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Chesapeake
In this classic novel, James A. Michener brings his grand epic tradition to bear on the four-hundred-year saga of America’s Eastern Shore, from its Native American roots to the modern age. In the early 1600s, young Edmund Steed is desperate to escape religious persecution in England. After joining Captain John Smith on a harrowing journey across the Atlantic, Steed makes a life for himself in the New World, establishing a remarkable dynasty that parallels the emergence of America. Through the extraordinary tale of one man’s dream, Michener tells intertwining stories of family and national heritage, introducing us along the way to Quakers, pirates, planters, slaves, abolitionists, and notorious politicians, all making their way through American history in the common pursuit of freedom.
Praise for Chesapeake
“Another of James Michener’s great mines of narrative, character and lore.”—The Wall Street Journal
“[A] marvelous panorama of history seen in the lives of symbolic people of the ages . . . An emotionally and intellectually appealing book.”—The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“Michener’s most ambitious work of fiction in theme and scope.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer
“Magnificently written . . . one of those rare novels that is enthusiastically passed from friend to friend.”—Associated Press
From the Paperback edition.
Praise for Chesapeake
“Another of James Michener’s great mines of narrative, character and lore.”—The Wall Street Journal
“[A] marvelous panorama of history seen in the lives of symbolic people of the ages . . . An emotionally and intellectually appealing book.”—The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“Michener’s most ambitious work of fiction in theme and scope.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer
“Magnificently written . . . one of those rare novels that is enthusiastically passed from friend to friend.”—Associated Press
From the Paperback edition.
1026 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1978
3368 people are currently reading
17131 people want to read
About the author
James A. Michener
522 books3,573 followersJames Albert Michener is best known for his sweeping multi-generation historical fiction sagas, usually focusing on and titled after a particular geographical region. His first novel,
Tales of the South Pacific
, which inspired the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific, won the 1948 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
Toward the end of his life, he created the Journey Prize, awarded annually for the year's best short story published by an emerging Canadian writer; founded an MFA program now, named the Michener Center for Writers, at the University of Texas at Austin; and made substantial contributions to the James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, best known for its permanent collection of Pennsylvania Impressionist paintings and a room containing Michener's own typewriter, books, and various memorabilia.
Michener's entry in Who's Who in America says he was born on Feb. 3, 1907. But he said in his 1992 memoirs that the circumstances of his birth remained cloudy and he did not know just when he was born or who his parents were.
Toward the end of his life, he created the Journey Prize, awarded annually for the year's best short story published by an emerging Canadian writer; founded an MFA program now, named the Michener Center for Writers, at the University of Texas at Austin; and made substantial contributions to the James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, best known for its permanent collection of Pennsylvania Impressionist paintings and a room containing Michener's own typewriter, books, and various memorabilia.
Michener's entry in Who's Who in America says he was born on Feb. 3, 1907. But he said in his 1992 memoirs that the circumstances of his birth remained cloudy and he did not know just when he was born or who his parents were.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,184 reviews
December 31, 2015
A friend of mine, upon moving to Baltimore, asked why the area was so eff'd up. A friend told her she should read this book. She's moved on to Denver, but we had a recent conversation about Baltimore, which is where I still reside. I posed the same question, and she gave me the answer that had been given to hear, "You should read "Chesapeake.""
Michener, I'm told by this friend, is a famed histo-geographical fictionalist, which is to say he writes stories that span centuries in a way in which a geographic location is just as important as the characters who cross it over time. In "Chesapeake," we're taken from the prehistoric Native American days up to the race riots of the 1970s. From what I gather thus far, the novel will focus on Chesapeake Bay life, mainly in Maryland and specifically on the Choptank River, one of the estuary's tributories.
I'm told that even though the characters are fictional, the timing and major points are historically accurate. Given this, my friend felt it does a indeed do a good job explaining why Baltimore, if the region, have turned out as they have.
** Update **
I've finished the book and I can't help wonder if I've done so in record time. It's indeed a labor of love- over 800 pages of details about detail. Michener leaves nothing to imagination as he attempts to intimitely describe everything from nautical industry to religion. If you enjoy this level of detail, as well as history, then this book would be perfect for you.
As a history buff, I loved it. The details were a little overwhelming. I also found that as the story moved into the 20th century, it tended to become a little less interesting. This, perhaps, is a reflection of my own interest in history; I tend to prefer learning about pre-20th century American history. Indeed, I learned more about Baltimore, Maryland, Virginia, the Chesapeake Bay, of course, and even the Caribbean. That being said, I'm not exactly sure the book does a good job of describing why Baltimore is sort of crazy, but I'm glad she recommended it nonetheless.
When I have more time, I'd actually like to read another Michener novel, "Caribbean."
Michener, I'm told by this friend, is a famed histo-geographical fictionalist, which is to say he writes stories that span centuries in a way in which a geographic location is just as important as the characters who cross it over time. In "Chesapeake," we're taken from the prehistoric Native American days up to the race riots of the 1970s. From what I gather thus far, the novel will focus on Chesapeake Bay life, mainly in Maryland and specifically on the Choptank River, one of the estuary's tributories.
I'm told that even though the characters are fictional, the timing and major points are historically accurate. Given this, my friend felt it does a indeed do a good job explaining why Baltimore, if the region, have turned out as they have.
** Update **
I've finished the book and I can't help wonder if I've done so in record time. It's indeed a labor of love- over 800 pages of details about detail. Michener leaves nothing to imagination as he attempts to intimitely describe everything from nautical industry to religion. If you enjoy this level of detail, as well as history, then this book would be perfect for you.
As a history buff, I loved it. The details were a little overwhelming. I also found that as the story moved into the 20th century, it tended to become a little less interesting. This, perhaps, is a reflection of my own interest in history; I tend to prefer learning about pre-20th century American history. Indeed, I learned more about Baltimore, Maryland, Virginia, the Chesapeake Bay, of course, and even the Caribbean. That being said, I'm not exactly sure the book does a good job of describing why Baltimore is sort of crazy, but I'm glad she recommended it nonetheless.
When I have more time, I'd actually like to read another Michener novel, "Caribbean."
January 31, 2014
This has to be one of the best books I have ever read. It has a strong storyline, it is gripping and yet it has at times a gentleness about it. I have read this book twice, and do not rule out a third time....a rare thing for me. I loved this.
September 18, 2020
Lots of good writing here with unfortunately many historical tragic instances of discrimination, real slavery and the horrors attached to it, white supremacy and outright hatred of blacks. I'm happy to permanently delete this from my library. 4 of 10 stars
Read
April 27, 2007Don't be afraid of Michener! I've heard the rule is that you can put the book down if you're not finished in 6 months ha! I think I am 2 months in. Drink tea and read little by little. Chesapeake follows a bunch of families living on the Choptank River on Maryland's Eastern shore from before pre-colonial times through....well, I'm still reading. About halfway through, I was tickled to read about a GOOSE FAMILY hahaha. HONK!
February 15, 2012
What is Michener's best book? Now that's a tough question. It's like asking 'what was Shakespeare's masterpiece?' or even 'what's your favourite Baskin & Robbins flavour ice-cream'? To me, based on the books I have read so far, it is a toss-up between Alaska, Hawaii and this marvellous page-turner, Chesapeake.
I'll admit I really had doubts that a story which was limited to the history and area surrounding Chesapeake Bay would hold me for the 700 + pages in which Michener likes to let his narrative flow.
But my fears were soon dispelled.
