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Centennial: A Novel Paperback – May 29, 2007
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Written to commemorate the Bicentennial in 1976, James A. Michener’s magnificent saga of the Westis an enthralling celebration of the frontier. Brimming with the glory of America’s past, the story of Colorado—the Centennial State—is manifested through its people: Lame Beaver, the Arapaho chieftain and warrior, and his Comanche and Pawnee enemies; Levi Zendt, fleeing with his 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.
Praise for Centennial
“A hell of a book . . . While he fascinates and engrosses, Michener also educates.”—Los Angeles Times
“An engrossing book . . . imaginative and intricate . . . teeming with people and giving a marvelous sense of the land.”—The Plain Dealer
“Michener is America’s best writer, and he proves it once again in Centennial. . . . If you’re a Michener fan, this book is a must. And if you’re not a Michener fan, Centennial will make you one.”—The Pittsburgh Press
“An absorbing work . . . Michener is a superb storyteller.”—BusinessWeek
- Print length1104 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherRandom House
- Publication dateMay 29, 2007
- Dimensions5.55 x 1.65 x 8.27 inches
- ISBN-100812978420
- ISBN-13978-0812978421
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover comes a novel that explores life after tragedy and the enduring spirit of love. | Learn more
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“An engrossing book . . . imaginative and intricate . . . teeming with people and giving a marvelous sense of the land.”—The Plain Dealer
“Michener is America’s best writer, and he proves it once again in Centennial. . . . If you’re a Michener fan, this book is a must. And if you’re not a Michener fan, Centennial will make you one.”—The Pittsburgh Press
“An absorbing work . . . Michener is a superb storyteller.”—BusinessWeek
About the Author
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
“New York’s trying to get you,” he said with some excitement. “If I got the name right, it’s one of the editors of US.”
“The magazine?”
“I could be wrong. They’re holding in my office.”
As we hurried along the corridor he said, with obvious good will, “This could prove quite rewarding, Lewis.”
“More likely they want to verify some fact in American history.”
“You mean, they’d telephone from New York?”
“They pride themselves on being accurate.” I took perverse pleasure in posing as one familiar with publishing. After all, the editors of Time had called me once. Checking on the early settlements in Virginia.
Any sophistication I might have felt deserted me when I reached the telephone. Indeed, my hands were starting to sweat. The years had been long and fruitless, and a telephone call from editors in New York was agitating.
“This Dr. Lewis Vernor?” a no-nonsense voice asked.
“Yes.”
“Author of Virginia Genesis?”
“Yes.”
“Had to be sure. Didn’t want to embarrass either of us.” The voice dropped slightly, as if that part of the discussion were ended. Then with crisp authority it said, “Dr. Vernor, I’m James Ringold, managing editor here at US. Problem is simple. Can you catch a plane from Atlanta this afternoon and report at my office tomorrow morning at nine?” Before I could even gasp, he added, “We cover expenses, of course.” Then, when I hesitated because of my surprise, he said, “I think we may have something that would interest you … considerably.” I grew more confused, which gave him time to add, “And before you leave for the airport, will you discuss schedules with your wife and your college? We shall very probably want to preempt your time from the end of semester right through Christmas.”
I placed my hand over the mouthpiece and made some meaningless gesture toward Dean Rivers. “Can I fly to New York on the late plane?”
“Of course! Of course!” he whispered with an enthusiasm as great as mine. “Something big?”
“I don’t know,” I whispered back. Then into the phone I said, “What was your name again?” When he replied, I told him, “I’ll be there.”
“In the next hour I called my wife, arranged for Professor Hisken to take my classes and then reported to the president’s office, where Dean Rivers had prepared the way with President Rexford by telling him that it sounded like the chance of a century for me and that he, Rivers, recommended that I be given the necessary leave.
Rexford, a tall southern gentleman who had accomplished wonders collecting funds for a college that badly needed them, was always pleased when one of his faculty received outside attention, because in subsequent meetings with businessmen he could allude to the fact that “we’re becoming better known all the time, something of a national force.” He greeted me warmly and asked, “What’s this I hear about US wanting to borrow our finest history man for the autumn term?”
