Books by James A. Michener

In this sweeping epic of the northernmost American frontier, James A. Michener guides us across Alaska’s fierce terrain, from the long-forgotten past to the bustling technological present, as his characters struggle for survival. The exciting high points of Alaska’s story, from its brutal prehistory, through the nineteenth century and the American acquisition, to its modern status as America’s thriving forty-ninth state, are brought vividly to life in this remarkable novel: the gold rush; the tremendous growth and exploitation of the salmon industry; the discovery of oil and its social and economic consequences; the difficult construction of the Alcan Highway, which made possible the defense of the territory in World War II. A spellbinding portrait of a human community struggling to establish its place in the world, Alaska traces a bold and majestic history of the enduring spirit of a land and its people.

SUPERANNO A mini-history of America's Manned Moon Program of the 1960s and 70s. Includes all Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Skylab flights in chronological order. Input from twenty-eight of the astronauts that made these historic flights explaining why they named their spacecraft what they did, and what was behind the design of their mission patches. Foreword by James A. Michener.

"Immeasurably stirring." The Atlantic MonthlyAt four o'clock in the morning on a Sunday in November 1956, the city of Budapest was awakened by the shattering sound of invading Russian tanks. The Hungarian revolution was over. But there was a bridge at Andau, on the Austrian border, and if a Hungarian could reach that bridge, he was might yet escape to freedom. A true story by bestselling author James A. Michener s searing and unforgettable as any of his works of fiction.

Young and innocent, they came to a place they had barely heard of, prepared for war. They were American fighter pilots, trained but frightened, facing an an enemy they couldn't understand, and waging a war they had to win....

Mark Miller, a member of the American Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, is called upon to locate the missing wife of an Afghan engineer.

In this romantic adventure of wild Afghanistan, master storyteller James Michener mixes the allure of the past with the dangers of today. After an impetuous American girl, Ellen Jasper, marries a young Afghan engineer, her parents hear no word from her. Although she wants freedom to do as she wishes, not even she is sure what that means. In the meantime, she is as good as lost in that wild land, perhaps forever...."An extraordinary novel....Brilliant."THE NEW YORK TIMES

Master storyteller James A. Michener sweeps us off to the Caribbean,with a magnificent novel that captures the eternal allure of that glittering string of islands and their tumultuous history. Beginning in 1310 and continuing through Columbus's arrival and the bloody slave revolt of Haiti to the rise of Castro, CARIBBEAN carries us through 700 dramatic years in a tale teeming with revolution and romance, slavery and superstition, heartfelt characters and thunderous destinies. A Dual Main Slection of the Book-of-the-Month Club

"Michener is America's best writer, and he proves it once again in CENTENNIAL." THE PITTSBURGH PRESS A stunning panorama of the West, CENTENNIAL is an enthralling celebration of our country, brimming with the glory and the greatness of the American past that only bestselling author James Michener could bring to stunning life. From the Native Americans, the migrating white men and women, the cowboys, and the foreigners, it is a story of trappers, traders, homesteaders, gold seekers, ranchers, and hunters--all caught up in the dramatic events and violent conflicts that shaped the destiny of our legendary West.

A seventy-year collection of poetry from the pen of one of America's greatest storytellers. His final book, published in celebration of his 90th birthday, contains approximately one hundred of Michener's charming sonnets.

"Michener's most ambitious work of fiction in theme and scope." THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER "Brilliantly written." ASSOCIATED PRESS Once again James A. Michener brings history to life with this 400-year saga of America's great bay and its Eastern Shore. Following Edmund Steed and his remarkable family, who parallel the settling and forming of the nation, CHESAPEAKE sweeps readers from the unspoiled world of the Native Americans to the voyages of Captain John Smith, the Revolutionary War, and right up to modern times.

Adventurers, scoundrels and missionaries. The best and worst of two continents carve an empire out of the vast wilderness that is to become South Africa. For hundreds of years, their rivalries and passions spill across the land. From the first Afrikaners to the powerful Zulu nation, and the missionaries who lived with both--all of them will influence and take part in the wars and politics that will change a nation forever.THE COVENANT: generations of people who forge a new world in a story of adventure and heroism, love and loyalty, cruelty and betrayal.

A collection of short stories featuring animals.