Within each Michener book, you soon learn, there are so many great mini-stories and tales of various peoples and their struggles and this is no exception. Herein, there are fascinating stories about local native American tribes who lived in the area (vaguely remember some great story about a guy and his coat of feathers....) as well as the white explorers who came to settle here later. This all goes to show that not only was Michener a great writer and storyteller but he must have been a fantastic researcher as well in order to uncover this much detail.
Personally, my favourite parts of the book were the stories about the African-American slaves (can't remember their names as I read this about 7 years ago) who ended up being freed by their master.
My mother had always raved about this book when I was growing up. Now I know why. Cannot recommend this book highly enough. Michener is the man.
I'll admit I really had doubts that a story which was limited to the history and area surrounding Chesapeake Bay would hold me for the 700 + pages in which Michener likes to let his narrative flow.
But my fears were soon dispelled.
Within each Michener book, you soon learn, there are so many great mini-stories and tales of various peoples and their struggles and this is no exception. Herein, there are fascinating stories about local native American tribes who lived in the area (vaguely remember some great story about a guy and his coat of feathers....) as well as the white explorers who came to settle here later. This all goes to show that not only was Michener a great writer and storyteller but he must have been a fantastic researcher as well in order to uncover this much detail.
Personally, my favourite parts of the book were the stories about the African-American slaves (can't remember their names as I read this about 7 years ago) who ended up being freed by their master.
My mother had always raved about this book when I was growing up. Now I know why. Cannot recommend this book highly enough. Michener is the man.
May 27, 2020
This was an amazing piece of writing, a real achievement. In my opinion this is far better than the style of writing by Edward Rutherford, although both deal with the concept and story of one place over a long time period. I learned so much from this book. I’m excited too because Michener has written many more that I want to read and he’s a new author to me.
May 18, 2025
This may not be my favorite Michener book, but I did find it highly engaging all the way through its thousand plus pages as it followed the Steed, Paxmore and Turlock families and the eastern shore of Maryland. The book goes through Native Americans, colonists, pirates, several wars, slavery and Jim Crow, all the way up to Watergate fallout. Michener’s books don’t tend to generate a lot of quotes for me but they always entertain. I needed just that kind of break and this book was just that.
November 20, 2020
As with all the big Micheners I have read, I like the earlier chapters better than the later ones. The earlier chapters tend to deal with geology, natural history or fictional characters from earlier times. Later chapters cover political events around the time each novel was written, which date pretty quickly and make for dry reading. Still, Chesapeake was good and worth the time spent reading it.
July 25, 2013
There is no better way to make history digestible than by telling the story through fictional characters...dynasties, really. This was really a beautiful and telling account of American history, from the days of Native Americans to the tragedy of Watergate. The scope of the story is magnificent - from exploration, to taming the land, to revolutions, to pirates, to civil rights. One of the things that struck me was how dramatic of a change occurred between about 1890 to 1930. I was sort of disappointed in the lack of transition on Michener's part, but then I realized how dramatic the change really was during those years. There was no transition then either...things changed so quickly. This was really an insightful and pleasurable account of American history from the point of view of Marylanders on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Being on the border of the Mason-Dixon line, this is a perfect position to describe the mentalities of both Northerners and Southerners. Furthermore, the beautiful setting makes you appreciate the vast array of natural beauty that America provides. Really a great story.
September 11, 2019
Le mie cinque stelle vanno alle anatre, ai granchi, alle ostriche, all’airone rosso e a tutte quelle Creature che mi hanno fatto battere il cuore per l’emozione.
E alle donne: Martha, Ruth, Rosalind, Elisabeth, Rachel, Eden, Ellen e alle tante altre che sono state la spina dorsale di questa storia.
Vanno anche al capo indiano Pentaquod e alle famiglie emblema della storia: agli eleganti Steed, ai coraggiosi Paxmore e ai selvaggi Turlock, tutti portatori di difetti e pregi, ma chi non ne ha?!?
Ed ancora: a Cudjo, a Jeb e a tutti coloro che hanno lottato per liberarsi dalle catene della schiavitù.
Non sto a ricalcare le belle parole che molti hanno speso prima di me; posso solo confermarle tutte.
È un gran bel libro.
Ne consiglio la lettura, ma se avete intenzione di fare questo viaggio, prendetevela con calma perché il tragitto è lungo e va gustato: dal 1583 al 1978.
E d’altronde come potrebbe essere diversamente? Gli Stati Uniti non si sono creati da soli in uno schioccar di dita.
Ops! Qualche piccolo appunto però lo devo fare.
1: gli indiani... che fine hanno fatto? Non se ne è più parlato, da un certo punto in poi. Peccato. Soprattutto alla luce del poco che ne so.
2: la Secessione... bene l’antefatto, ma... manca la parte più bella, quella più combattuta, più aspra.
Però, a onor del vero, qui si parla di un’area limitata: della baia del Chesapeake, del Maryland, del Choptank, non di tutti gli Stati Uniti. Si tratta, in definitiva, di un esempio fra tanti.
E allora mi riprendo, e dico che tutto sommato ci può stare.
📖 GRI - GdXL luglio/settembre 2019
📚 RC 2019 - Lo scaffale traboccante
🤔 RC 2019 - Esimio sconosciuto
🌎 USA 🇺🇸: Maryland
📚 XL/XXL
E alle donne: Martha, Ruth, Rosalind, Elisabeth, Rachel, Eden, Ellen e alle tante altre che sono state la spina dorsale di questa storia.
Vanno anche al capo indiano Pentaquod e alle famiglie emblema della storia: agli eleganti Steed, ai coraggiosi Paxmore e ai selvaggi Turlock, tutti portatori di difetti e pregi, ma chi non ne ha?!?
Ed ancora: a Cudjo, a Jeb e a tutti coloro che hanno lottato per liberarsi dalle catene della schiavitù.
Non sto a ricalcare le belle parole che molti hanno speso prima di me; posso solo confermarle tutte.
È un gran bel libro.
Ne consiglio la lettura, ma se avete intenzione di fare questo viaggio, prendetevela con calma perché il tragitto è lungo e va gustato: dal 1583 al 1978.
E d’altronde come potrebbe essere diversamente? Gli Stati Uniti non si sono creati da soli in uno schioccar di dita.
Ops! Qualche piccolo appunto però lo devo fare.
1: gli indiani... che fine hanno fatto? Non se ne è più parlato, da un certo punto in poi. Peccato. Soprattutto alla luce del poco che ne so.
2: la Secessione... bene l’antefatto, ma... manca la parte più bella, quella più combattuta, più aspra.
Però, a onor del vero, qui si parla di un’area limitata: della baia del Chesapeake, del Maryland, del Choptank, non di tutti gli Stati Uniti. Si tratta, in definitiva, di un esempio fra tanti.
E allora mi riprendo, e dico che tutto sommato ci può stare.
📖 GRI - GdXL luglio/settembre 2019
📚 RC 2019 - Lo scaffale traboccante
🤔 RC 2019 - Esimio sconosciuto
🌎 USA 🇺🇸: Maryland
📚 XL/XXL
April 17, 2023
This is a great book. It is a fictional story of families sebtling the mid Atlantic area of America. Trappers, Fisherman, and farmers amung them. It covers a span of four hundred years. I highly recommend this book.
October 20, 2013
Chesapeake is the rambling story of a portion of the Chesapeake Bay area from the time just before Europeans arrived until the 1970's. While the story began well, eventually it really did begin to ramble but also it skipped major moments in history (the Civil War is mentioned as an afterthought and the Civil Rights movement is mentioned as a peripheral occurrence). These lapses in historical moments are an interesting choice, considering the nearly insignificant details that are included. At one point I continued reading simply because I had put so much time into the book, it would feel like a time wasting failure to not finish.