“I really know nothing about it, sir,” I replied honestly. “They want to interview me tomorrow morning, and if I pass muster, they want to offer me a job from term-end to Christmas.”
“When’s your next sabbatical?”
“I was planning to spend next spring quarter in the Oregon libraries.”
“I remember. Settlement of the northwest. Mmmmm?”
“I thought that having started in Virginia and then done my study on the Great Lakes, it might be natural for me to—”
“Complete the cycle? Yes. Yes. You do that and you’ll be a very valuable man to us, Vernor. A lot of foundations are going to be looking for projects dealing with the American past, and if we could offer you as a man who has done his homework, Virginia to Oregon … well, I don’t have to tell you that I could generate a lot of interest in a man like that.”
“So you think I should stay here and work on my Oregon project?”
“I haven’t said what I think, Vernor. But I know for a fact …” Here he rose and moved restlessly about his office, thrusting his arms out in bursts of energy. “I know that a lot of these foundations would just love to place a project in Georgia. Get them off the hook of appearing too provincial.”
“Then I’ll tell the editors—”
“You won’t tell them anything. Go. Listen. See what they have to sell. And if by chance it should fit into your grand design … How much do we pay you a quarter?”
“Four thousand dollars.”
“Let’s do it this way. If what they have to offer is completely wide of the mark—bears no relation to American settlement—turn ’em down. Stay here the fall and winter quarters, then go out to Oregon in the spring.”
“Yes, sir.”
“But if it does fit in with your intellectual plans, say, something on the Dakotas. And”—he accented the word heavily—“if they’ll pay you four thousand or more, I’ll grant you fall quarter without pay, and you can take your sabbatical with pay spring quarter and head for Oregon.”
“That’s generous,” I said.
“I’m thinking only of myself. Point is, it wouldn’t hurt with the foundations if I could say that our man Vernor had done that big writing job for US. Gives you a touch of professionalism. That and your two books. And believe me, it’s that professionalism that makes you eligible for the big grants.” He stalked about the room, hungrily, then turned and said, “So you go ahead. Listen. And if it sounds good, call me from New York.”
At eight-thirty next morning I was walking down Avenue of the Americas, among those towering buildings of glass, marveling at how New York had changed since I knew it in 1957 when Alfred Knopf was publishing my first book on Virginia. I felt as if I had been away from America for a generation.
US had offices north of the new CBS building; its glass tower was the most impressive on the avenue. I rode up to the forty-seventh floor and entered a walnut-paneled waiting room. “I’m early,” I told the girl.
“So am I,” she said. “Coffee?” She was as bright as the magazine for which she worked, and she put me at my ease. “If Ringold-san told you nine, nine it will be.”
At one minute after nine she ushered me into his office, where she introduced me to four attractive young editors. James Ringold was under forty and wore his hair combed straight forward, like Julius Caesar. Harry Leeds, his executive assistant, was something past thirty and wore an expensive double-knit in clashing colors. Bill Wright was obviously just a beginner. And Carol Endermann … well, I couldn’t begin to guess how old she was. She could have been one of my good-looking, leggy graduate students from a tobacco farm in the Carolinas, or just as easily, a self-directed thirty-three-year-old assistant professor at the University of Georgia. I felt I was in the hands of four dedicated people who knew what they were doing, and was sure I would enjoy watching them operate.
“Let me get one thing straight, Vernor,” Ringold said. “You published Virginia Genesis in 1957 with Knopf. How did it sell?”
“Miserably.”
“But they brought it out in paperback two years ago.”
“Yes. It’s widely used in universities.”
“Good. I hope you got back your investment on it.”
“With paperbacks, yes.”
“That book I know. Very favorably. Now tell me about your next one.”
“Great Lakes Ordeal. Mostly iron and steel development. A lot on immigration, of course.”
“Knopf do it, too?”
“Yes.”
“Miserably?”
“Yes, but it’s paying its way … in paperback.”
“Delighted to hear it,” Ringold said. “Harry, tell him how we got onto his name.”
