Shining Star is a ten-year-old Comanche girl. For the Comanche people to be strong, bravery is a must, and Shining Star's goal is to overcome her dread of lightning. Ever since she was hit by lightning five years earlier, thunderstorms have traumatized her. She has hidden her fear because her people are afraid of nothing, in their world view, death is a part of life: tribal members will pass on, animals yield food and clothing with their deaths. Woven into this outstanding historical novel for young readers ages 8 to 12, are accurate plains-dwelling Native American background information on such things as tipi making and moving, foods and diet, buffalo hunting, arrow making, hide tanning, courtship, horse raids, scalping, tales of the elders, power of the number 4, dream walkers, the contrary man, closed face, war paint, and tribal life. Shining Star is a welcome and enthusiastically recommended novel that totally engages the reader from first page to last.

I have been reading books of late about the Texas Rangers. They are varied. This one is remarkable. Half the book is about his adventures as a Ranger. The second half is about being captured and living with the Comanches. It is an amazing story. Not great literature and bit dated in its prose, but I thought a wonderful read.

"A Wall For San Sebastian" is a moving and entertaining novel set in early 19th Century Spanish Mexico. The principal character, Padre Leon, is a Spanish Franciscan missionary who, passed over for assignment to the missions of California, is assigned to the obscure village of San Sebastian. This veteran of the Spanish Army takes up residence in this dusty village held in the grip of terror by the feared Commanche warrior, Golden Lance.

Padre Leon undertakes the task, not only of rebuilding the Church of San Sebastian, but that of uplifting the entire community. Undertaking a myriad of projects, religious, engineering and agricultural, Padre Leon gradually wins the hearts of his parishioners. Recognizing that only with some security from the annual Commanche raids can San Sebastian lift itself out of its lethargy, Padre Leon undertakes his greatest task, that of building a wall for San Sebastian.

As the story progresses toward its climax, Padre Leon is torn between service to his people as a Son of Cortez or greater service to God and his people as a Son of St. Francis. Ultimately the son of Cortez restores his village's spirit and prosperity while it is through his response to his higher calling as a son of St. Francis that he secures peace for his people.

In this book we see Padre Leon as a a soldier turned priest, in the mold of St. Ignatius of Loyola, a builder of missions in the spirit of Junipero Serra, a defender of villages after the model of Padre Kino, and a bulwark against barbarians as was his patron, St. Leo the Great. The story combines history, the flavor of life in colonial New Spain and soul searching of people trying to do right in their lives. It is a book well worth reading.

The Story: Rusty Shannon is a former Texas Ranger who has informally adopted a boy who had been kidnapped by the Comanches as an infant after they killed his parents. Andy lived with the Comanches for ten years and became one of them. Rusty tries to take the boy back (he wants to go back), but that doesn't go well, and Andy makes Comanche enemies. Meanwhile, this is right after the Civil War, and Texas is run by a Union (North) imposed government, but its citizens were divided, during and after the war, as to which side they supported, causing continuing friction. Rusty has enemies who want to push him off his farm, but he also has friends. One of those friends has a young son, who gets captured by the Comanches during a raid, and Andy, now sixteen, faces his past as he tries to rescue the boy.

Commentary: This is a rousing adventure tale full of realistic, interesting, three-dimensional characters (the good guys have their flaws and the bad guys have understandable motives), straightforward language, and a rich historical setting. I knew little about Texas right after the Civil War, but this book paints a pretty clear picture of those times.

I am not generally a fan of Westerns, but that could be changing.

