Sampling of his books that have been made into movies and tv shows. An intriguing exploration of the mindset of the youth of the 1960s, this novel. James michener, american novelist and shortstory writer who, perhaps more than any other single author, made foreign environments accessible to americans through fiction. Michener was born in new york in 1907 and grew up in doylestown, pennsylvania, which he left at fourteen to bum his way crosscountry. James albert michener february 3, 1907 october 16, 1997 was an american writer. Nothing cracks a turtle like leon uris, says cletus, the slackjawed yokel, in a memorable simpsons episode. Micheners writing makes these freespirited characters come alive and if you were a teen trying to find your way in the 60s, this fiction story will appeal to you. James a michener books biography and list of works. As quakers, they believed in social activism and took in several orphaned. As quakers, they believed in social activism and took in several orphaned children. Michener written works, his absolutely first book was actually adapted as the popular broadway musical south pacific by richard rodgers and oscar hammerstein. Michener was one of the worlds most popular writers, the author of more than forty books of fiction and nonfiction, including the pulitzer prizewinning tales of the south pacific, the bestselling novels the source, hawaii, alaska, chesa.
Get cozy and expand your home library with a large online selection of books at. When that episode first aired in 2001, i had a near meltdown of excitement the kind of giddiness you only experience when you get a really obscure reference. His books include tales of the south pacific, hawaii, the drifters, texas, and poland. Would recommend all of his books to anybody who likes history but, like me, finds fact learning a great chore. Gosh, if i wrote until i was 90, there would still be um never mind how many years left enough years. Reconsidering the astonishing literary legacy of james michener. They are about the lives of many generations in a particular place. James micheners centennial one of his best james micheners epic american novel, centennial. Its a stated first edition from random house, and the number line does not contain a 1, as. Michener really enjoy his books greeley michener, james a. Trinity is in my top 5 favorite books of all time and ive read every word leon uris has ever published.
This was one of the first books i ever read by james michener, and what an introduction. He is recognized for his detailed and accurate incorporation of. He authored more than forty books of fiction and nonfiction, including the pulitzer prizewinning tales of the south pacific, the bestselling novels the source, hawaii, alaska, chesapeake, centennial, texas, caribbean, and caravans, and the memoir the world is my home. Albert michener, born around 1907, won the pulitzer prize for his first fiction, tales of the south pacific. Unfollow james michener books to stop getting updates on your ebay feed.
Michener wrote three huge bestsellers in the 1960s, after a string of successful novels in the. In the process, i discovered an american master i never suspected existed. Michener s numerous bestselling novels also included the source, centennial, texas, hawaii, and chesapeake. Ive read several of james a micheners books and found them all engrossing. With 35 books in print in 16 languages, michener is one of the bestselling. Hawaii, south pacific, the bridges at tokori, sayonara, adventures in paradise, the hawaiians, men of the fighting lady, caravans, centennial, etc. With 35 books in print in 16 languages, michener is one of the bestselling authors of all time. He wrote more than 40 books, most of which were lengthy, fictional family sagas covering the lives of many generations in particular geographic locales and incorporating solid history. Dont be daunted by the size of the novel, for this book is a real page turner.
Best known for his novels, he wrote epic and detailed works classified as fictional documentaries. Michener and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles. Michener was one of the worlds most popular writers, the author of more than forty books of fiction and nonfiction, including the pulitzer prizewinning. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading caribbean. Michener was the pulitzerprize winning writer who first dreamed of a regional art museum in the early 1960s. The source uses, for its central device, a fictional tell in northern israel called makor hebrew. I started with the source followed through the years by covenant, caribbean, alaska etc.
An orphan, he spent his first few years at the bucks county poorhouse in doylestown, pa, until adopted by edwin and mabel michener. Michener was born on february 3, 1907 in new york city, new york, usa as james albert. In his signature style of grand storytelling, james a. The story takes place in israel, on a mound also known as a tel formed by millennia of habitation.
Michener became a published author in 1948 with the short story collection tales of the south pacific. He is recognized for his detailed and accurate incorporation of historical facts in his stories. His tales of the south pacific won the pulitzer prize in 1947. James clavells novels ranked edward trimnell books. Micheners numerous bestselling novels also included the source, centennial, texas, hawaii, and chesapeake. Through the discoveries of modern archaeologists excavating the site of tell makor, michener vividly recreates life in an ancient city and traces the profound history of the jewish peoplefrom the persecution of the early hebrews, the rise of christianity, and the crusades. It tells of the journey of the pioneers and the settlement of a town. James was born on february 3, 1907 in new york, united states. Michener wrote three huge bestsellers in the 1960s, after a string of successful. His works involve family sagas focusing on the lives of several generation of a family in a particular location. Mar 23, 20 author of generational sagas with historical facts about a geographic area.