“With pleasure,” young Leeds said. “Sometime ago we needed expertise of the highest caliber. On a project of some moment. We sent out calls to about thirty certified intellectuals for recommendations—and guess what?” He pointed at me. “Abou Ben Adhem’s name led all the rest!”
“In the profession,” Bill Wright said, “you have one hell of a reputation.”
“Hence the phone call,” Leeds said.
“Your books may not sell, Vernor,” Wright continued, “but the brains of this nation know a good man when they read his research.”
“Ringold was slightly irritated by young Wright’s interruption and now resumed charge. “What we have in mind, Professor Vernor, is for you to make a research report for us in great depth, but also at great speed. If you devote your entire time from the end of May till Christmas, we feel sure that with your background you can do it. But our schedule is so tight, if you submit it one day late, it won’t be worth a damn to us—not one damn.”
“Does that kind of schedule frighten you?” Leeds asked.”
“I work on the quarter system,” I said. Either they understood what this meant in way of planning and precise execution, or they didn’t. They did.
Product details
- Publisher : Random House (May 29, 2007)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 1104 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0812978420
- ISBN-13 : 978-0812978421
- Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
- Dimensions : 5.55 x 1.65 x 8.27 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #28,987 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #565 in Westerns (Books)
- #644 in Family Saga Fiction
- #1,148 in Thriller & Suspense Action Fiction
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
James Albert Michener (/ˈmɪtʃnər/; February 3, 1907 - October 16, 1997) was an American author of more than 40 books, the majority 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.
Michener's novels include Tales of the South Pacific for which he won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1948, Hawaii, The Drifters, Centennial, The Source, The Fires of Spring, Chesapeake, Caribbean, Caravans, Alaska, Texas and Poland. His non-fiction works include Iberia, about his travels in Spain and Portugal; his memoir titled The World Is My Home, and Sports in America. Return to Paradise combines fictional short stories with Michener's factual descriptions of the Pacific areas where they take place.
His first book was adapted as the popular Broadway musical South Pacific by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, and later as a film by the same name, adding to his financial success.
Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Photo byRobert Wilson [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book engaging and informative. They appreciate the thoughtful writing style and vivid characters. Readers value the historical accuracy and consider it a worthwhile investment. However, some feel the pacing is too slow at times.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers enjoy the book's readability. They find the characters engaging and the storytelling captivating. The book is described as a fun, well-written read that makes them want to travel. Readers praise the author, story, and physical book as great.
"In "Centennial," James A. Michener delivers an expansive and richly detailed saga that captures the essence of the American West, particularly the..." Read more
"...It was worth the wait, though, as this is one of the cleanest Kindle transfers around...." Read more
"...If you are interested in Western history, this is a fun read and I would recommend it. Unless you are a power reader, plan on it taking some time...." Read more
"...They are enjoyable but they are vast sprawling works that demand a commitment. After some months I intend to read another. Thank You..." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's educational content. They find it informative about early Colorado, the Rockies, Buffalo, and Native Americans. The book chronicles the development of eastern Colorado through vivid characters and events. Readers appreciate the author's extensive research and writing skill. They also like reading about the topography of the land and habits of early settlers.
"...delivers an expansive and richly detailed saga that captures the essence of the American West, particularly the history and transformation of..." Read more
"...The dictionary and access to Google/Wiki for the obscure stuff is really helpful, but x-ray is practically required to keep straight all the names..." Read more
"The historical American mountain west. Backed up by facts and data. Centennial was written about a region of Central Colorado...." Read more
"...It is a thoroughly enjoyable (and informative) read, and I cannot recommend it highly enough...." Read more
Customers find the writing style thoughtful and clear. They describe the book as a typical well-written Michener novel with numerous interwoven stories that cover over a period. The author entertains and educates through his brilliant storytelling. Readers find it easier to read online than in the physical paper book.
"...a vivid picture of the landscapes, conflicts, and human experiences that define the region. "..." Read more
"...maybe three, places, I found no distracting typos and the maps are totally readable...." Read more
"...Its a well written and well loved old friend that is worth reading again. I love the history aspect of it though it is a fivtion." Read more
"...Wonderful well written book. Thank you" Read more
Customers find the characters fascinating and relatable. They describe the characterizations as realistic and colorful.