Winter of The Wolf was the most awesome book I've ever read!!! It sat on my blanket chest for 2 weeks before I read it because it did'nt look to interesting, in fact I almost took it back to the library and read something else. BOY, AM I GLAD I DID'NT!!! The end of the book was so great!!! Sad, but still great. G. Clifton Wisler hit the nail on the head when he wrote this book. He wrote about the loyalty people back then had in friends and what we lack today in society. Friends like that are hard to come by. I plan to read alot more of G. Clifton Wisler's books! :)

WHAT A REMARKABLE WAY TO BEGIN A BOOK. MIKE BLAKELY HAS A UNBELIEVEABLE SENSE OF THE HISTORY OF THE COMANCHE PEOPLE. I REALLY ENJOY THE DETAIL HE PUTS INTO HIS DESCRIPTIONS. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A VERY PASSIONATE MAN THAT PUTS EVERYTHING HE HAS INTO HIS WORK. I ADMIRE THE ENERGY PUT INTO THIS WORK. I CAN PICTURE MYSELF IN AMONGST THESE PEOPLE, RIDING WITH THEM, AND WATCHING THIS "BIG DOG" RUN THROUGH CAMP. HIS ATTENTION TO DETAIL IS PHENOMENAL. WELL DONE. THIS BOOK IS REALLY SWEET AS HONEY.

Howdy folks, I'm James Drury. I used to play the Virginian on NBC television, and most recently I've taken to reading books on audio. I had to chuckle with surprise when I read the review below by Dan Huff, who compares Blakely's writing to Kirby Jonas'. I know both of these men, and both are great writers, although their work is highly varied from each other. In this book, Comanche Dawn, Blakely does write differently than some of his books I've seen in the past. It's more of a literary novel, and a good one in its own realm. Blakely plays a mean guitar and has one of the best singing voices in America, in my opinion, so his talent should take him far. Read this book to see what it was like for the Comanches and their best friend, the horse. It is a deeper book than Blakely's earlier stuff, but just as enjoyable. And if you want to compare him to Kirby Jonas yourself I would suggest you try out Jonas' Legend of the Tumbleweed, also available on Amazon.

If you love Horses, you've got to read "Comanche Dawn"! MIke Blakely has done a tremendous job researching and developing and "causing to come to life" Comanche History. I normaly don't care for western novels. However, as a horselover, Blakely had me totally mesmarized. First, because he has accurately portrayed the appearance of the Spanish Horse in America. Second, because he masterfully developed and integrated history and characters so well that I just couldn't put the book down. Finally, as a natural horseman he has me wanting to ride like the Comanche, with war bridle, Comanche loops, et al. I can hardly wait for his sequel to see how the Comanche and the Spanish Horse continue to write early American History!

I defintely enjoyed this book. Three Wolves was an unusual hero, with his power to call in the wolves and the way he physically changed. He was also a tender lover, despite his rough-edged ways. If I wasn't engaged, I'd like to find a man like him. Please, Carol, write a sequel!

I really loved this book and really enjoyed the characters.If only there were men like that in this day and age.Loving and passionate and tender.Very well written.

My God... this is the type of book you can't, won't put down. What characaters. What a story line. So wonderfully written, so real. What a man, Three Wolves, Comanche gunslinger, and much more.. mysterious, calls upon the spirit becomes one with the wolves. A story that has me thinking all the time. Could there ever be such a man as Three Wolves?? Maybe not in this lifetime, but then again, you never know. READ THIS BOOK... IT'S A KEEPER. NEVER LET IS OUT OF YOUR SIGHT...

Kelton is the premier western fiction writer of our time. Slaughter is very historically accurate and a thrill to read. The "Cowboys and Indians" that so many of us played when we were children becomes real in this novel.
The slaughter of the American Bison is a real tragedy of American history. Kelton describes the scene of the bison lying dead on the ground while skinners cut off their skins to sell. This book will make you think about the careful use of our natural resources instead of exploiting them to the fullest like the buffalo hunters did.
A very good read. I highly recommend this book to all western fans.

Elmer Kelton has written another very good book. It is about the slaughter of the buffalo by hide hunters. Kelton writres so you feel like you are there. You can just see the country, the plains, mountains and valleys, the buffalo running. It is all so clear. This is about how people lived at that time. It is about Cephus Browder and his daughter Arletta, who does a man's job but has the feelings of a woman. Colonel Damon Gregar and his sorry son Farrell Gregar. There are times I would liked to have shot Farrell myself. Jeff Layne, who I guess is the hero. But he is a humble one. Sully, who is a hero in my openion. Nigel Smithwick, know as English to one and all. How he becomes one of the people of the west. An last but not least Crow Feather and his fellow Indians. How they were badly mistreated and the life they had. A good read. The last few pages will cause chills to go up your back, or at least it did mine. If you like westerns with out a lot of bang, bang heros or ugly words you will like this book.

