. Focusing on the comanches, this book is the best overall examination of the indian cultures in north america and their destruction by european settlement that i have read since bury my heart at wounded knee. During the day they ate whenever they were hungry or when it was convenient. She not only recounted her feelings about her captivity, but detailed the life, lifestyle, and much as she could, the mindset of the comanche. The book finishes with the sad destruction of the comanche culture by the relentless and overwhelming advance of european civilization from the east. Apr 08, 2003 the book is devoid of rhetoric, overstatement, or preaching. He focuses upon the interactions of the comanches with europeanamericans. The destruction of a people, has plenty of admirers. Bands of comanches began moving south a long time ago.

The destruction of a people, both available from da capo. The destruction of a people, knopf, new york, 1974. However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study. What he presents in comanches is a sweeping tome on the origins and ultimate destruction of a fascinating culture. Zitkalasagertrude simmons bonnin 18761938 a grand daughter of sitting bull an activist for indigenous people when there were feweven more remarkable was that during that era she would have been faced with what would have amounted to severe handicapsthat of being a woman and indigenousyet she persevered, overcame them, and left a worthy. Master horseback riders who lived in teepees and hunted bison, the comanches. Fehrenbach announced that he would retire from writing columns because of declining health. Comanche people generally had a light meal in the morning and a large evening meal. But old owl was the first among the comanche chiefs to recognize that defeating the whites was unlikely. Aug 22, 2010 this material has been told before of course, much more completely in books like t. The comanche language and the shoshone language are still almost the same. Fehrenbach, a native texan, is the author of several books, including fire and blood. May 20, 2011 the rise and fall of the comanche empire quanah parker, considered the greatest comanche chief, was the son of cynthia ann parker, a white pioneer woman kidnapped by a raiding party when she was.

The release of the lockhart girl to the texans was a terrible blunder, according to the book, comanches. University of oklahoma press, norman, paperback edition 1985. Jan 01, 1974 focusing on the comanches, this book is the best overall examination of the indian cultures in north america and their destruction by european settlement that i have read since bury my heart at wounded knee. He became so renowned that a legend said that his band, the nokoni or wanderers, or travellers band. How comanche indians butchered babies and roasted enemies. The destruction of a people 9780049700017 by fehrenbach, t. Boldest indian attack on the texas republic mcgowan book co. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. Bestselling book tells story of fierce comanches voice of.

In a recent appearance at houstons brazos book store, author sam gwynne addressed a question many people have asked him. The history of a people is not light reading but is easily read. I just wanted to do a good book and be able to stand with the fehrenbach book, gwynne insists. This material has been told before of course, much more completely in books like t. A woman might tell me that her greatgrandparents were both killed by comanches, gwynne told the historynet. Fehrenbach soberly recounts the destruction of the native peoples by european settlement and conquest, disease, and the decimation of the. Describes the culture and history of the nermernuh plains indians from their prehistoric beginnings through their gradual disintegration as an independent nation. It is nothing short of a history of north american indians from the plains and mountains of the us and northern mexico from as far back as it is possible to trace them. Suffice to say it was a gripping read, as i had a zillion other things to do, and couldnt put the book down until i reached the last page. An extraordinary blend of culture, anthropology, history, and stories as they are applied to this very complex network of people. A man of english american descent, he was a member of the large parker frontier family that settled in east texas in the 1830s. Fehrenbach,a native texan, is the author of several books, including fire and blood. Describes the culture and history of the nermernuh plains indians from their prehistoric beginnings through their gradual disintegration. The history of a people, really does not do it justice.

While they destroyed the spanish dream of colonizing north america and blocked the. While its likely the definitive history of the comanches, it certainly didnt capture the imagination the way gwynnes book has succeeded in doing nationwide. The history of a people and millions of other books are. Authoritative and immediate, this is a brilliant account of the most powe. Destruction of a people is a fascinating read about the evolution and demise of comanche culture on the southern plains. This is the kind of work that will find a place in a readers library whether the reader is attempting to understand the history of southwestern amerindinans or working for a graduate or postgraduate degree in cultural anthropology. Quanah parker and the rise and fall of the comanches. This is the journal of the west texas museum association at texas tech university.