S.C. Gwynne on the Rise and Fall of the Comanches and Stonewall Jackson

Pulitzer Prize finalist and acclaimed journalist, S.C. Gwynne, writes best-selling books about historical figures who made incredible personal transformations.

On this episode, he shares the stories of Cynthia Ann Parker, her son Quanah, and Civil War legend Stonewall Jackson.

Starting with the Parkers, Gwynne talks about the story he captured so vividly in his 2010 classic, Empire of the Summer Moon. In 1836, nine-year-old pioneer girl Cynthia Parker was captured during a Comanche raid, eventually married a Comanche chief, and gave birth to Quanah— who would become the last and greatest Comanche leader.

Fast-forwarding a few decades, Gwynne then talks about the life of Stonewall Jackson, the subject of his fascinating book, Rebel Yell. Jackson was the town loser until the Civil War started and he became the most respected and feared general on the battlefield. 

Gwynne also shares his own fascinating origin story, which included a transformation from banker to years as a Correspondent and Bureau Chief for Time magazine and later as Executive Editor of Texas Monthly. The guy’s got chops and stories to match. Enjoy!