Elmer Kelton is the most honored western sriter who ever lived. Novels like Slaughter are the reason why. The story is about buffalo hunters on the high plains of what is now the Texas panhandle. Anyone who has spent time in this part of the country should enjoy the story, as well as any lover of western literature. As always, Kelton writes of country he loves (West Texas) and histroy he has thoroughly researched. I would also recommend Kelton's sequal to Slaughter, The Far Canyon as a five star book.

Wonderful prompt service. Couldn't be happier. Book was in wonderful condition!

This was my favorite story when I was a child. I love how it tells of a young girl who chooses to give up something she loves for her family and people... I read this book whenever I could in school. Now that I teach pre school I get to share the beauty of this story with my class and they love it too...In Texas you see them everywhere in late March to early May. I use to think it was funny but now I have to wonder why, when you see a bluebonnet an Indian paintbrush isn't that far away?

Every spring, throughout central Texas where I live, we are blessed with one of mother nature's great floral displays--Texas Wildflower Season. For three to four weeks in April and May the countryside--as far as one can see in all directions--is a rainbow of color as billions of wild flows bloom. Chief among these are the Bluebonnets, the Sate Flower of Texas.

The Legend of the Bluebonnet is the retelling of the old Indian legend of how this event came to occur. It relates the story of She-Who-is-Alone, an orphaned Indian girl being raised by her tribe during a time of extreme drought and famine. This young girl is the sole remaining member of her family--the others have all died in the famine.

The tribe calls upon the Shaman to commune with the Great Spirits to divine what it is the People must do to regain harmony with nature. The Shaman states that a "great sacrifice" needs to be made. How She-Who-is-Alone acts upon that message is how the Bluebonnets come to be ion Texas.

This is a very sad and hear-rending story in large part, though it is also incredibly heartwarming and inspiring as well.

This has always been one of my kid's favorite books--my wife's and mine as well. However, it is probably a book best left to a bit older child--say 8 and above. Once you start reading it though, you will never stop. You will read it many time to your children--and your grandchildren.

This book is a treasure.

This book is based around prints of 31 glass-plate photographs made primarily by Alice Snearly in and around Cache, OK, at the turn of the 20th century. The collection was acquired by Larry McMurtry, who donated the plates to the University of Texas Press, the publisher of the book.
Noyes, who wrote Los Comanches, provides some interesting but mainly inessential notes that at times border on the annoying, particularly when he noodles off into pointless speculation about how the subjects were thinking or feeling when their photo was taken based on the expressions on their faces.
There is a brief historical survey of the treaties that landed the Comanche on the reservation and the work of various Anglo religious, social, and political factions that gerrymandered their fate afterwards. Noyes also provides information on the Comanches' reservation life and their association with the Kiowa and Kiowa-Apache who shared their reservation. Commentary on the dress of the subjects is informative with respect to the assimilation of the Comanches into Anglo cultural and dress patterns during this transitional period in the tribe's history, but numerous notations on tribal dress also indicate how important the peyote ceremony had become for the tribe in captivity.
The photos are generally soft-focus and relatively low contrast, making it difficult to pick out detail, and there are no magnified views. The notes, however, do well at identifying individuals and pointing out notable objects in the prints. Also, Noyes delivers some interesting anecdotal material on Quanah Parker and some of the other tribal leaders during the reservation years.

Excellent job by the authors with both the text and the selection of photographs. This is a very desirable book for readers interested in Comanches, the development of North Texas, early photography, or the process of Texas transitioning from frontier cultures into society as we have it today.

The historical introduction in this book has filled a huge gap by detailing the events of the lives of Commanches after they were placed on the reservation up to about 1915. Most of the happenings are the same for other reservation peoples and yet few nonIndians are familiar with the sequence of events after various native groups of people were put on reservations.

The photographs are unique and ones not previously seen before. Larry McMurty has provided a valuable service by making these images available through the University of Texas archives.