Hemingway's last major literary work, this dramatic and moving chronicle of a season of bullfights in Spain, and of the author's friendship with one of the most daring men ever to enter the ring, shines with "moments . . . of purest Hemingway--when what is said suggests a whole universe that is unsaid" (Robert Wilson, "USA Today"). photo inserts.

In his triumphant best seller, James Michener unfolds a powerful and poignant drama of six young runaways adrift in a world they have created out of dreams, drugs, and dedication to pleasure. With the sure touch of a master, Michener pulls us into the dark center of their private world, whether it's in Spain, Marrakech, or Mozambique, and exposes the naked nerve ends with shocking candor and infinite compassion."A superior, picaresque novel...and a revealing mirror held up to contemporary society."JOHN BARKHAM REVIEWS

"Michener makes history come alive, a compelling testament to the precept that character is destiny". - Publishers Weekly "It was as if two powerful birds had entered the sky within a single year, The Eagle in the south, The Raven in the north, each circling and gaining strength, each progressing in the consolidation of its own powers. For forty-two tempestuous years the adversaries would fly in ever-widening orbits until confrontation became inevitable. They would meet only once, a clash of eighteen culminating minutes in the spring of 1836 which would change the history of the world". -- James A. Michener "A fictional account of the lives of Sam Houston and Santa Anna, the book moves relentlessly to the adversaries historic encounter at the battle of San Jacinto, which resulted, eventually, in the U.S. annexation of Texas". - ALA Booklist, Unfront Advance review

Essays discuss football, baseball, golf, fishing, horse racing, boxing, and the Olympics.

Engineer Stanley Mott, astronomy student John Pope, naval hero Norman Grant, and rocket engineer Dieter Kolff serve as principals in the forty-year history of America's space program and share the complex drama with numerous others.

The main character of this novel, David Harper, is based on Michener as a young man. An orphan from a hard and violent life, David attends a college closely resembling Swarthmore, travels widely, and struggles in Greenwich Village to be a writer. This novel was rejected by Macmillan, where Michener worked as an editor, and ultimately published by Random House, and was the cornerstone of Michener's longstanding relationships with editors Bennett Cerf and Albert Erskine.

Mr. Michener shows how the Japanese printmakers, cut off from revivifying contacts with the art of the rest of the world and hampered by their own governmental restrictions, were able to keep their art vital for two centuries through their vigor and determination.

This book tells the story of Bucks County's rich artistic tradition: from the 19th-century's best-known primitive painter, Edward Hicks, to the turn-of-the century birth of a major art colony along the Delaware River, to the influx of literacy and theatrical figures during the Depression. A colorful introduction by James A. Michener begins with the renowned author's boyhood in Doylestown, and recalls his delightful memories of the county's 'golden years.'

This book tells the story of Bucks County's rich artistic tradition: from the 19th-century's best-known primitive painter, Edward Hicks, to the turn-of-the century birth of a major art colony along the Delaware River, to the influx of literacy and theatrical figures during the Depression. A colorful introduction by James A. Michener begins with the renowned author's boyhood in Doylestown, and recalls his delightful memories of the county's 'golden years.'

Six decades after readers first fell under the spell of Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara comes this special anniversary edition of America's most beloved epic novel. With the simultaneous publication of Mitchell's newly discovered early novel, Lost Laysen, and worldwide attention focused on Atlanta for the 1996 Olympics, this special edition of Gone With the Wind is certain to secure a position on bestsellers lists.

The epic saga of the fiftieth state traces its fascinating history from the fiery volcanoes that formed the islands to the strength and character of the original Polynesians to the early nineteenth-century arrival of American missionaires, in a multi-faceted historical novel. Reprint. 40,000 first printing..

Eight wanderers, spanning three generations, find themselves thrown together in the Spanish resort town of Torremolinos.

"Massive, beautiful...Unquestionably some of the best writing on Spain...The best that Mr. Michener has ever done on any subject... Stunning...Memorable." THE WALL STREET JOURNAL Here, in the fresh, vivid prose that is James Michener's trademark, is the real Spain as he experiences it. He not only reveals the celebrated Spain of bullfights and warror kings, painters and processions, cathedrals and olive orchards; he also shares the intimate, often hidden Spain he has come to know, where toiling peasants and their honest food, the salt of the shores and the oranges of the inland fields, the congeniality of living souls and the dark weight of history conspire to create a wild, contradictory, passionately beautiful land, the mystery called Iberia.

