Plains Warrior: Chief Quanah Parker and the Comanches [Hardcover]

Albert Marrin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1996 | Age Level: 11 and up

A biography of the legendary Comanche leader profiles the son of a white woman, who fiercely defended tribal lands against those who tried to seize them and who, after being moved with his people to a reservation, fought for the recognition and decent treatment of his tribe.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-9?This biography is a throwback to the sensationalistic dime novel Westerns of the turn of the century. As much a recounting of Comanche/Texan warfare as a biography of the man who guided the Comanche transition from freedom to reservation life, the book is largely based on soldiers' memoirs and captivity accounts, which are noted for their frequent biases and misunderstanding of Native cultures. Author of many earlier titles on various military topics and battles, Marrin uses that perspective here. Beginning with the abduction of nine-year-old Cynthia Ann Parker, her adoption and subsequent marriage into the tribe, he then devotes nearly half of the book to various military activities in Texas, such as the formation of the Texas Rangers and daily life for the enlisted men. Interesting, perhaps, but peripheral to a biography of a Comanche leader. The second half of the book, beginning with Cynthia Ann's (now Naduah's) recapture by the Texans after 25 years, finally turns its focus back to the subject at hand, her son Quanah. But is almost too little too late. The constant use of inappropriate vocabulary (women are always "squaws"; men are always "braves," "warriors," or "chiefs"); inflammatory descriptions; and just plain inaccurate information make it difficult to recommend this title for purchase.?Lisa Mitten, University of Pittsburgh, PA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 6^-10. Marrin's fine new history is every bit as engrossing as his award-winning 1994 books Unconditional Surrender and Virginia's General. Following the same effective approach he used in those books, he melds biographical information about Comanche leader Quanah Parker with a balanced, carefully documented history of the relationship between settlers and the Comanches. Vivid descriptions of life on the Great Plains, compelling anecdotes, and lavish use of black-and-white photographs provide a strong sense of time and place as well as the personalities involved in the struggle to settle the Southwest. Marrin's evenhanded analyses of U.S. policy toward Native American peoples and of Quanah Parker's battles to ensure the survival of the Comanches will generate much discussion and can be used to introduce units on the Indian Wars. The text is so smoothly written that relevant chapters can easily be read aloud in class, and chapter notes and an extensive bibliography will allow students to pursue their research further. Recommend this title to American history buffs and to teens who have read Carolyn Meyer's Where the Broken Heart Still Beats (1992), the story of Quanah Parker's mother, Cynthia Ann, who was kidnapped by Comanches in 1836 and eventually married a Comanche chief. Chris Sherman

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 11 and up
  
• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum; First Edition edition (May 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689800819
• ISBN-13: 978-0689800818
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,444,539 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Albert Marrin is an award winning author of over 40 books for young adults and young readers and four books of scholarship. These writings were motivated by the fact that as a teacher, first in a junior high school in New York City for nine years and then as professor of history and chairman of the history department at Yeshiva University until he retired to become a full time writer, his paramount interest has always been to make history come alive and accessible for young people.

Winner of the 2008 National Endowment for Humanities Medal for his work, which was presented at the White House, was given "for opening young minds to the glorious pageant of history. His books have made the lessons of the past come alive with rich detail and energy for a new generation."

Dr. Marrin's numerous other awards include the Washington Post Childrens'Book Guild Lifetime Achievement Award, the James Madison Award for Lifetime Achievement, several Horn Book awards by the Boston Globe, consistently appearing on the best book of the year lists of the American Library Association, frequent recognition by Book Lists, and the Western Heritage Award for best juvenile nonfiction book presented at the National Cowboy Hall of Fame among others.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Masterpiece! All History Should Be Written Like This!, March 31, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Plains Warrior: Chief Quanah Parker and the Comanches (Hardcover)

Quanah Parker led a life that no novelist could ever haveinvented. His mother,Cynthia Ann Parker, was only nine when a Comanchewar party swept down on her family's frontier farm, killed her parents and grandparents before her eyes, and carried her off into captivity. By the time she was grown, she had become a Comanche herself and married a leading warrior. Their firstborn son was named Quanah, and he would lead his people during the greatest upheaval they would ever experience.

Marrin does an absolutely brilliant job of bringing this violent, critical period to life for young readers. He describes the Native lifestyle accurately but objectively, without romanticizing it through the distorted lens of political correctness. He describes the Indian atrocities and the "tornado of hatred" they inspired among the whites. He states correctly that 19th century Indian boys were "born to kill" and then portrays the teenage Texas Rangers who were, in many ways, the mirror image of the young warriors they opposed. We learn about Quanah's role as a leader in the war for Texas, and when that war was finally lost, about his equally impressive role guiding his people through the difficult transitions that followed.

I have studied the Indian wars for more than 30 years, and Marrin's book has left me in awe. I did not think it was possible for history to be written this well! If you are over 12 years old, you have to read it! END