- Hardcover
- Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (NY) (1 Nov 1988)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0517681854
- ISBN-13: 978-0517681855
- Product Dimensions: 22.9 x 15.2 x 2.5 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
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Product Description
Product Description
"A book about oil and water, rangers and outlaws, Anglos and Hispanics, frontier and settlement, money and power...James Michener is something rare and valuable: an honorable craftsman doing honorable work....He manages to make history vivid and palatable to the reader."
THE BOSTON GLOBE
Texas. A land of sprawling diversity and unparalleled richness; a dazzling chapter in the history of our nation, a place like no other on earth. Through the remarkable lives of four families, this epic saga spans four centuries and two continents and charts the dramatic formation of several great dynasties from the age of the conquistadors to the present day. A richly compelling novel of a proud people eager to meet the challenge of the land, TEXAS is James Michener's most magnificent achievement.
From the Paperback edition.
THE BOSTON GLOBE
Texas. A land of sprawling diversity and unparalleled richness; a dazzling chapter in the history of our nation, a place like no other on earth. Through the remarkable lives of four families, this epic saga spans four centuries and two continents and charts the dramatic formation of several great dynasties from the age of the conquistadors to the present day. A richly compelling novel of a proud people eager to meet the challenge of the land, TEXAS is James Michener's most magnificent achievement.
From the Paperback edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Since reading another James Michener novel 'Alaska' as a teenager (which was incredible by the way and highly recommended) I have sought out his other books (Space is also very good).
Texas fits the mold in that it is an epic novel telling the story of Texas from the earliest settlers, their hard work and struggle dealing with the local indians through to modern (at the time Michener was writing) Texas.
I'm loving being drawn into the generational stories and the way he weaves together a fine tapestry from many disparate threads. Today I'm barely half way through the novel but can certainly say if you like James Michener books you'll love this.
One complaint: this book is available on Kindle in the US but not at present for the UK market. Please please please let me purchase James Michener novels for my kindle!
Texas fits the mold in that it is an epic novel telling the story of Texas from the earliest settlers, their hard work and struggle dealing with the local indians through to modern (at the time Michener was writing) Texas.
I'm loving being drawn into the generational stories and the way he weaves together a fine tapestry from many disparate threads. Today I'm barely half way through the novel but can certainly say if you like James Michener books you'll love this.
One complaint: this book is available on Kindle in the US but not at present for the UK market. Please please please let me purchase James Michener novels for my kindle!
0 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
The only thing missing about this book is the globe of Texas. A "honourable crafstman doing honorable work" (from the reviews) knew that the book doomed to be a success - nobody went bankrupt yet underestimating the ignorance of the audience (in general, but US in particular). A well researched and talented history (fictional) of Texas - or, better put it, of the invasion by the white settlers. The subtitle should be: "No Injuns, No Blacks, No Dogs" (except the story of Buffalo Soldiers). An impressive survey of the history of the territory (or the state) of 6 nations (Spain, France, etc, etc) - with almost total silencing of the history and cilture of three genuine civilization - Pueblo, Mount Builder and Mesoamerican - as the Native Americans make less than 0,5% of the Texas population now, why bother?.
The worst thing about the book (to my most humble opinion) - is the completely artificial and pathetic "Task Force" - a bunch of pretentious hair-brained "scholars", boasting about their noble ancestry - from illiterate Spanish muleteer driver and a madame of the whorehouse - and busying themselves with "How should we teach the history of Texas"? (to the rest of the world, apparently).
Serious contributions to the world civilization are missing: 22nd November 1963 and "Walker, Texas Ranger". Also the fact that there is George W.Bush Library (why didn't he read some?).
Generally speaking, James Michener is a very talented and serious writer (one of my favourites), he tried hard to repeat the same scheme as in outstanding "Chesapeake" (Chesapeake), but this book is as bad as "Hawaii" and "Poland", and is worth reading: it'll give you an understanding of unique mentality based on ignorance + arrogance, which led US into Vietnam (after the French had been butchered there) and to Afganistan (right after the crash of the Soviet war machine)
The worst thing about the book (to my most humble opinion) - is the completely artificial and pathetic "Task Force" - a bunch of pretentious hair-brained "scholars", boasting about their noble ancestry - from illiterate Spanish muleteer driver and a madame of the whorehouse - and busying themselves with "How should we teach the history of Texas"? (to the rest of the world, apparently).
Serious contributions to the world civilization are missing: 22nd November 1963 and "Walker, Texas Ranger". Also the fact that there is George W.Bush Library (why didn't he read some?).
Generally speaking, James Michener is a very talented and serious writer (one of my favourites), he tried hard to repeat the same scheme as in outstanding "Chesapeake" (Chesapeake), but this book is as bad as "Hawaii" and "Poland", and is worth reading: it'll give you an understanding of unique mentality based on ignorance + arrogance, which led US into Vietnam (after the French had been butchered there) and to Afganistan (right after the crash of the Soviet war machine)
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
49 reviews
50 of 51 people found the following review helpful
Michener's "Texas" is a Big as the State!
