April 18, 2011

Comanche book is Pulitzer finalist

Our Sam Gwynne is a Pulitzer finalist

By Bruce TomasoThe 2011 Pulitzer Prizes were announced minutes ago, and in general nonfiction, one of the finalists was Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History by S.C. Gwynne (right).

The Pulitzer board called Sam's book "a memorable examination of the longest and most brutal of all the wars between European settlers and a single Indian tribe."
Comment:  Empire of the Summer Moon has gotten a lot of good reviews. I haven't read it myself, but I gave it to my brother-in-law for Christmas.

For more on the subject, see The Best Indian Books.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

As a native from Comanche country in Oklahoma, I can tell you that Quanah Parker and the Comanches are and offshoot and decendants of Shoshonie peoples. Thats why their language is the SAME. Furthermore, without an alliance with the Kiowas, half of these "brutal" wars between the European settlers were not soley Comanche battles.

It is fair to say that the Comanche people assimulated with whites before Apaches and Kiowas due to their owning horses.

It would be interesting to see exactly who is giving these good reviews. Traditional natives from SW Oklahoma, or famous non-natives?