Texas: A Novel
by James A. Michener
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Book Summary Information
Author: James A. MichenerEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2002-11-12
ISBN: 0375761411
Number of pages: 1120
Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks
Book Reviews of Texas: A Novel
Book Review: History Grande
Summary: 5 Stars
It takes a "Giant" book to account for most of the history of Texas, but James Michener has done it before and he did it again with his epic known simply as "Texas". It needs no more to enhance it's title.
It starts off with a gathering of present day movers and shakers of Texas, all of whom, including the author himself, are decendents of Texans that go back to the Alamo and beyond. Each has his own private thoughts about the writing of this history. A diverse gathering, they represented a broad and very proud spectrum of heritage; of the cultures that made up the fabric of the people who claim the land as theirs, or the "other way around". They wished to make certain they had the "right man" for the sacred job of writing up the History in novel form. His own initial and private observations of the tone of this meeting and of the people who represented the "best of the State" are as good as the rest of the book.
The chapter dedicated to The Alamo is breathtaking. The passions, mixed ideals, confusion about loyalties, all of these emotions are somehow projected to the reader through Michener's translations. The Alamo..."you can look in vain for crosses, and you'll never see a one; but sometime between the setting and the rising of the sun..." (ballad of the Alamo)
I have always found reading about the Lone Star State fascinating and intensely beautiful - from the original Southwest Campfire ballads, the sand and cactus, the vast open, untamed loneliness; to the mystery and aura surrounding the Old Spanish Missions. (I had not realized that San Juan Capistrano began it's life as one of five missions along the river in San Antonio, being moved to California much later.) Determined people squared off at each other at every turn; from the dedicated (and not so dedicated) friars who were determined to bring the "truth" to the Apache, to the equally determined Apache who thought his own beliefs and cultures were just fine the way they were. Things like this always remind me of the astute observation of someone else - a voice still powerful from another intense struggle of long ago:
***"Most men and religions feel themselves possessed of all of the Truth"** - Benjamin Frankin - from his speech during the Debate of the Constitution -
It's all a reader could expect from a novel of this magnitude - and more - because it instantly assigns faces with the facts and figures, the breath of life into ancient words and signatures on paper that somehow survived as the only proof they had been there. We need flesh and blood reminders of our past; a faded memory can leap off the page and be made vibrantly whole again with the right words. Michener sees that we get it. Impeccably researched, it has the touch of the master in it's telling - if you are interested in the history of Texas and want to read only one book on the subject, this surely should be it.
It's a "time undertaking" to absorb this book, but it's worth every minute spent on it - a truly vibrant history of the Territories before and after they became States. As a Wyomingite who read "Centennial" as well, I'm certain Texans can find their own "holes in the story" but someone has to write of it and fan the flame for future generations. Michener excelled at the impossible task, in my view.
Summary of Texas: A Novel
In this magnificent historical novel, James A. Michener masterfully combines fact and fiction to present America?s richest, most expansive and diversified state. Spanning four and a half centuries, this monumental saga charts the epic history of Texas, from its Spanish roots in the age of the conquistadors, to its modern-day American character, shaped by oil and industry. A stunning achievement by a literary master, Texas is a tale of violence and conflict, patriotism and statesmanship, growth and development. Among Michener?s finely drawn cast of characters, emotional and political alliances are made and broken; loyalties are established over the course of Texas?s remarkable history, only to be betrayed by the expansion of wealth and industry. With Michener as our guide, this novel is as exciting as it is informative.Historical Books
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