7 Aug 2005
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Author James A. Michener has conceived and written an epic novel about the state we now know as Texas. Using his characteristic writing style of starting at the very beginning (in this case, with Coronado looking for the 7 cities of Cibola) and then developing the story generation after generation through his many rich and interesting characters. Michener tells the complete story of Texas, from its beginnings to the present. The reader learns how Texas was first "settled" by Spanish priests who came to bring salvation to the natives, what animals first roamed its lands (He devotes part of a chapter to the amradillo and it is very interesting reading!), what the native "Indians" were like and how they survivied in this sometimes harsh environment, how the Americans took the land from Mexico in the Spanish-American war, the Alamo and what really happened there, how the discovery of oil changed the state from a huge open-range cattle pasture to an economic giant, and finally, it tells the story of the multi-ethnic people of Texas, and this perhaps is Michener's strength in story-telling.
Yes, the novel is a long one - over 1,000 pages, but it is still an absorbing page-turner. Each chapter is a mini-novel in itself and tells the story of a particular generation of people in Texas' development. Michener has a knack of creating and developing characters that are both interesting and believable and this is his greatest strength as a writer. The reader comes to care about these fictious charcters as though they are living breathing realities, and in a sense, the charcters are "real", as Michener's painstaking research enabled him to form his charcters based on historical personages.
"Texas" is a marvelous book, and for those that are into long sweeping novels, this is a book for you. It seems that Michener's writing style either fascinates or tries the patience of his readers. Michener goes into great detail in explaining the lives of his characters and some readers are impatient with his extensive prose and are apt to put his books down before finishing them. I happen to love his writing style and appreciate the detail, as it paints vivid word pictures in my mind. Michener is one of my favorite authors, for each of his books takes me to a particular place or culture, and it is as though I am actually viewing that culture, its people, and the land first-hand. I have learned a wealth of information about near and distant lands thanks to the writing of James A. Michener. These are places I may never visit in my life, but thanks to Michener, it is as though I have been there through his writing.
I most certainly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about the land and people of Texas, or any student of historical fiction. (the book makes compelling reading even if you have no interest in historical novels). Once you read Michener's "Texas", you will have a tremendous appreciation for the hardships that the first settlers endured to "tame" this great land. Like me, I believe you will always remember Michener's "Texas" for the rest of your life.
I highly recommend this book; it may be one of Michener's best novels.
Jim "Konedog" Koenig
Yes, the novel is a long one - over 1,000 pages, but it is still an absorbing page-turner. Each chapter is a mini-novel in itself and tells the story of a particular generation of people in Texas' development. Michener has a knack of creating and developing characters that are both interesting and believable and this is his greatest strength as a writer. The reader comes to care about these fictious charcters as though they are living breathing realities, and in a sense, the charcters are "real", as Michener's painstaking research enabled him to form his charcters based on historical personages.
"Texas" is a marvelous book, and for those that are into long sweeping novels, this is a book for you. It seems that Michener's writing style either fascinates or tries the patience of his readers. Michener goes into great detail in explaining the lives of his characters and some readers are impatient with his extensive prose and are apt to put his books down before finishing them. I happen to love his writing style and appreciate the detail, as it paints vivid word pictures in my mind. Michener is one of my favorite authors, for each of his books takes me to a particular place or culture, and it is as though I am actually viewing that culture, its people, and the land first-hand. I have learned a wealth of information about near and distant lands thanks to the writing of James A. Michener. These are places I may never visit in my life, but thanks to Michener, it is as though I have been there through his writing.
I most certainly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about the land and people of Texas, or any student of historical fiction. (the book makes compelling reading even if you have no interest in historical novels). Once you read Michener's "Texas", you will have a tremendous appreciation for the hardships that the first settlers endured to "tame" this great land. Like me, I believe you will always remember Michener's "Texas" for the rest of your life.
I highly recommend this book; it may be one of Michener's best novels.
Jim "Konedog" Koenig
29 of 29 people found the following review helpful
One of Michener's best!
29 April 2000
Format:Mass Market Paperback
I have read most of Michener's work, and I rate Texas among the big three, not only in size but in quality. (The other two are Centennial and Chesapeake). I particularly like the way Michener presents the entire history of Texas, and yet focuses on the key aspects of change that make this region so interesting. We see how cotton, cattle, oil, barbed wire, football, etc have changed the very culture of the people of Texas. Each long chapter is another window from which we can see the evolution of the landscape and the people. We see the hearty characters that made Texas what it is today and examine the very heart of the issues which shape the modern day Texan. For all of this, it is a novel, with the sweeping epic qualities of Gone With the Wind or Michener's other great works. Don't let the size stop you. The novel is as big as the state itself, and worth every minute of the ride.
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
AS GREAT AS THE STATE
23 Dec 2003
Format:Mass Market Paperback
This has to be one of James Michener's greatest achievements. If this isn't his best book, it is one of his best. At 1322 pages you would think that would be enough, but with all of the topics JM touches I actually found myself wanting more.
Mercifully this one does not start with the formation of the earth's crust. Instead, JM jumps into the action and begins a saga that lasts almost 500 years. From the Indians, to the Spanish Friars, to the Alamo, gunslingers, frontiersmen, immigrants, cattleman, entrepreneurs, Texas Rangers, real estate barons, King Cotton, oil men, and football. This only scratches the surface.
JM follows the lives of several families from their immigration to Texas and the lives they cut out for themselves while there. Beyond fascinating. I highly recommend this book. Don't let the size of it scare you off because if is a fast read.
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