Texas, Vol. 1

by James A. Michener

Texas - bk1046; Droemer Knaur; James A. Michener; Paperback; 1986

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction

661 pages, Hardcover

About the author

James 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.

Reviews

[J]

The true histories, with a little romance thrown in. Another no-holds barred historical epic from the master of chronological writing. His research is impeccable, his characters are both real and realistic- and Michener just proves over and over, that he has a gift for telling a story that no one else has the stamina, nor the honesty, to tell.
More literary gold from the magic of Michener.

[Joel Foster]

An epic devoted to love for Texas!

[Paula Galvan]

James A. Michener is a gifted writer who brings history alive through his complex characters and excellent narrative. Using a fictitious task force created in 1983 by the Governor of Texas to define the essentials of Texas history to safeguard the state's heritage, the author begins with the Spanish explorers in the 1500s who offered free land to anyone who would populate this wild, untamed country. Immigrants from Germany, Ireland, England, and Scotland seeking a better life came in droves only to be savagely murdered by the Comanches—but they kept coming. By capturing the wild cattle that occupied the plains, they started the first long-horn cattle ranches that still exist today. The story moves on to the war with Mexico and the formation of the famous Texas Rangers in the early 1800s. Michener combines the facts with the dust, sweat, and blood it took to create this iconic state in the U.S.. I don't know why historians can't write school history books this way. It's entertaining and informative. I can't wait to tackle volume two.

[Natalia]

Amazing book. It took me 5 months to read, and I enjoyed every bit of it.

[BarbaraW]

Long and tedious but glad I finally finished it

[Linda]

This book has been in my TBR pile for a long time and I finally decided to attack it. I read it in sections around other books but I still kept coming back to it. It brought the history of Texas to life and even though it was a work of fiction it was as it could have been. I truly enjoyed it.

[Nadine]

I'm enjoying learning about Texas init's infancy. Moved to Texas in 2005 and this book has been very helpful understanding what it means be a Texan.

[Sonya]

I loved this book. It teaches me history as I read for enjoyment. I don't remember anymore when I read it.