So basically, I would rate the first half of the book higher because the character and plot development was well done and enjoyable. I cared about what was happening and could see how things were developing. The second half I would give a lower rating because it felt like Michener had pretty much given up on any meaningful development and just wanted to get to a certain page count. The stories became dull and very surface.
I haven't been turned off of Michener, but it will probably be a while before I decide to invest the time into another of his books.
So basically, I would rate the first half of the book higher because the character and plot development was well done and enjoyable. I cared about what was happening and could see how things were developing. The second half I would give a lower rating because it felt like Michener had pretty much given up on any meaningful development and just wanted to get to a certain page count. The stories became dull and very surface.
I haven't been turned off of Michener, but it will probably be a while before I decide to invest the time into another of his books.
July 19, 2011
I loved this book. It is my favorite by Michener. I read it the first time on a trip to the Eastern Shore of Virginia. If you ever visit this region, take this book along. It will make your trip a magical, spiritual experience. I read it again several years ago, and it brought back all those pleasant memories including tastes, sounds, sights, and smells. I could go for a soft-shell crab sandwich just thinking about it!
January 22, 2015
James Michener has a remarkable talent for introducing a setting and taking his readers on a journey, that will make one understand the area through it's history and it's people. In Chesapeake, he forms a novel around that area in Maryland that borders the Choptank River, a tributary of Chesapeake Bay.
Michener begins with the natives just prior to settlement by colonial English. Through native (and later colonial) eyes, the reader gets a good feel for the bounty available in this area. He describes a beautiful natural setting with fish and fowl, berries and trees - everything capable of sustaining life. His descriptions of the land make it a valuable treasure to his characters and his readers, and this is even more poignant in later chapters of the book, when environmental concerns come into play.
Like all Michener books, there is so much history here. From 16th century Native American tribes, to immigrants arriving from across a vast ocean, we learn how each affects the land and how the land affects them. I was fascinated to learn how the different religious sects arrived to find persecution in this new land. We are always told that early settlers came to flee religious persecution, but in Chesapeake, early Quakers were flogged, stripped and sometimes chased naked out of various colonies.
Slavery and the racist attitudes that survive it's demise, also play a big role in this 1,000 + page novel. I enjoyed the stories of the African Cudjo, how he led the mutiny of his slave ship, and how he eventually became free. Michener did a good job of portraying those who profited, either directly or indirectly, from the slave trade. Their struggle with conscience versus the uncertainty of economic livelihood was well presented. And the feisty Quaker matriarch, who knew, without a doubt, that slavery was an evil that must be abolished, was a wonderful balance to the slaves and those that allowed slavery to continue.
Michener also used anthropomorphism to make the world of geese and crabs come alive in a way that helped the reader to understand the changes taking place in nature. I greatly appreciated this much more than the straightforward approach he used in other novels.
Another story line near the end included the Watergate crimes. Since this novel was first published in 1978, Michener, like all of us during that time, were surrounded by news of the break-in and subsequent hearings. With little choice in television or radio, Watergate was on every channel all the time. You couldn't get away from it. And so I appreciated even more, Michener's including it in the book. Somehow, it seemed right because it would have been a big part of the history of this area, especially given it's proximity to the nation's capital.
I have to yet to read a Michener novel that I didn't enjoy, and Chesapeake definitely rises to the top of those I have read. Fabulous book!
Michener begins with the natives just prior to settlement by colonial English. Through native (and later colonial) eyes, the reader gets a good feel for the bounty available in this area. He describes a beautiful natural setting with fish and fowl, berries and trees - everything capable of sustaining life. His descriptions of the land make it a valuable treasure to his characters and his readers, and this is even more poignant in later chapters of the book, when environmental concerns come into play.
Like all Michener books, there is so much history here. From 16th century Native American tribes, to immigrants arriving from across a vast ocean, we learn how each affects the land and how the land affects them. I was fascinated to learn how the different religious sects arrived to find persecution in this new land. We are always told that early settlers came to flee religious persecution, but in Chesapeake, early Quakers were flogged, stripped and sometimes chased naked out of various colonies.
Slavery and the racist attitudes that survive it's demise, also play a big role in this 1,000 + page novel. I enjoyed the stories of the African Cudjo, how he led the mutiny of his slave ship, and how he eventually became free. Michener did a good job of portraying those who profited, either directly or indirectly, from the slave trade. Their struggle with conscience versus the uncertainty of economic livelihood was well presented. And the feisty Quaker matriarch, who knew, without a doubt, that slavery was an evil that must be abolished, was a wonderful balance to the slaves and those that allowed slavery to continue.
Michener also used anthropomorphism to make the world of geese and crabs come alive in a way that helped the reader to understand the changes taking place in nature. I greatly appreciated this much more than the straightforward approach he used in other novels.
Another story line near the end included the Watergate crimes. Since this novel was first published in 1978, Michener, like all of us during that time, were surrounded by news of the break-in and subsequent hearings. With little choice in television or radio, Watergate was on every channel all the time. You couldn't get away from it. And so I appreciated even more, Michener's including it in the book. Somehow, it seemed right because it would have been a big part of the history of this area, especially given it's proximity to the nation's capital.
I have to yet to read a Michener novel that I didn't enjoy, and Chesapeake definitely rises to the top of those I have read. Fabulous book!
February 15, 2025
Un libro bellissimo che racconta le vicende nella baia di Chesapeake in America dai primi stanziamenti dei nativi americani al successivo arrivo degli europei sulle grandi navi a vela, mescolando con grande gusto narrativo la realtà storica con la fiction delle vicende private e pubbliche di alcune famiglie che l'hanno abitata sulla sponda orientale. Senza interruzioni e senza cadute del ritmo narrativo si attraversano i secoli e gli avvenimenti storici più importanti dalla guerra di Indipendenza a quella di Secessione, la I e II Guerra Mondiale e infine il Watergate e le posizioni politiche insieme alla vita privata e alla visione del mondo in ognuna delle famiglie protagoniste: dagli Steed, grandi proprietari terrieri schiavisti e aristocratici ai Paxmore quaccheri, costruttori di navi ed espressione della borghesia laboriosa, i Turlock abili cacciatori e altrettanto fortunati navigatori a lungo ai margini della società e i Cater negri africani, schiavi per generazioni poi liberatisi dal giogo della schiavitù, il tutto in un racconto corale intrigante e avventuroso.
July 20, 2014
Just arrived from USA through BM.
The cover of this edition, provided by Wikipedia, is the following:
This book covers the history of the North American east, mainly Maryland’s Eastern Shore, where the Choptank River flows into the Chesapeake.
By covering the historical period from 1583 to 1978, the author describes many historical facts and plenty of main characters, showing how the founders of 4 families will dominate the main plot: the Steeds, the Paxmores, the Caters and the Turlocks. Some strong and remarkable female characters play important roles into the plot.
The book is divided in 18 chapters, each one beginning with a voyage that will provide the foundation for the chapter plot and will describe a particular generation of people.
Some geographical points, such as Devon Island and the town of Patamoke , are fictional. There is an interesting link, Talbot County, which suggests an itinerary for this book.
The author also describes a large variety of central themes, such as religion, slavery, poverty, industry and politics, including the American Revolution, the Civil War, the Emancipation and the Watergate scandal.
Some typical wildlife animals are also described, starting with the deer, the Canadian Honker geese, the oysters and crabs as well.
A magnificent book and an unforgettable saga that certainly will captivate many readers. So far, this is the best book I have read by James Michener.
