Centennial

By James A. Michener

I think this will be my final submission for the Hastings District Library Reading Challenge. Centennial was number one on the New York Times Bestseller List on the week I was born. So I’m sure it more than covers the “Read a book from the decade you were born”. This is a massive book written in celebration of two centuries of the United States. It’s a massive saga covering an area of Colorado just south of Greely and a little west of Saint Louis. I really enjoy American History, especially early American. I particularly enjoyed the chapters following the non-chief Lame Beaver and the adventures he has. I really enjoyed how his adventures crossed over those of the lives of the beaver trappers Pasquinel and Alexander McKeag. I can see how Edward Rutherford was inspired by this, and other works of John Michener. They are sweeping grand novels that captivate the imagination. He certainly educates while he entertains.

“An engrossing book… imaginative and intricate … teeming with people and giving a marvelous sense of the land.” – The Plain Dealer

Synopsis 

Written to commemorate the bicentennial in 1976, James A. Michener’s magnificent saga of the West is an enthralling celebration of the frontier. Brimming with the glory of America’s past, the story of Colorado – the Centennial State – manifested through its people: Lame Beaver, the Arapaho chieftain and warrior, and his Comanche and Pawnee enemies; Levi Zendt, fleeing with the child bride from the Amish country; the cowboy Jim Lloyd, who falls in love with a wealthy and cultured Englishwoman, Charlotte Seccombe. In Centennial, trappers, traders, homesteaders, gold seekers, ranchers, and hunters are brought together in the dramatic conflicts that shape the destiny of the legendary West – and the entire country.

Author 

James Albert Michener (February 3, 1907 – October 16, 1997) was an American author of more than 40 books, most of which were fictional, lengthy family sagas covering the lives of many generations in particular geographic locales and incorporating solid history. Michener was known for the popularity of his works; he had numerous bestsellers and works selected for Book of the Month Club. He was also known for his meticulous research behind the books (Wikipedia)

Other Works

Tales of the South Pacific 1947
The Fires of Spring 1949
Return to Paradise 1950
The Bridges at Toko-ri 1953
Sayonara 1954
Hawaii 1959
Caravans 1963
The Source 1965
The Drifters 1971
Centennial 1974
Chesapeake 1978
The Watermen 1978
The Covenant 1980
Space 1982
Poland 1983
Texas 1985
Legacy 1987
Alaska 1988
Caribbean 1989
Journey 1989
The Novel 1991
South Pacific 1992
Mexico 1992
Recessional 1994
Miracle in Seville 1995
Matecumbe 2007