February 3, 1907 october 16, 1997 was an american author. James michener 1st edition books for sale in stock ebay. Micheners books include tales of the south pacific for which he won the pulitzer prize for fiction in 1948, hawaii, the drifter. Reconsidering the astonishing literary legacy of james. Michener was a prominent nineteenth century writer, who had penned over forty books in his lifetime.
Anyway, one of the first books i decided to read, based on these sophisticated criteria, was the source, by james michener. Centennial i pitch my tent the way men been doing out there for ten thousand years. James michener, in full james albert michener, born february 3, 1907. On this date in 1907, writer james albert michener was born in new york city. James a michener biography and list of works james a michener books. My suggestion is you have a series of maps available to you as i was totally unfamiliar with most of the settings that the drifters travelled to.
Michener died in 1997 of kidney failure at the age of 90. Michener and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Michener s writing makes these freespirited characters come alive and if you were a teen trying to find your way in the 60s, this fiction story will appeal to you. In this triumphant bestseller, renowned novelist james a. Michener served on the advisory council to nasa and the international broadcast board, which oversees the voice of america.
James a michener books biography and list of works author. How james michener derailed my career later bloomer. See more ideas about books, author and james a michener. You didnt hear james micheners name spoken among literary sorts without a sneer attached. The years that followed, with their great variety of odd jobs and experience, were an important part of his early education. It is a survey of the history of the jewish people and the land of israel from premonotheistic days to the birth of the modern state of israel.
In 1960, michener was chairman of the bucks county committee to elect democrat john f. These enormously successful books opened an astonishing. In general, the michener novels set in wartime are more engaging than those set in peacetime because the author, a war veteran, is particularly adept at crafting conflict. Ive read several of james a michener s books and found them all engrossing. Michener, as he is popularly known as, is a well known novelist, philanthropist and story writer from pennsylvania, united states. Does anyone still read leon uris or james michener.
He was born february 3, 1907, new york, new york and died october 16, 1997, austin, texas. Hawaii is a marvellous story of the history of the development of the islands. Michener was in his sixties when he began traveling frequently to the florida keys. Michener transports us back thousands of years to the holy land. Michener had numerous bestsellers and works selected for book of the month club, and was known for his meticulous research behind the books. However, in doing so he showed the pain and joy of those people that settled our nation. Michener was one of the worlds most popular writers, the author of more than forty books of fiction and nonfiction, including the pulitzer prizewinning tales of the south pacific, the bestselling novels the source, hawaii, alaska, chesapeake, centennial, texas, caribbean, and caravans, and the memoir the world is my home. James michener, author of novels that sweep through the history. Micheners numerous bestselling novels also included the. Michener was one of the worlds most popular writers, the author of more than forty books of fiction and nonfiction, including the pulitzer prize winning tales of the south pacific, the bestselling novels the source, hawaii, alaska, chesapeake, centennial, texas, caribbean, and caravans, and the memoir the world is my home. I spent an entire year reading through the novels of james michener, especially the saga novels of the 1970s and 80s.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Once you start, you will be drawn in and you wont want to put it down. Michener, and it has a red asian stamp on the lower left corner of the book plate, with the initials j. He is most famous for writing the multigeneration historical and fictional stories. The bestselling book was adapted into the popular musical and film, south pacific. Micheners books in order of when they were first released. His nonfiction writings include the 1992 book the world is my home and sports in america.
I have a particular soft spot for tales of the south pacific 1947, the. Published october 12th 1986 by fawcett books first published 1971. Michener 19071997 was one of the worlds most popular writers. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the world is my home. Michener s books in order of when they were first released. Michener 19071997 was an american author of historical fiction and nonfiction. James a michener biography james albert michener february 3, 1907 october 16, 1997 was an american author of more than 40 books, most of which were fictional, lengthy family sagas covering the lives of many generations in particular geographic locales and incorporating solid history.
As an archaeology grad student, i decided to reread one of my favorite novels, the source, to judge its accuracy. Prosaically, the name comes from a freshwater well just. I spent an entire year reading through the novels of james michener, especially. His first novel was the fires of spring, which was published in 1949. He was director of the texas center for writers at the university of texas. Michener score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. Michener was born in 1907 and raised by a quaker woman in pennsylvania. Michener also drew on his experiences in politics during the early 1960s. In his triumphant best seller, james michener unfolds a powerful and. In this exceptional memoir, the man himself tells the story of his remarkable life and describes the people, events, and ideas that shaped it. He is wellknown for the amount of research that went into his work in addition to the length of his novels 900 pages was a short novel for him.