4* Hawaii
4* Alaska
4.5* Chesapeake
TR Tales of the South Pacific
TR Caravans
TR Sayonara
The cover of this edition, provided by Wikipedia, is the following:
This book covers the history of the North American east, mainly Maryland’s Eastern Shore, where the Choptank River flows into the Chesapeake.
By covering the historical period from 1583 to 1978, the author describes many historical facts and plenty of main characters, showing how the founders of 4 families will dominate the main plot: the Steeds, the Paxmores, the Caters and the Turlocks. Some strong and remarkable female characters play important roles into the plot.
The book is divided in 18 chapters, each one beginning with a voyage that will provide the foundation for the chapter plot and will describe a particular generation of people.
Some geographical points, such as Devon Island and the town of Patamoke , are fictional. There is an interesting link, Talbot County, which suggests an itinerary for this book.
The author also describes a large variety of central themes, such as religion, slavery, poverty, industry and politics, including the American Revolution, the Civil War, the Emancipation and the Watergate scandal.
Some typical wildlife animals are also described, starting with the deer, the Canadian Honker geese, the oysters and crabs as well.
A magnificent book and an unforgettable saga that certainly will captivate many readers. So far, this is the best book I have read by James Michener.
4* Hawaii
4* Alaska
4.5* Chesapeake
TR Tales of the South Pacific
TR Caravans
TR Sayonara
December 11, 2019
Credo di aver finalmente capito il senso di "grande romanzo americano". La baia è un'epica, un viaggio nel tempo perfettamente impaginato, a tratti lirico, mai noioso.
Subito un appunto pratico: ho adorato la divisione in capitoli autoconclusivi, mi ha permesso di spalmare la lettura su un periodo più lungo del solito. Per mesi ho potuto tornare sul Choptank a mio piacimento, una sensazione non dissimile dal "tornare alla terra" espresso dall'ultimo Steed.
Sebbene mi sia piaciuta di più la parte antica, con pirati e quaccheri e Rosalynd, sono stata stupita nel vedere che, sul finale, i discendenti si sono preoccupati anche dell'ecologia della baia, e non solo del suo sfruttamento.
Non mi dispiacerebbe se uscisse un aggiornamento, un'appendice con un'altra trentina d'anni di vita nel Chesapeake.
Subito un appunto pratico: ho adorato la divisione in capitoli autoconclusivi, mi ha permesso di spalmare la lettura su un periodo più lungo del solito. Per mesi ho potuto tornare sul Choptank a mio piacimento, una sensazione non dissimile dal "tornare alla terra" espresso dall'ultimo Steed.
Sebbene mi sia piaciuta di più la parte antica, con pirati e quaccheri e Rosalynd, sono stata stupita nel vedere che, sul finale, i discendenti si sono preoccupati anche dell'ecologia della baia, e non solo del suo sfruttamento.
Non mi dispiacerebbe se uscisse un aggiornamento, un'appendice con un'altra trentina d'anni di vita nel Chesapeake.
June 1, 2018
What a tome!
I finally finished it after 3 solid months of listening/reading. Truly epic tale that taught me so much about my home states of MD and VA. Stories, characters, families, themes that will stay with me. My friend Helen told us it was the book that mattered most as she settled into her new home here after arriving from England.
I finally finished it after 3 solid months of listening/reading. Truly epic tale that taught me so much about my home states of MD and VA. Stories, characters, families, themes that will stay with me. My friend Helen told us it was the book that mattered most as she settled into her new home here after arriving from England.
October 23, 2014
About average for him. Not my favorite writer, but the area interested me since I lived there for about 40 years. It's worth reading once, certainly.
December 27, 2024
Chesapeake is the 6th book in what I call my 'Michener December'. I started this back in 2019 when I had met my GR book goal earlier than usual.. and decided to read 'Hawaii' by Michener. This had been on my TBR for some time and I had been avoiding it because it was such a long book. Having met my goal I figured I would give it a go. I have repeated this pattern ever since (with – in order – Alaska, Centennial, The Source, Texas, and now Chesapeake).
If you are unfamiliar with Michener's style of historical fiction he follows a certain pattern. Of the books I have read they span hundreds (and in some cases thousands) of years. He sprinkles in actual historical figures into his books. His fictional characters are usually an amalgamation of other people of the time period and locale... combining certain historical figures or just creating characters that embody the prevailing thoughts and ideas to give them a presence in his stories. Since the books cover such a large period of time these fictional characters often marry and their ancestors follow the story through to present time.
Chesapeake followed this format, but one thing he did a little differently was that he broke sections up into 'Voyages'. I'm guessing because of the importance of the Chesapeake Bay to the lifeblood of the region. The first such voyage was in 1583 and involved a young native American who fled from his tribe and relocated to another. His crimes... he thought constant warring was a bad idea. The peaceful tribe he became a member of was known as the Choptank. Unlike a lot of other aspects of the book – the Choptanks were a real tribe. I was kind of expecting some of the characters introduced in this section to show up in later parts of the book... but no. The settlers lived peaceably with them for several decades until they kept burning out much of the land they lived on to grow tobacco... the Choptanks (and others) rebelled – and – spoiler (no not really) they were pretty much exterminated. Very sad.
The second 'Voyage' was in 1608 and included the real historical figure of John Smith (likely name – haha). This allowed Michener to introduce one of the 5 main family lines in the book – the Steeds. The story of the Steeds actually began in England with his family being persecuted for being Catholic in the Protestant controlled country. I had forgotten how much the Protestants and Catholics hated each other until I had read 'Shogun' (another highly recommended historical fiction book). Michener goes into the story of this a little as backstory for Edmund who travels with Smith to the new world (hiding his Catholicism).
Voyage 3 is in 1636 and involves a petty criminal named Timothy Turlock. Rather than face prison time Turlock is offered an indenture of 7 years if he were to travel to Virginia. Turlock escapes to live in the swamp and him and his offspring kind of make up what would represent the Appalachian element of the story. This section also goes over the idea of 'buying a bride' brought over from Europe as new world settlers... horrifying.
Voyage 4 is in 1661 and introduces the Paxmore family to the story. The Paxmores are Quakers and there is a lot of interesting bits including them – especially later on in the story with the moral issues involving slavery. I recently took some trips to the Philadelphia, New York, and Boston areas. Whenever I travel I try to include some historical things along with the usual sightseeing – and Phi/NY/Bos are three great places to do this. One thing that stuck out with me on this trip was the early American ideal of 'freedom of religion.' As I learned... this sounds good, but in practice it meant that 'you can worship as you choose, but if you don't agree with us you are just a likely to be attacked' The hardships of the early Quakers was really interesting to me. On my trip I visited an old church in New York with some really interesting catacombs. One thing I learned on the tour was that the wall around the church (and graveyard) was built to defend against other religions that thought it would be a great idea to burn down the church and drive them out of town... really crazy stuff. This was not a Quaker church, but you get the idea.
Voyage 5 starts in 1701. It also involves Rosalind Janney. Rosalind is a very intelligent and headstrong young girl who .. at the horror of her family … seems to be doomed to not marry because she is not very attractive. Her character sets off a lot of things that reverberate throughout the book. Had I not read Colin Woodward's The Republic of Pirates I wouldn't have know that a lot of the notorious 'Pirates of the Carribbean' actually did most of their raids in the Chesapeake area.
Voyages 6 & 7 are in 1773 and 1811 respectively. Not much happened here. JK – these chapters covered both the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. This was pretty interesting – and again was a nice pairing to my recent visits to that area.