A personal and pictorial view of five regions of the United States includes conversations with residents of each region on present-day social, economic, political, and cultural events and trends.

One of America's foremost authors describes the process of writing and publishing a book in this invaluable step-by-step guide for writers, editors, and book lovers.

"The best novel of James Michener's career." Milwaukee JournalGold fever swept the world in 1897. The chance for untold riches sent thousands of dreamers on a perilous trek toward their fortunes, failures, or deaths. Follow four English aristocrats and their Irish servant as they misguidedly haul their dreams across cruel Canadian terrain toward the Klondike gold fields.

A probing and dramatic study of the tragic events leading up to the killing of four students by National Guardsmen at Kent State University in the spring of 1970

As Major Norman Starr is about to appear before a congressional committee to publicly account for his covert actions, he recalls the heritage of his ancestors and the role they played in the true glory of America. Bestselling author James Michener has painted a timeless family portrait and an eloquent lesson in American history.

"Astounding...Fast-moving, Intriguing...James Michener is back in huge, familiar form with MEXICO." LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS Here is the story of an American journalist who travels to Mexico to report on the upcoming duel between two great matadors, but who is ultimately swept up in the dramatic story of his Mexican ancestors. From the brutality and brilliance of the ancients, to the iron fist of the invading Spaniards, to the modern-day Mexicans battling through dust and bloodshed to build a nation upon the ashes of revolution, James Michener weaves it all into an epic human story that ranks with the best of his beloved, bestselling novels. A MAIN SELECTION OF THE BOOK-OF-THE-MONTH CLUB

America's bestselling author transports readers to magical Seville, Spain, at Easter time, a season of splendid pageantry, exciting bullfights, deep piety--and miracles. An American journalist, sent to Seville on assignment to cover the efforts of a rancher to revive his once proud line of bulls--uncovers a story that shakes his newspaperman's hard-bitten pragmatism. 26 illustrations.

Compilation of original Japanese woodblock prints surveys recent outstanding achievements in this art form.

Michener tells the poignant story of how he dreamed of writing an epic novel of Mexico, actually wrote most of the novel, and lost the manuscript. Its discovery 30 years later led to the recent bestseller Mexico. Also includes the never-before published novella The Texas Girls.

James Michener turns the creation and publication of a novel into an extroardinary and exciting experience as he renders believable the intriguing personalities who are the parents to its birth: a writer, editor, critic, and reader are locked in the desperate scenario of life, death, love, and truth. As immediate as today's headlines, as close as the bookshelves, THE NOVEL is a fascinating look into the glamorous world of the writer.Selected by the Book-of-the-Month Club

Like the heroic land that is its subject, James Michener's POLAND teems with vivid events and unforgettble characters. In the sweeping span of eight tumultuous centuries, three Polish families live out their destinies and the drama of a nation--in the grand tradition of a great James Michener saga."POLAND is a monumental effort, a magnificent guide to a better understanding of the country's tribulations."CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Bounded by an episode set in troubled contemporary Poland, this panoramic novel spans the tragic history of Poland from the thirteenth to the twentieth century as it follows the fortunes of the Lubonski, Bukowski, and Buk families.

Examines the American system for electing a President and Vice-President, its dangers, and possible methods of improvement.

James Michener's thoughts on world problems facing America in the 1970s.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of TALES OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC returns to the scenes of those tales, which won him world recognition. Once again he evokes the magic of the blessed isles in the Pacific with stories and accounts glowing with color and alive with adventure. "This is a book that should be read by everyone...and all who have seen the South Pacific will find on every page the odors of frangipani, copra, blood, and beer."THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK

A brilliant tale of love and war, SAYONARA tells the story of Major Lloyd Gruver, son of an army general stationed in Japan, dating a general's daughter, and happy with his life. He didn't understand the soldiers who fell in love with Japanese girls. Then he met Hana-ogi. After that nothing mattered anymore. Nothing but her....

"In today's fast-changing world, Cuba will be next on center stage".--James A. Michener. Michener's impressions of Castro's Havana open a unique window on a country and a people so close yet so inaccessible. 160 color prints.

