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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 (95 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
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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
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    5 out of 5 stars

Kidnapping Indians

Great listen this, interesting and fascinating stories from start to finish.
So glad I got it, great narration as well.
100% recommend it to anyone

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

Facinating story well told.

it's the small details of the captives lives with the Native Americans that make this book so interesting.

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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

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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Fascinating

This is very thought provoking. The details are upsetting at times but the research and compassion with which it has been based on are thorough and deep. I’d strongly recommend it.

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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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Great insight of that period

I loved it and kept me interested all the way….and finally I found a native trail

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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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Brilliantly

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

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