Quanah Parker was the fiercest and bravest of the Comanches who fought desperately to preserve their culture. He led his warriors on daring and bloody raids against the white settlers and hunters. He resisted to the last, heading a band of Comanches, the Quahadas, after the majority of the tribe had acquiesced to resettlement on a reservation. But even the Comanches?legendary horsemen of the Plains who had held off Spanish and Mexican expansion for two centuries?could not turn back the massive influx of people and weaponry from the East.
Faced with the bitter choice between extermination or compromise, Quanah stepped off the warpath and sat down at the bargaining table. With remarkable skill, the Comanche warrior adapted to the new challenges he faced, learning English and the art of diplomacy. Working to bridge two very different worlds, he fought endlessly to gain a better deal for his people. As the tribe's elder statesman, Quanah lobbied Congress in Washington, D.C., entertained President Teddy Roosevelt and other dignitaries at his home, invested in the railroad, and enjoyed the honor of having a Texas town named after him.
The Last Comanche Chief is a moving portrayal of this famed leader. His story is an inspiring and compelling chapter in the history of Native Americans and of the American West.
"Truly distinguished. Neeley re-creates the character and achievements of this most significant of all Comanche leaders." ?Robert M. Utley, author of The Lance and the Shield: The Life and Times of Sitting Bull
"An important and probably definitive account of this tremendously significant figure in American history."?The Dallas Morning News