In the grand storytelling style that is his signature, James Michener sweeps us back through time to the very beginnings of the Jewish faith, thousands of years ago. Through the predecessors of four modern men and women, we experience the entire colorful history of the Jews, including the life of the early Hebrews and their persecutions, the impact of Christianity, the Crusades, and the Spanish Inquisition, all the way to the founding of present-day Israel and the Middle-East conflict."A sweeping chronology filled with excitement."THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER

A picture-book version of the story told in the musical "South Pacific", which in turn is based on Michener's own novel "Tales of the South Pacific". Color illustrations accompany the text.

Space. It is the object of dreams and daring of countless men and women who have made it the last, great frontier of human endeavor. James Michener has brought the human touch to that exciting exploration by bringing to life six men and women. Their dedication to the space experience defines its complexities and fascination as no other writer can.

The people and beauty of the South Pacific's coral islands are viewed through the eyes of a young naval lieutenant.

James Michener's vast work has intrigued millions of readers. Popularizing history, he wrote extensively about travel and covered broad areas of America in books such as Centennial, Texas, Hawaii, Alaska, and Chesapeake. He won the Pulitzer Prize for his first book, Tales of the South Pacific, which he wrote at the age of forty, and his books were made into television miniseries, movies, and musicals. In conversations that took place between 1980 and October 1997, days before his death, Michener met with Lawrence Grobel at Michener's homes in Florida, Maine, and Texas, as well as in New York and Los Angeles. The two discussed topics of both a personal and professional nature and touched on subjects Michener avoided in his own memoir. The product of these revealing discussions is Talking with Michener, the first full-length book of in-depth interviews with the famed writer. In the thirteen chapters of the book, Michener explores sex, love, pornography, politics, abortion, AIDS, plagiarism, sports, the current state of publishing, and the status of the artist in society. To Grobel he reveals many personal milestones and struggles -- his dialysis; the death of his wife Mari; his service in the war, his travels to Antarctica and to Pearl Harbor on the 50th anniversary of the bombing; and his philanthropy totaling $120 million. Speaking of literary matters, he tells how he wrote such sweeping novels, why he chose some subjects and avoided others, and how he might write a historical novel about California. He analyzes each of his books, chooses his favorites, and discusses his strengths and weaknesses as a writer. To accompany the chapters that cover the writer's life and work,Grobel has written an intimate introduction about his long relationship with Michener, and Michener interviews himself in a revealing afterword. Through the pages of Talking with Michener, Grobel affords Michener's many fans a close portrait of unexcelled depth and discovery.

In this magnificent historical novel, James A. Michener masterfully combines fact and fiction to present America’s richest, most expansive and diversified state. Spanning four and a half centuries, this monumental saga charts the epic history of Texas, from its Spanish roots in the age of the conquistadors, to its modern-day American character, shaped by oil and industry. A stunning achievement by a literary master, Texas is a tale of violence and conflict, patriotism and statesmanship, growth and development. Among Michener’s finely drawn cast of characters, emotional and political alliances are made and broken; loyalties are established over the course of Texas’s remarkable history, only to be betrayed by the expansion of wealth and industry. With Michener as our guide, this novel is as exciting as it is informative.

With his genius for research and his mastery of many cultures, James A. Michener cuts to the heart of the issues that threaten to fragment and undermine America today: racial conflict, the widening gulf between rich and poor, the decline of education, the inadequacies of our health care system. Then he offers a detailed program that will help America sustain what he terms its "outstanding success."Thought-provoking, opinionated, infused with the wisdom and passion of a lifetime, This Noble Land is at once a wake-up call for our troubled times and a blueprint for our future greatness.

A trio of classic bestselling novels that unforgettably capture the experience of American fighting men in World War II -- and have captured the hearts and minds of generations of readers.

In a tribute to the seafaring men of the Chesapeake Bay, narratives of local hunting, oystering, racing, and fighting are presented with evocative illustrations of the watermen at work and play.

James A. Michener writes about his early years as a foundling adopted by a Pennsylvania woman, his coming of age as a writer, and his extensive travels in all parts of the world.

In the early part of World War II, 110,000 persons of Japanese ancestry were interned in relocation centers. Manzanar, the first of ten such concentration camps, was bounded by barbed wire and guard towers, confining 10,000 persons, the majority being American citizens. May the injustices and humiliation suffered here as a result of hysteria, racism and economic exploitation never emerge again.