Among the many captive narratives of the nineteenth century, Nelson Lee's stands out as one of the most thrilling and authentic. A longtime Texas Ranger, Lee was captured by Comanches and held for three long, grueling years before making his escape.Once free, he nearly lost his mind and his life during the two months it took him to make his way to a settlement. Alone, lonely, completely worn out, and uncertain of where he was, he was barely able to persevere.Back in his native state of New York, this book was compiled and published very shortly after his return. It is invaluable for its descriptions of Comanche life and the life of Texas Rangers in mid-century.Every memoir of the American West provides us with another view of the movement that changed the country forever.

Among the many captive narratives of the nineteenth century, Nelson Lee's stands out as one of the most thrilling and authentic. A longtime Texas Ranger, Lee was captured by Comanches and held for three long, grueling years before making his escape. Once free, he nearly lost his mind and his life during the two months it took him to make his way to a settlement. Alone, lonely, completely worn out, and uncertain of where he was, he was barely able to persevere. Back in his native state of New York, this book was compiled and published very shortly after his return. It is invaluable for its descriptions of Comanche life and the life of Texas Rangers in mid-century. Every memoir of the American West provides us with another view of the movement that changed the country forever. For the first time, this long out-of-print volume is available as an affordable, well-formatted book for e-readers and smartphones. Be sure to LOOK INSIDE by clicking the cover above or download a sample.

*Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award* *A New York Times Notable Book* *Winner of the Texas Book Award and the Oklahoma Book Award* This New York Times bestseller and stunning historical account of the forty-year battle between Comanche Indians and white settlers for control of the American West “is nothing short of a revelation…will leave dust and blood on your jeans” (The New York Times Book Review). Empire of the Summer Moon spans two astonishing stories. The first traces the rise and fall of the Comanches, the most powerful Indian tribe in American history. The second entails one of the most remarkable narratives ever to come out of the Old West: the epic saga of the pioneer woman Cynthia Ann Parker and her mixed-blood son Quanah, who became the last and greatest chief of the Comanches. Although readers may be more familiar with the tribal names Apache and Sioux, it was in fact the legendary fighting ability of the Comanches that determined when the American West opened up. Comanche boys became adept bareback riders by age six; full Comanche braves were considered the best horsemen who ever rode. They were so masterful at war and so skillful with their arrows and lances that they stopped the northern drive of colonial Spain from Mexico and halted the French expansion westward from Louisiana. White settlers arriving in Texas from the eastern United States were surprised to find the frontier being rolled backward by Comanches incensed by the invasion of their tribal lands. The war with the Comanches lasted four decades, in effect holding up the development of the new American nation. Gwynne’s exhilarating account delivers a sweeping narrative that encompasses Spanish colonialism, the Civil War, the destruction of the buffalo herds, and the arrival of the railroads, and the amazing story of Cynthia Ann Parker and her son Quanah—a historical feast for anyone interested in how the United States came into being. Hailed by critics, S. C. Gwynne’s account of these events is meticulously researched, intellectually provocative, and, above all, thrillingly told. Empire of the Summer Moon announces him as a major new writer of American history.

In a real-life version of Little Big Man comes the Indian-captive narrative of Herman Lehmann. Captured as a boy in 1870, he lived for nine years among the Apaches and Comanches. Long considered one of the best captivity stories from the period, Lehmann came to love the people and the life. Only through the gentle persuasion of famed Comanche chief, Quanah Parker, was Lehmann convinced to remain with his white family once he was returned to them. Lehmann saw some of the most dramatic changes in the western United States from a perspective few whites had. He didn't just play the part--he was living as an Indian. His struggle to readjust to white culture is detailed here as well. At the time of this writing, he was married with five children, although he maintained the ties to his Indian friends and family for the rest of his life. Every memoir of the American West provides us with another view of the movement that changed the country forever. Be sure to LOOK INSIDE by clicking the cover above or download a sample.

Young George Belden lived one of the most remarkable of lives of any man on the western frontier of America. A runaway at 13, he lived among the Sioux, learning their language and ways, and married a young Sioux woman to whom he became very attached. Though a young man, he was regarded as a writer of merit in regards to his work on Native Americans. He later served in the U.S Army cavalry with Major James Brisbin, who collected the material you're about to read from Belden's diaries and manuscripts. Brisbin was also a writer of note in his day and was also part of the Montana Column under General John Gibbon that was slated to unite with General George Armstrong Custer at the Little Bighorn. Belden's time among the Indians was exciting, fraught with danger, amusing, and even heartwarming. This edition contains new material and annotations for a modern audience. Every memoir of the American West provides us with another view of a time that changed the country forever. For the first time, this long out-of-print volume is available as an affordable, well-formatted book for e-readers and smartphones. Be sure to LOOK INSIDE by clicking the cover above or download a sample.

On May 19, 1836, Fort Parker in Texas was overwhelmed by a band of Comanche Indians. Some residents were brutally murdered, others taken prisoner.Among those captured was eleven year old Cynthia Parker, who would remain with the Comanche for 24 years and give birth to famed Chief Quanah.Another captive was 17-year-old Rachel Plummer, mother of one, pregnant with her second child. She would soon have her first-born ripped from her arms, never to be seen again, and later watched as her second-born was killed before her eyes.After twenty-one months of captivity that destroyed her health, she was purchased and returned to her family. In this extraordinary account, her father tells of that horrible day when the fort was attacked, and his desperate efforts to find and retrieve the captives. Rachel details her terrible enslavement and how she eventually fought back.