Skipping ahead to Voyage 10 in 1837... introduced another of the families of the story – the Caters... specifically Cudjo (who didn't have a surname at the time of course). This time around the character in question wasn't running from religious persecution or the law... but was forcibly brought over as a slave from Africa. Followers of history might think... “but new slaves from Africa were forbidden by international law at that time... how did this happen?” Not surprisingly – not everyone followed the laws. This sequence of events might remind you of a certain well known movie going back a few years
From this section of the book up until the Civil War... most of the book was about the horrors of slavery. No matter how much I learn about slavery it never ceases to amaze me how so many people would rationalize this often citing versus right out of the Bible as justification. “Jesus said it was ok to have slaves as long as you treat them well – are you saying you are better than Jesus? and absurd things like that. Even if I had been taught that way from birth that slavery was ok – and in many ways we were “doing them a favor” by saving their souls by introducing them to Jesus... I know I would not have gone along with this had I lived back then. Some things you just don't do... and it is just insane to me that folks became so impassioned that they needed slavery that they couldn't see that. Also ideas like “well we know that some slave owners mistreat their slaves, but we don't... it's just one of those things” REALLY!! It's like saying – well we treat our children fairly, but the neighbors rough them up a bit... it's their business. It just makes me so angry.
The next sections cover a topic I found quite interesting and didn't know anything about... The Oyster Wars. This was a series of skirmishes between Maryland and Virginia fisherman – these were not just squabbles over fishing rights... they attacked each other like pirates. Although this section of the book was in the last decades of the 19th century... when I looked this up on wikipedia it said that persisted in some degree up until 1959! Another thing I found interesting in this section was that they still practised 'impressment' which is when you are forced into naval service under duress. If you've seen Disney's 'Pirates of the Caribbean' movie there is s scene that involves that – but this was not nearly as funny as the Johnny Depp movie makes it out to be. (It was also covered a lot in my Colin Woodward book I mentioned above). Also, I had no idea that practice made it out of the 1700s... not to mention the early 1900s – Wow!
One very short section involved one of the Paxmore's going to see Hitler slightly before WWII and asking to release several of the Jews in exchange for money as long as they would be relocated from Germany. Hitler agreed to this and several thousands were freed... I had not heard of this, but it was so specific I knew Michener didn't just make it up. I found several references to this and here is one such article covering the circumstances.
The last several chapters (aka Voyages) go over the hardships of the blacks after they were granted their freedom (just as despicable as slavery really) all the way up to the civil rights rallies of the 60s... it also ventured into the Watergate hearings. Involving one of the family lines into the real events.
My father's family grew up in Baltimore and several of them still live there. (Sadly my father passed away a few year's back). So I knew this story would be interesting to me. As I was looking thing up about the book I saw that Michener lived in St Michaels along the Choptank River as he wrote it (he mentioned he lived there for a while in his opening).
So with so many “Michener December” stories to compare with – how does this one rate for me? Sadly I only rated it a 3.5 rounded down to a 3. Here's why... In Hawaii, Alaska, and Centennial the primary time frame covered were only a couple of hundred years (yes.. I know there were some parts hundreds of years earlier – like in Hawaii, but they weren't connected to the main story really). To compare – The Source, Texas, and in this case Chesapeake cover a much longer timespan. This made it harder for me to connect emotionally to many of the characters. Just saying 'so and so' Steed was a descendant of Edmund Steed wasn't the same as seeing the children grow up. There were too many time jumps. This was especially true in The Source (which covered thousands of years), but there were very memorable characters along the way so it made up for it. In any case, although I liked this story it didn't pack the punch as Centennial – the amazing storyline of Hawaii – or have the adventure of Alaska. It was still a good story. I'm rating Michener against Michener really - maybe I'm being too critical??
I haven't decided which of Michener's stories to try in 2025. I am starting to check off all his better rated stories and not sure I will read all his books. There still seems to be several good ones to choose from – if they start to fizzle out I may eventually abandon my made-up tradition. For now I plan to continue to try to get to round out my year's reading :-)
If you are unfamiliar with Michener's style of historical fiction he follows a certain pattern. Of the books I have read they span hundreds (and in some cases thousands) of years. He sprinkles in actual historical figures into his books. His fictional characters are usually an amalgamation of other people of the time period and locale... combining certain historical figures or just creating characters that embody the prevailing thoughts and ideas to give them a presence in his stories. Since the books cover such a large period of time these fictional characters often marry and their ancestors follow the story through to present time.
Chesapeake followed this format, but one thing he did a little differently was that he broke sections up into 'Voyages'. I'm guessing because of the importance of the Chesapeake Bay to the lifeblood of the region. The first such voyage was in 1583 and involved a young native American who fled from his tribe and relocated to another. His crimes... he thought constant warring was a bad idea. The peaceful tribe he became a member of was known as the Choptank. Unlike a lot of other aspects of the book – the Choptanks were a real tribe. I was kind of expecting some of the characters introduced in this section to show up in later parts of the book... but no. The settlers lived peaceably with them for several decades until they kept burning out much of the land they lived on to grow tobacco... the Choptanks (and others) rebelled – and – spoiler (no not really) they were pretty much exterminated. Very sad.
The second 'Voyage' was in 1608 and included the real historical figure of John Smith (likely name – haha). This allowed Michener to introduce one of the 5 main family lines in the book – the Steeds. The story of the Steeds actually began in England with his family being persecuted for being Catholic in the Protestant controlled country. I had forgotten how much the Protestants and Catholics hated each other until I had read 'Shogun' (another highly recommended historical fiction book). Michener goes into the story of this a little as backstory for Edmund who travels with Smith to the new world (hiding his Catholicism).
Voyage 3 is in 1636 and involves a petty criminal named Timothy Turlock. Rather than face prison time Turlock is offered an indenture of 7 years if he were to travel to Virginia. Turlock escapes to live in the swamp and him and his offspring kind of make up what would represent the Appalachian element of the story. This section also goes over the idea of 'buying a bride' brought over from Europe as new world settlers... horrifying.
Voyage 4 is in 1661 and introduces the Paxmore family to the story. The Paxmores are Quakers and there is a lot of interesting bits including them – especially later on in the story with the moral issues involving slavery. I recently took some trips to the Philadelphia, New York, and Boston areas. Whenever I travel I try to include some historical things along with the usual sightseeing – and Phi/NY/Bos are three great places to do this. One thing that stuck out with me on this trip was the early American ideal of 'freedom of religion.' As I learned... this sounds good, but in practice it meant that 'you can worship as you choose, but if you don't agree with us you are just a likely to be attacked' The hardships of the early Quakers was really interesting to me. On my trip I visited an old church in New York with some really interesting catacombs. One thing I learned on the tour was that the wall around the church (and graveyard) was built to defend against other religions that thought it would be a great idea to burn down the church and drive them out of town... really crazy stuff. This was not a Quaker church, but you get the idea.
Voyage 5 starts in 1701. It also involves Rosalind Janney. Rosalind is a very intelligent and headstrong young girl who .. at the horror of her family … seems to be doomed to not marry because she is not very attractive. Her character sets off a lot of things that reverberate throughout the book. Had I not read Colin Woodward's The Republic of Pirates I wouldn't have know that a lot of the notorious 'Pirates of the Carribbean' actually did most of their raids in the Chesapeake area.
Voyages 6 & 7 are in 1773 and 1811 respectively. Not much happened here. JK – these chapters covered both the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. This was pretty interesting – and again was a nice pairing to my recent visits to that area.