"...to settlers, providing a comprehensive narrative filled with vibrant characters and historical contexts...." Read more
"...Although the book is classified as fiction, many of its characters are based on real people and a history buff will enjoy matching the characters in..." Read more
"...Believable characters coupled with classic storytelling enthralls in this weighty tome of 900 odd pages...." Read more
"Epic, as always with Michener. His characters are memorable and about the time you want to get to know them better, he moves on through history...." Read more
Customers enjoy the rich historical detail in the book. They find it a timeless classic that takes them through generations.
"...In spite of reading through an immense passage of time (it does cover a geological epoch!),..." Read more
"...Whatever you most enjoy reading - mystery, adventure, romance, action, history, even science - Centennial has it all...." Read more
"The book is long. Typical of a Michener novel. It covers centuries in time in the forming of the town of Centennial, Colorado...." Read more
"...His final chapter fizzled. Modern day isn't historical but an approach to his reluctant conclusion. Boring...." Read more
Customers appreciate the book's value for money. They find it worthwhile, despite the slow start. The middle parts are good, while the last 200 pages are terrible. Overall, they consider it an excellent primer and a low investment for what they hope is a great discussion.
"...is also sold by Amazon (Centennial: The Complete Series), and at a bargain price...." Read more
"...through the book it really started to pick up - it's worth slogging through the first quarter. The rest was fascinating, well written and absorbing...." Read more
"...It is a long book by today's standards but well worth it. Years ago there was a TV series that followed the book...." Read more
"...It was a low investment for what I hope is a great discussion of the book many years later." Read more
Customers have different views on the pacing of the book. Some find it engaging and thought-provoking, with an interesting storyteller who makes even dry topics interesting. Others feel the book drags on and is hard to finish.
"...He places you where he’s describing and you feel so present. I love his books" Read more
"...all the characters after a while since it is so long and my reading cycles are limited...." Read more
"...Its a well written and well loved old friend that is worth reading again. I love the history aspect of it though it is a fivtion." Read more
"...When he gets into the story it is always steady and often has fast paced sections. I find his books to be impossible to put down...." Read more
Customers have different views on the book's length. Some find it long and fantastic, while others find it too long and summary-heavy. The paperback size is perfect for some readers, while others mention it's too large.
"...track of the lineage of all the characters after a while since it is so long and my reading cycles are limited...." Read more
"...James Michener is justly famous for his historical novels. This is a long book and you will immerse yourself in its settings and characters...." Read more
"...and they added little to the overall story...just a long, long, long summation. Yuk." Read more
"The book is long. Typical of a Michener novel. It covers centuries in time in the forming of the town of Centennial, Colorado...." Read more
Reviews with images
Michener was a Genius
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2024In "Centennial," James A. Michener delivers an expansive and richly detailed saga that captures the essence of the American West, particularly the history and transformation of Colorado. Through the interwoven lives of characters like Lame Beaver, the Arapaho chieftain, and Levi Zendt, a homesteader seeking a new life, Michener brings to life the diverse cultures and struggles that shaped the frontier.
The novel celebrates the triumphs and trials of various groups, from Native Americans to settlers, providing a comprehensive narrative filled with vibrant characters and historical contexts. Michener's storytelling mastery shines as he paints a vivid picture of the landscapes, conflicts, and human experiences that define the region. "Centennial" not only serves as a celebration of America's past but also as a poignant reminder of the complex interplay between cultures and the enduring spirit of the wild West.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2014I was so glad to see this book come out for Kindle at long last! It was worth the wait, though, as this is one of the cleanest Kindle transfers around. With the exception of "but" in place of "hut" in two, maybe three, places, I found no distracting typos and the maps are totally readable.
That said, this is why I've been reading it since I was a teenager: <i>Centennial</i>, as the story of one fairly small bit of landscape, is the story of America in microcosm, from the hardening of the Earth's crust to about 1974. Having been published not long after, some of the science is outdated so I don't read the Earth formation part anymore. For me, the book gets good when it becomes about living things.
