February 3, 1907 october 16, 1997 was an american author. Alaska takes the reader on a journey through one of the bleakest, richest, most foreboding, and highly inviting territories in our republic, if not the world. Along with the reading, michener provides a table of contents, a list of acknowledgements, and a fact and fiction section. Written in the typical michener style, the book begins with the geological formation of the alaskan land mass. 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, ches. Based on exhaustive research and told in micheners immersive prose, hawaii is the story of disparate peoples struggling to keep their identity, live in harmony, and, ultimately, join together. About a billion years ago, long before the continents had separated to define the ancient oceans, or their own outlines had been determined, a small protuberance jutted out from the northwest corner of what would later become north america. Michener s numerous bestselling novels also included the source, centennial, texas, hawaii, and chesapeake. Michener guides us through alaska s fierce terrain and history, from the longforgotten past to the bustling present.
From the nearforgotten past, to the highly technological present, from selfdefense to selfdetermination, here are the men and women who tried to tame the land, seize its bounty, and lay claim to the elusive spirit that holds native and visitor spellbound. A spellbinding portrait of a human community fighting to establish its place in the world, alaska traces a bold and majestic saga of the enduring spirit of a land and its people. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 16 pages and is available in paperback format. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
The bestselling book was adapted into the popular musical and film, south pacific. Doctorow, umberto eco, and other contributors published by publicaffairs, new york 2003 isbn 10. 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. His books are easy to read, so not exactly literary fiction, but i have always learned from and enjoyed them. Michener was born in 1907 and raised by a quaker woman in pennsylvania. The earliest physical evidence of the existence of human beings in any part of alaska seems to lie on a small island off the aleutians and is dated no earlier than 12,000 b p e but other problematic finds of much earlier date in canada, california, mexico and south america cause many scholars to postulate human arrivals in alaska as early as. To the north lies alaska, the vast untamed land that master storyteller james michener now. Michener guides us through alaska s fierce terrain. The first edition of the novel was published in 1959, and was written by james a. 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. Get cozy and expand your home library with a large online selection of books at. Michener was one of the worlds most popular writers, the author of more. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 868 pages and is available in paperback format. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading alaska.
The first edition of the novel was published in 1988, and was written by james a. Joyce carol oates, susan minot, muriel spark, james michener, e. Jan 08, 20 michener did not begin writing professionally until he was in his 40s, so perhaps i have a few years yet to learn his secrets. Nearly all of james michener s books follow the same format. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Michener guides us across alaska s fierce terrain, from the longforgotten past to the bustling technological present, as his characters struggle for survival. Praise for alaska few will escape the allure of the land and people michener describes. Master storyteller james michener reveals alaska in all its awesome, sweeping majesty. Albert michener, born around 1907, won the pulitzer prize for his first fiction, tales of the south pacific.
It showed no lofty mountains or stern shorelines, but it was firmly rooted. He taught for many years and was an editor for macmillan publishing company. Michener s masterly chronicle of south africa is an epic tale of adventurers, scoundrels, and ministers, the best and worst of two continents, who carve an empire out of a vast wilderness. Michener, as he is popularly known as, is a well known novelist, philanthropist and story writer from pennsylvania, united states. Using his characteristic writing style of starting at the very beginning in this case, with native people living on the coastland we now know of as eastern russia and then developing the story generation after generation through his rich and interesting characters, michener tells the. Alaska ebook published december 17th 20 by the dial press ebook, 1,152 pages authors. 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. Michener 19071997 was one of the worlds most popular writers. James was born on february 3, 1907 in new york, united states. From the javaborn van doorn family tree springs two great branches. Rather, alaska is an epic in the original sense a story that is told over the course of epochs, involving generations of characters and genealogies. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read caribbean. February 3, 1907 october 16, 1997 was an american author of more than 40 books.
Michener s 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 prizewinning tales of the south pacific, the bestselling novels the source, hawaii, alaska, chesa. The main characters of this historical, historical fiction story are. Michener was born in new york in 1907 and grew up in doylestown, pennsylvania, which he left at fourteen to bum his way crosscountry.
Michener has 147 books on goodreads with 498323 ratings. Written to commemorate the bicentennial in 1976, james a. Withal, however, alaska clops forward at a satisfying pace, the breathtaking landscape is a constant presence, and if the prose doesnt sing, it seldom gets in the way. The story begins with the forming of the continent of north america and takes the reader through modern times.
Michener paperback november 1, 2002 in this sweeping epic of the northernmost american frontier, james a. The exciting high points of alaska s story, from its brutal prehistory. With his trademark brand of pedagogy, michener steers his characters through. As his characters struggle for survival, michener weaves together the exciting high points of alaska s story. 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, more about james a. He is most famous for writing the multigeneration historical and fictional stories. Michener guides us through alaskas fierce terrain and history, from the longforgotten. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. May 12, 1988 alaska, by james michener is not just a long story. Micheners magnificent saga of the westis an enthralling celeb. Whatever its flaws, its michener, and the 750,000 first printing leaves no doubt about anything but the cast of the miniseries. Michener s masterly chronicle of south africa is an epic tale of adventurers, scoundrels, and ministers, the best and worst of two continents who carve an empire out of a vast wilderness.
You may have read me say it before, but james michener is a phenomenal writer whose books captivate. Michener served on the advisory council to nasa and the. Stream and download audiobooks to your computer, tablet or mobile phone. In this sweeping epic of the northernmost american frontier, james a. The years that followed, with their great variety of odd jobs and experience, were an important part of his early education. Michener, 1907 1997 james albert michener was born on february 3, 1907 in doylestown, pa. James a michener books biography and list of works author. Like other michener titles, alaska spans a considerable amount of time, traced through the gradual interlinking of several families. The baltimore sun americas preeminent storyteller, james michener, introduced an entire generation of readers to a lush, exotic world in the pacific with this classic novel. First, the geological history of an area is explored. Michener, the pulitzer prizewinning master of the historical saga, returns to his beloved spain with this magical novel of seville at easter time, a season of splendid pageantry, thrilling bullfights, deep pietyand the possibility of m. A mammoth epic of the islands, a vast panorama, wonderful. Michener describes how animal and plant life occurred in the area and how the three basic groups of natives arrived. Tower hill press, nd, c1983, 1st edition, cloth wgilt titles, illus.
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