Skipping ahead to Voyage 10 in 1837... introduced another of the families of the story – the Caters... specifically Cudjo (who didn't have a surname at the time of course). This time around the character in question wasn't running from religious persecution or the law... but was forcibly brought over as a slave from Africa. Followers of history might think... “but new slaves from Africa were forbidden by international law at that time... how did this happen?” Not surprisingly – not everyone followed the laws. This sequence of events might remind you of a certain well known movie going back a few years
From this section of the book up until the Civil War... most of the book was about the horrors of slavery. No matter how much I learn about slavery it never ceases to amaze me how so many people would rationalize this often citing versus right out of the Bible as justification. “Jesus said it was ok to have slaves as long as you treat them well – are you saying you are better than Jesus? and absurd things like that. Even if I had been taught that way from birth that slavery was ok – and in many ways we were “doing them a favor” by saving their souls by introducing them to Jesus... I know I would not have gone along with this had I lived back then. Some things you just don't do... and it is just insane to me that folks became so impassioned that they needed slavery that they couldn't see that. Also ideas like “well we know that some slave owners mistreat their slaves, but we don't... it's just one of those things” REALLY!! It's like saying – well we treat our children fairly, but the neighbors rough them up a bit... it's their business. It just makes me so angry.
The next sections cover a topic I found quite interesting and didn't know anything about... The Oyster Wars. This was a series of skirmishes between Maryland and Virginia fisherman – these were not just squabbles over fishing rights... they attacked each other like pirates. Although this section of the book was in the last decades of the 19th century... when I looked this up on wikipedia it said that persisted in some degree up until 1959! Another thing I found interesting in this section was that they still practised 'impressment' which is when you are forced into naval service under duress. If you've seen Disney's 'Pirates of the Caribbean' movie there is s scene that involves that – but this was not nearly as funny as the Johnny Depp movie makes it out to be. (It was also covered a lot in my Colin Woodward book I mentioned above). Also, I had no idea that practice made it out of the 1700s... not to mention the early 1900s – Wow!
One very short section involved one of the Paxmore's going to see Hitler slightly before WWII and asking to release several of the Jews in exchange for money as long as they would be relocated from Germany. Hitler agreed to this and several thousands were freed... I had not heard of this, but it was so specific I knew Michener didn't just make it up. I found several references to this and here is one such article covering the circumstances.
The last several chapters (aka Voyages) go over the hardships of the blacks after they were granted their freedom (just as despicable as slavery really) all the way up to the civil rights rallies of the 60s... it also ventured into the Watergate hearings. Involving one of the family lines into the real events.
My father's family grew up in Baltimore and several of them still live there. (Sadly my father passed away a few year's back). So I knew this story would be interesting to me. As I was looking thing up about the book I saw that Michener lived in St Michaels along the Choptank River as he wrote it (he mentioned he lived there for a while in his opening).
So with so many “Michener December” stories to compare with – how does this one rate for me? Sadly I only rated it a 3.5 rounded down to a 3. Here's why... In Hawaii, Alaska, and Centennial the primary time frame covered were only a couple of hundred years (yes.. I know there were some parts hundreds of years earlier – like in Hawaii, but they weren't connected to the main story really). To compare – The Source, Texas, and in this case Chesapeake cover a much longer timespan. This made it harder for me to connect emotionally to many of the characters. Just saying 'so and so' Steed was a descendant of Edmund Steed wasn't the same as seeing the children grow up. There were too many time jumps. This was especially true in The Source (which covered thousands of years), but there were very memorable characters along the way so it made up for it. In any case, although I liked this story it didn't pack the punch as Centennial – the amazing storyline of Hawaii – or have the adventure of Alaska. It was still a good story. I'm rating Michener against Michener really - maybe I'm being too critical??
I haven't decided which of Michener's stories to try in 2025. I am starting to check off all his better rated stories and not sure I will read all his books. There still seems to be several good ones to choose from – if they start to fizzle out I may eventually abandon my made-up tradition. For now I plan to continue to try to get to round out my year's reading :-)
November 25, 2020
Im Jahr 1608 landet der englische Abenteurer John Smith an der amerikanischen Nordküste in einer großen, schmalen Bucht: der Chesapeake Bay. Zu seinen Mitstreitern gehört der Katholik Edmund Steed, der vor der Verfolgung in seinem Heimatland geflohen ist. Nach anfänglichen Kämpfen mit lokalen Indianerstämmen entschließt sich Steed, auf einer Insel nahe der Mündung des Choptank zu siedeln, die er Devon nennt.
Im Nachfolgeroman von „Centennial“ verzichtet James Michener darauf, die Entwicklung der großen Bucht bis in frühere Erdzeitalter zurückzuverfolgen und lässt seine Handlung mit dem Indianer Pentaquod vor der Ankunft der englischen Siedler einsetzen. Die Urbevölkerung nimmt jedoch erheblich weniger Raum in Anspruch, als dies bei Centennial der Fall war. Es dauert nicht lange, bis der nahe Devon lebende, friedliche Indianerstamm mehr oder weniger ausgelöscht ist und nur noch dank einer Mischehe Nachfahren von ihnen in dem Buch vorkommen. In „Cheseapeake“ geht es vor allem in den ersten Teilen des Buches viel um Religion, denn nicht nur die katholische Familie Steed, sondern auch die Quäkerfamilie Paxmore gehören nicht der protestantischen Mehrheitsreligion der Kolonien an. Die Quäker werden zunächst in einigen Kolonien gar verfolgt und als Ketzer hingerichtet. Doch Devon liegt in Maryland, der einzigen katholischen Kolonie, in der andere christliche Konfessionen toleriert wurden. Interessant ist hier auch zu wissen, dass Michener selbst als Quäker erzogen wurde.
Wie in seinen anderen Büchern verfolgen wir die Geschichte der Region anhand der Nachkommen einiger früher Protagonisten. Was die Charaktere angeht, kann „Chesapeake“ nicht ganz mit „Centennial“ mithalten, es gibt zwar einige echte Sympathieträger wie Rosalind Steed, doch insgesamt konnte ich hier zu weniger Charakteren einen so guten Zugang finden. Wie mein Lesebuddy bald anmerkte, ist in „Chesapeake“ im Grunde die Bucht selbst der Hauptcharakter.
Ein wichtiges Thema, das sich durch Micheners Bücher zieht, ist die Zerstörung der Natur, die Kolonisten roden die Wälder, die Lebensgrundlage der Indianer, später setzen sie fürchterliche Jagdwaffen ein, mit denen Dutzende Wildvögel mit einem Schuss getötet werden können, sodass Enten und Gänse zeitweise völlig aus der Region verschwinden. Auch die Austernbänke in der Bay werden gnadenlos ausgebeutet. Die entsprechenden Kapitel sind dementsprechend auch solche mit unsympathischen Charakteren, den gierigen Jägern nämlich. Sogar die Folgen des Klimawandels spielen in dem Roman von 1978 schon eine Rolle.
Im Vergleich mit den Romanen Micheners, die im Westen der USA spielen, spielt in „Chesapeake“ natürlich die Sklaverei eine größere Rolle. So verfolgen wir die Entführung und Versklavung eines jungen Mannes aus der Kongoregion und seine Zeit als Sklave bei einem der Steeds und einem Sklavenschinder, der den Geist aufsässiger Sklaven auf fürchterliche Weise brechen soll. So unterhaltsam auch die ersten Kapitel über die nun als Piraten in der Karibik agierenden Turlocks, den Nachfahren eines als Straftäter deportierten Briten sind, so bitter werden sie, als sie schließlich ihre Schiffe als Sklavenschiffe betreiben.
Das letzte große Thema in dem Roman ist der Watergate-Skandal, an dem zwei von Micheners Protagonisten beteiligt sind. Hierzu, muss ich gestehen, kann ich nicht allzu viel sagen, da sich meine Kenntnisse des Skandals in Grenzen halten.
