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  • The Captured

  • A True Story of Abduction by Indians on the Texas Frontier
  • By: Scott Zesch
  • Narrated by: Grover Gardner
  • Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (94 ratings)
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The Captured cover art

The Captured

By: Scott Zesch
Narrated by: Grover Gardner
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Summary

On New Year's Day in 1870, 10-year-old Adolph Korn was kidnapped by an Apache raiding party. Traded to Comanches, he thrived in the rough nomadic existence, quickly becoming one of the tribe's fiercest warriors. Forcibly returned to his parents after three years, Korn never adjusted to life in white society. He spent his last years living in a cave, all but forgotten by his family.

That is, until Scott Zesch stumbled upon his great-great-great-uncle's grave. Determined to understand how such a "good boy" could have become Indianized so completely, Zesch traveled across the West, digging through archives, speaking with Comanche elders, and tracking eight other child captives from the region with hauntingly similar experiences. With a historian's rigor and a novelist's eye, Zesch paints a vivid portrait of life on the Texas frontier in The Captured and offers one of the few nonfiction accounts of captivity.

©2004 Scott Zesch (P)2004 Blackstone Audiobooks
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

Critic reviews

"A fascinating, meticulously documented chronicle of the often-painful confrontations between whites and Indians during the final years of Indian Territory." ( Booklist)

What listeners say about The Captured

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

fascinating read

I came across this book by accident and am very glad I did so. The way the author put together the strange stories of the german/american child captives makes you want to keep listening until you find out the end game. It is a real 'page turner'.
I was unaware of the fate of Adolph,Rudolph, Dot and the rest of the captives until I read this. Scott Zesch tells of their capture, release and subsequent struggle to come to terms with life back with their families. It tells the history of the plains indians in Texas over a 20 year period using these captives as a means to tell the story.
I was so enthralled that I listened to the whole thing in less that 2 days. It is all the more interesting because it is not just a story, it is about real people who survived well into the 20th century.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Such a satisfying read

Fascinating facts about captured white children in the latter half of the 19th century, and especially the author’s ancestor. Since I am on a Paulette Jiles binge, my curiousity to learn more about these children was quenched here. Sensitively written, powerfully and candidly read, this is an excellent all round listen.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The White Indians

The whole subject of white settlers being captured by native American Indians wasn't something I'd ever heard of, so seeing this book while perusing Audible sparked interest in me.

This book tells the stories of several children captured by Indians and how those individuals adjusted to their new lives. However, before really getting into that, this book provides some useful background history as a foundation from which to better appreciate these stories.

The book covers a small number of accounts of captured children, about five or so, as I recall. I imagine the source material for this fairly rare occurrence is pretty thin on the ground, given the length of time that has passed and, in some cases, the reluctance of those returned back to their former lives to talk about their captivity in any great detail. However, we do have some vivid accounts of the initial capture and various incidents that occurred during their captivity. I was frankly astonished by the levels of brutality shown by the captors during the abduction in two particular cases.

It was also fascinating to read how some captured individuals integrated into their new and very different lives. So much so, that in at least two cases, the former captives actively participated in raids on their former settlers. Bonds were created extraordinrily quickly in most cases and rapid adoption of the new language and culture all occurred in a short space of time.

This is a fascinating read, well written, researched and narrated competently by the perfect choice for this material, Grover Gardner. His voice is just right to narrate tales of the wild west.

After reading this, you will have a greater appreciation of just how wild, shockingly savage-at times and often brutal frontier life was back in those days.

A recommended read.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Absorbing 😊

What a thoroughly fascinating piece of history this is. Well-researched and beautifully read, this has been well worth my time. I couldn’t stop listening, the detailed accounts took me right out of my everyday routines into the 1870s frontier experience. One of Audible’s best listens, strongly recommended 👍

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fascinating, well researched and narration is superb

This is a really well written and well researched book. It follows the story of the lives of several children that had been kidnapped by Native Americans. It talks about how the white people took over their land and settled, scaring away, bison and another animals. It’s covers some of the horrors of Native American raids on the farmers and the horrors of retaliation raids. The tales are told very evenhandedly, even though written history has often only recorded the side of the farmers. It covers how the children were captured and fascinatingly, how they were loved and treated, and how they themselves became Native Americans. The chapters also cover the attempts of getting the children back and when some eventually were returned, how they settled back into new American society. I found this an incredibly interesting read, really fascinating. I’d also say the narration is superb.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

An epic listen.

A captivating, honest and incredible insight into native american history. Would happily listen to multiple times.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Easy to listen too. Real history

If you have any interest in history then this is a great listen. Easy on the ear and the narrative paint a picture of the events and places.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliantly

Very easy listen really enjoyed it highly recommend about a very interesting man’s life that nearly went untold

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Native American Indian History.

It is a shame that that the original people of America never stood a chance to live their lives in the way that they had always lived, and were butchered by interlopers, who were just interested in depriving the indians of life itself.
It is still the same today as it was back then, (you have it and I want it!
Very interesting, if you are interested in the in Native American, not the people who say that they are American.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great real life captive story.

I listened to this in one go. It was very entertaining and also informative re. early Pioneer life and that if the Native American customs etc. Well worth the listen.

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