The introduction of diplodocus begins the history of life in Centennial Colorado, and by the time that pea-brained Fred Flintstone crane of an animal gives way to the insufficiently attractive beaver who has to take a lazy mate, damn it, I've grown to really care about her troubles in the swamps. But then I care about the beaver's troubles, too, and after her the horse and the buffalo and the French-Canadian trappers and the Native Americans, and everyone who comes after. Everyone reaches Centennial in a different way (even the Natives, who roamed across the land and were only much later confined to a small portion near the town), for a different reason, only to find their lives hopelessly intertwined and their families hopelessly intermarried. Mostly it turns out okay.
A small warning, though. A story that covers three hundred years of people and families is, naturally, going to involved a lot of death. That's not a spoiler, that's common sense. But we get to live with them so long and know them so intimately, it's gut-wrenching to lose characters that seem like friends over and over. And that's not even considering what the soldiers did to the Natives. That's pretty graphic--more graphic than I've ever heard our government accused of--but Michener is careful not to glorify it or make heroes of anyone involved.
There was a time, after having read it four or five times already, when I thought it was too sad to ever read again. Fortunately that seems to have been a phase. I enjoyed this reading all the more for the long break and look forward to reading it again.
Little Tip: If you're considering reading <i>Centennial</i> for the first time and have the option, I'd recommend the Kindle version just for the x-ray feature alone. The dictionary and access to Google/Wiki for the obscure stuff is really helpful, but x-ray is practically required to keep straight all the names and relationships through the decades and centuries.
- Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2016I remember my dad had this book on the back of the toilet for years in the 80's. It took him a long time to make headway with that being his only chance to read. And it is a long book. It definitely held my attention throughout. Caveats to that - I am very interested in the history of the West, being a native to Southern California. The story telling makes the history come alive, to be sure. I used Amazon's whisper synch and jumped back and forth between listening while walking the dog and driving and reading when I could. The whisper synch is a little buggy, but I do love it and wish Amazon would offer more titles with that nifty feature. The actor in the reading on Audible was appropriately low key - almost like a professor reading a history test. At first that concerned me, but it worked well for this book. It wasn't distracting as some over-actors on Audible can be. If you are interested in Western history, this is a fun read and I would recommend it. Unless you are a power reader, plan on it taking some time. I lost track of the lineage of all the characters after a while since it is so long and my reading cycles are limited. But I'm not sure how you could cover such a vast subject with good engagement and story lines better. And that said - I am just assuming the stories are relatively true to the times they represent - I'm not enough of a history buff to do fact checking.
Top reviews from other countries
- lyntromReviewed in Canada on August 16, 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars Detailed history told through personal stories
Michener's books always provide an in-depth, well researched history of the area of focus, in this case, Centennial Colorado. I found the pre-historic segment slow but once the story involved his fictitious characters, it was engaging and drew you into the history of the times. It was told from many different perspectives, Indian tribes, settlers, British land investors and more recent generations of all of these people. I learned a great deal in the process as it brought the history to life through their personal tales set. It's a very long detailed book but worth the time.
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Monika HarmelinkReviewed in Germany on February 11, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars centennial
Mitcheners bombenfeste Vorstudien
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alessandra boninoReviewed in Italy on April 8, 2022
2.0 out of 5 stars condizioni del libro
ho comprato questo libro, che è indicato come nuovo, in realtà la copertina non è perfetta come dovrebbe essere un libro nuovo. il prezzo certamente è da libro nuovo, più di 20 Euro. Lo tengo lostesso perchè mi serve subito.
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PYReviewed in Mexico on September 11, 2018
5.0 out of 5 stars Es un gran ejemplo de cómo escribir una novela no de ficción
Extraordinaria experiencia con personajes entrañables
- Kukui PachuauReviewed in India on August 28, 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars Feels like a true story
If someone had told me that this was a true story (excluding the bits only about the animals) that this was based on a true story I would've totally believed them. Fascinating storytelling .