Insgesamt ist „Chesapeake“ das bisher plotmäßig am besten aufgebaute Buch, das ich von Michener gelesen habe, eine stimmige Geschichte der am frühesten durch Europäer besiedelten Region in Nordamerika. Mein Lieblingsbuch von Michener bleibt aufgrund bestimmter Charaktere und der stärkeren Rolle der Indianer „Centennial“, doch Chesapeake ist sicher ein Meisterwerk des Autors.
Im Nachfolgeroman von „Centennial“ verzichtet James Michener darauf, die Entwicklung der großen Bucht bis in frühere Erdzeitalter zurückzuverfolgen und lässt seine Handlung mit dem Indianer Pentaquod vor der Ankunft der englischen Siedler einsetzen. Die Urbevölkerung nimmt jedoch erheblich weniger Raum in Anspruch, als dies bei Centennial der Fall war. Es dauert nicht lange, bis der nahe Devon lebende, friedliche Indianerstamm mehr oder weniger ausgelöscht ist und nur noch dank einer Mischehe Nachfahren von ihnen in dem Buch vorkommen. In „Cheseapeake“ geht es vor allem in den ersten Teilen des Buches viel um Religion, denn nicht nur die katholische Familie Steed, sondern auch die Quäkerfamilie Paxmore gehören nicht der protestantischen Mehrheitsreligion der Kolonien an. Die Quäker werden zunächst in einigen Kolonien gar verfolgt und als Ketzer hingerichtet. Doch Devon liegt in Maryland, der einzigen katholischen Kolonie, in der andere christliche Konfessionen toleriert wurden. Interessant ist hier auch zu wissen, dass Michener selbst als Quäker erzogen wurde.
Wie in seinen anderen Büchern verfolgen wir die Geschichte der Region anhand der Nachkommen einiger früher Protagonisten. Was die Charaktere angeht, kann „Chesapeake“ nicht ganz mit „Centennial“ mithalten, es gibt zwar einige echte Sympathieträger wie Rosalind Steed, doch insgesamt konnte ich hier zu weniger Charakteren einen so guten Zugang finden. Wie mein Lesebuddy bald anmerkte, ist in „Chesapeake“ im Grunde die Bucht selbst der Hauptcharakter.
Ein wichtiges Thema, das sich durch Micheners Bücher zieht, ist die Zerstörung der Natur, die Kolonisten roden die Wälder, die Lebensgrundlage der Indianer, später setzen sie fürchterliche Jagdwaffen ein, mit denen Dutzende Wildvögel mit einem Schuss getötet werden können, sodass Enten und Gänse zeitweise völlig aus der Region verschwinden. Auch die Austernbänke in der Bay werden gnadenlos ausgebeutet. Die entsprechenden Kapitel sind dementsprechend auch solche mit unsympathischen Charakteren, den gierigen Jägern nämlich. Sogar die Folgen des Klimawandels spielen in dem Roman von 1978 schon eine Rolle.
Im Vergleich mit den Romanen Micheners, die im Westen der USA spielen, spielt in „Chesapeake“ natürlich die Sklaverei eine größere Rolle. So verfolgen wir die Entführung und Versklavung eines jungen Mannes aus der Kongoregion und seine Zeit als Sklave bei einem der Steeds und einem Sklavenschinder, der den Geist aufsässiger Sklaven auf fürchterliche Weise brechen soll. So unterhaltsam auch die ersten Kapitel über die nun als Piraten in der Karibik agierenden Turlocks, den Nachfahren eines als Straftäter deportierten Briten sind, so bitter werden sie, als sie schließlich ihre Schiffe als Sklavenschiffe betreiben.
Das letzte große Thema in dem Roman ist der Watergate-Skandal, an dem zwei von Micheners Protagonisten beteiligt sind. Hierzu, muss ich gestehen, kann ich nicht allzu viel sagen, da sich meine Kenntnisse des Skandals in Grenzen halten.
Insgesamt ist „Chesapeake“ das bisher plotmäßig am besten aufgebaute Buch, das ich von Michener gelesen habe, eine stimmige Geschichte der am frühesten durch Europäer besiedelten Region in Nordamerika. Mein Lieblingsbuch von Michener bleibt aufgrund bestimmter Charaktere und der stärkeren Rolle der Indianer „Centennial“, doch Chesapeake ist sicher ein Meisterwerk des Autors.
August 19, 2020
I'm a lifelong Maryland resident who has always lived a stone's throw from the Chesapeake, so this book resonated with me. It's a sweeping, multigenerational story of epic disfunction, but also an ode to a region and its very human people.
Michener writes with poetry about the environment, capturing with clarity and detail the rivers, lands, and wildlife of the Chesapeake. On the families, he shines an unflinching and often uncomfortable light on the inheritance of sin, exploitation, racism, and scandal that infests the generations of Steeds (well-to-do), Paxmores (middle class), Turlocks (working class), and Caters (African Americans) who settled in the lands first discovered by a lone Susquehannock.
I don't know if CHESAPEAKE would be as moving for those not from Maryland as it was for me, but I'm glad I read it and it will haunt me forever.
Michener writes with poetry about the environment, capturing with clarity and detail the rivers, lands, and wildlife of the Chesapeake. On the families, he shines an unflinching and often uncomfortable light on the inheritance of sin, exploitation, racism, and scandal that infests the generations of Steeds (well-to-do), Paxmores (middle class), Turlocks (working class), and Caters (African Americans) who settled in the lands first discovered by a lone Susquehannock.
I don't know if CHESAPEAKE would be as moving for those not from Maryland as it was for me, but I'm glad I read it and it will haunt me forever.
August 4, 2014
What a great overview of life in the Chesapeake and Eastern Shore of Maryland from pre-colonization forward told first through the eyes of the Native Americans and then through the many generations of Steeds, the planters of Devon Island, Paxmores, the intellectual Quakers living on Peace Cliff as well as the Turlocks who intermixed with the natives and were most comfortable living and at times barely surviving in the marshes, the Caters who were direct descendants of the African, Cudjo, and the Caveneys, spunky Irish immigrants who in the scheme of things came late to the table. Michener tells the American story through the lives of the members of these families. Collectively it is a story of success and failure, loyalty and betrayal, faith and denial all mixed with hard work, war, and life in and around the waters of he Chesapeake.
It tackles some of the hardest issues that Americans have experienced since its earliest days including religious tolerance, slavery, immigration, etc. and highlights the changes of living, of loving, of working, and of worshipping in this area. Great book. It is action packed and filled to the brim with bright, interesting characters, including the area as the Chesapeake is portrayed so vividly and distinctly that it clearly becomes a main character in the book!
It tackles some of the hardest issues that Americans have experienced since its earliest days including religious tolerance, slavery, immigration, etc. and highlights the changes of living, of loving, of working, and of worshipping in this area. Great book. It is action packed and filled to the brim with bright, interesting characters, including the area as the Chesapeake is portrayed so vividly and distinctly that it clearly becomes a main character in the book!
October 30, 2020
The author is a great storyteller.
January 5, 2024
This wwas my first Michener book, many years ago when I was looking for "fat" books, and that's something you'll always get from Michener - "fat". Seemingly well-researched, since I'm not and expert, the research is a frame to hang a story on; in this casse, it's the history of a house, as I can recall, and it was okay. At least, it didn't inspire me to read more Michener, I've had one hanging out on my bookshelf for 20+ years and I see no rush to read it. Probably when I need to kill a lot of time.
November 16, 2020
Sinfonie einer Landschaft voll einzigartiger Schönheit, die Menschen sind vielleicht nicht ganz so bedeutend wie in anderen Romanen Micheners, von daher müsste ich wohl einen halben Stern abziehen, aber in Sachen Komposition und Balance klar der Gelungenste seiner historischen Romane.
Ausführliche Rezi samt Auflistung der Themen, bei denen ich Abstriche mache, ohne von der
Gesamtbewertung abzugehen, irgend wann im Verlauf der Woche oder des Monats?
Ausführliche Rezi samt Auflistung der Themen, bei denen ich Abstriche mache, ohne von der
Gesamtbewertung abzugehen, irgend wann im Verlauf der Woche oder des Monats?
July 13, 2024
Reading this took longer than expected, albeit mainly because I started a YT-channel so feel free to check it out! Link in my profile.
This is a big, big book. 400 years of history crammed together, and yet so much important stuff glossed over.
I love historical fiction and I really enjoy reading multi-generational stories, and overall Michener does a really good job here although there is a noticeable drop in the latter quarter of the book.
We're exposed to the Native Americans and how the arrival of the English impacted and ultimately destroyed their lives.
We're exposed to various religious groups trying to make a life in the colonies and the struggles it brings with it. As a European, I didn't knew anything about Quakerism except that it exists, so that was a very interesting new concept that I learned. We learn about the struggles and the hardships both Catholics and Quakers experienced in the first few hundred years.
Plantation owners and slavery, piracy and struggle for independence, poverty and racism, geography and nature, all are given attention throughout the generations in this book. Some more than other, unfortunately.
As usual, in these type of stories, I prefer the pre-20th century chapters the most because in those, the focus point is usually only one or two characters and one specific event. They get much more attention and you feel a more significant connection with them. In the later chapters however, so many characters are involved and so many historical events that you can't see the forest for the trees anymore. I still remember most of the characters from the first few chapters, but I can barely remember any names from the penultimate chapter (and I read that this morning!).
When the scope widens, Michener's limitations become visible. Those last few chapters were not exciting anymore and didn't focus on anything substantive. I mean, the struggle for equality from the black Americans between the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement in the 50's and 60's barely got attention except in passing and was more an afterthought rather than a focus for the story. But 50 pages about duck hunting or 100 pages about Watergate... I would have preferred it the other way around.
That's why I give this book 4 stars. The first 60-70% of this book was excellent, 5 stars. Excellent and detailed writing of everything and everyone involved, interesting characters, great mixing up of the fictional and the historical, everything you want in a historical fiction novel. The last 30-40% however became too bland and Michener lost focus. We easily see half a dozen characters within less than 100 pages and the chosen events are just not very exciting. I end this book with a bit of a sour aftertaste but an overall satisfactory feeling. I'll definitely try to read some of his other works in the future.
This is a big, big book. 400 years of history crammed together, and yet so much important stuff glossed over.
I love historical fiction and I really enjoy reading multi-generational stories, and overall Michener does a really good job here although there is a noticeable drop in the latter quarter of the book.
We're exposed to the Native Americans and how the arrival of the English impacted and ultimately destroyed their lives.
We're exposed to various religious groups trying to make a life in the colonies and the struggles it brings with it. As a European, I didn't knew anything about Quakerism except that it exists, so that was a very interesting new concept that I learned. We learn about the struggles and the hardships both Catholics and Quakers experienced in the first few hundred years.
Plantation owners and slavery, piracy and struggle for independence, poverty and racism, geography and nature, all are given attention throughout the generations in this book. Some more than other, unfortunately.
As usual, in these type of stories, I prefer the pre-20th century chapters the most because in those, the focus point is usually only one or two characters and one specific event. They get much more attention and you feel a more significant connection with them. In the later chapters however, so many characters are involved and so many historical events that you can't see the forest for the trees anymore. I still remember most of the characters from the first few chapters, but I can barely remember any names from the penultimate chapter (and I read that this morning!).
When the scope widens, Michener's limitations become visible. Those last few chapters were not exciting anymore and didn't focus on anything substantive. I mean, the struggle for equality from the black Americans between the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement in the 50's and 60's barely got attention except in passing and was more an afterthought rather than a focus for the story. But 50 pages about duck hunting or 100 pages about Watergate... I would have preferred it the other way around.
That's why I give this book 4 stars. The first 60-70% of this book was excellent, 5 stars. Excellent and detailed writing of everything and everyone involved, interesting characters, great mixing up of the fictional and the historical, everything you want in a historical fiction novel. The last 30-40% however became too bland and Michener lost focus. We easily see half a dozen characters within less than 100 pages and the chosen events are just not very exciting. I end this book with a bit of a sour aftertaste but an overall satisfactory feeling. I'll definitely try to read some of his other works in the future.
August 31, 2015
For the past 10 years, my wife and I have vacationed on the James River -- nearly across the river from Jamestown VA. It's an amazing vacation -- eating crabs, watching sunsets and the fury of storms blowing down the James River.
We usually arrive from Boston by driving down the Eastern Shore or DelMarVa peninsula. It always seems so isolated to me. A region out of time and just barely connected to the mainland of the US. This book, which I begun during what will in all likelihood be our last trip down, was a wide, sweeping look at the Chesapeake in a way I've never been able to grasp it in all of the time I've spent there.
This book was an epic -- in all of the best senses of that word. Nearly 835 pages, it took me a good 3 weeks to finish. And I don't know that I could have read it that quickly if I weren't on vacation for two of the weeks! Epic though also in that amazing rush through stories of generations that modern writers seem to have abandoned.
It was almost a pleasure to read a book, so clearly written in another time, that was grounded so solidly in plot and characters and most importantly in place. We were little burdened by the inner soul-searching that so many current writers feel we need to wade through.
Sometimes. Sometimes you just want a good solid story that resonates with a special place in your soul.
For me, this was it.
We usually arrive from Boston by driving down the Eastern Shore or DelMarVa peninsula. It always seems so isolated to me. A region out of time and just barely connected to the mainland of the US. This book, which I begun during what will in all likelihood be our last trip down, was a wide, sweeping look at the Chesapeake in a way I've never been able to grasp it in all of the time I've spent there.
This book was an epic -- in all of the best senses of that word. Nearly 835 pages, it took me a good 3 weeks to finish. And I don't know that I could have read it that quickly if I weren't on vacation for two of the weeks! Epic though also in that amazing rush through stories of generations that modern writers seem to have abandoned.
It was almost a pleasure to read a book, so clearly written in another time, that was grounded so solidly in plot and characters and most importantly in place. We were little burdened by the inner soul-searching that so many current writers feel we need to wade through.
Sometimes. Sometimes you just want a good solid story that resonates with a special place in your soul.
For me, this was it.
November 18, 2015
Besides being really long. It is well written. If you have the time, read this.
Read
December 18, 2025There is a bit of everything in this saga and the author doesn't sugar coat one iota. We are taken from the 1583 where we follow indigenous peoples and the area of the east before America is overrun with immigrants who colonized the land and bluntly took it from them. There is much going on in this novel and it's a lot to process. The language is appropriate for the period but it's still cringe worthy. The author follows a few families through the years. We have a cast of characters including pirates, thieves, slaves, Native Americans, Quakers, Catholics, Protestant Religions, etc. We travel with them through the American Revolution, Civil War, through Watergate (Richard Nixon) and end at 1978.
Some of the characters are real and many are imagined but all are well written.
The author writes exceptional well and it's well worth the read.
Some of the characters are real and many are imagined but all are well written.
The author writes exceptional well and it's well worth the read.
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