James A. Michener

In this sweeping novel, James A. Michener chronicles eight tumultuous centuries as three Polish families live out their destinies. The Counts Lubonski, the petty nobles Bukowksi, and the peasants Buk are at some times fiercely united, at others tragically divided. With an inspiring tradition of resistance to brutal invaders, from the barbarians to the Nazis, and a heritage of pride that burns through eras of romantic passion and courageous solidarity, their common story reaches a breathtaking culmination in the historic showdown between the ruthless Communists and rebellious farmers of the modern age. Like the heroic land that is its subject, Poland teems with vivid events, unforgettable characters, and the unfolding drama of an entire nation.

Deteriorating race relations, a growing disparity between rich and poor, the decline of education and a growing anti-intellectualism, inadequate health care - these are among the fracture points that Mr. Michener believes threaten America's vitality and its future. As a scholar of world history, a dedicated, lifelong public servant, and a student of his own and other cultures, Michener offers a broad and learned perspective on these much debated issues. He compares America's shift from a producer to a consumer nation to a similar movement in sixteenth-century Spain - a movement that presaged the decline of the Spanish empire. In today's control of vast wealth by a tiny handful of people, he sees parallels with the Catholic Church's monopoly on wealth in pre-Reformation Europe. He evaluates the Contract with America and other current political initiatives in light of the Founding Fathers' understanding of the social contract and the responsibility the more fortunate have to those who are less privileged. And as a lifelong practitioner and patron of the arts, Michener writes movingly of the arts as agents for change - for transforming the soul and ensuring a civilization's greatness - even as he condemns the anti-art stance of many politicians today. Michener draws not only on his knowledge of history but also on over eight decades of living as an American. He recalls how as a young boy in a Pennsylvania schoolhouse he pledged allegiance to the flag, and through the years his reverence for the sound principles on which America was founded has remained strong. Through the trials of young manhood during the Great Depression and the Second World War, and through the decades since, James Michener has been deeply involved in America's political life. He has experienced and studied the qualities that have made America what he calls "the outstanding success" among nations, and in his wise, opinionated, and impassioned book he calls on Americans to hold fast to America's sound historical standards and principles as we struggle to solve today's crises and to meet the challenges of tomorrow.

In Spain, a rancher prays to the Virgin Mary to have his bull cover him in glory. Meanwhile, the sister of the matador who will fight the bull prays to the devil to turn the bull into a weakling. A tale of bulls and miracles, narrated by an non-believing American journalist who in the process discovers faith in God. An American journalist is in Seville on assignment. He is to report on efforts the rancher Don Cayetano Mota is making to revive his once-proud line of bulls. But the story Shenstone discovers goes deeper into life's mysteries, even as it shakes the newspaperman's skepticism and opens his eyes to the wonders of faith. To return his bulls to honor, Don Cayetano Mota prays to the Virgin Mary and he takes on Herculean acts of devotion during the solemn celebrations of Holy Week. Convinced that his prayers will be answered, he endures his bulls' humiliation in the ring and the taunts of the arrogant matador Gomez. But Gomez, too, has a powerful woman on his side - his sister, a Gypsy fortuneteller. Foreseeing the danger her brother faces from a Mota bull, Magdalena is determined that in the bullring her brother will prevail. James A. Michener's lovely Miracle in Seville is enriched by twenty-six drawings that capture the beauty of Seville and the excitement of the bullfight.

Set in the Palms, a Florida retirement center, Recessional follows several residents over the course of a year as their individual narratives - humorous, moving, or sometimes triumphant - unfold. Chris Mallory reluctantly relinquishes his driver's license at the age of ninety, but refuses to hang up his dancing shoes. The Palm's five self-appointed elders, all once outstanding in their respective careers, hotly debate current affairs and plot a daring flying adventure; Laura Oliphant, former head of a private school for girls, never stops learning and never stops educating others, especially about the natural wonders of Florida; and Reverend Helen Quade, the Palms's unofficial pastor, finds an unexpected romance. We meet, too, the families of some of the Palms's residents - among them an independent, unconventional young woman who owes her success to the aunt who encouraged her always to follow her own instincts; and the devoted children of one resident who grapple with difficult decisions about their elderly mother's final days. When they are confronted with any important question that affects their closely knit community, the Palms residents band together and offer the new director, Andy Zorn, both their support and their suggestions.

With both his range of interests and his breadth of perspective, R. W. B. Lewis has cut a broad swath through the world of letters over the decades. He has written on subjects from the Greek and Roman classics through modern European writers to such Americans as Ralph Ellison and Robert Penn Warren. He takes a special interest in the historical and biographical contests from which literature emerges. Here is the first collection of Lewis's essays in nearly thirty years, and it includes several never before published. As Lewis himself says, the volume represents "a retracing of cultural steps," as well as "the conflicting preoccupations of a humanist."

Five men brave the frozen Canadian wilderness during the Klondike gold rush of 1897, risking everything to fulfill their dreams.

The best and worst of two continents carve an empire out of the vast wilderness that is to become South Africa. For hundreds of years, their rivalries and passions spill across the land. From the first Afrikaners to the powerful Zulu nation, and the missionaries who lived with both--all of them will influence and take part in the wars and politics that will change a nation forever. THE COVENANT: generations of people who forge a new world in a story of adventure and heroism, love and loyalty, cruelty and betrayal.

James A. Michener discusses his life, his childhood in Pennsylvania and his travels around the world as he gathers material for his books.

Writer Lucas Yoder, editor Shirley Marmelstein, critic and would-be author Karl Streibert, and reader Jane Garland, who treasures the written word, play key roles in a study of the people who create, publish, critique, and enjoy books.

Eight wanderers, spanning three generations, find themselves thrown together in the Spanish resort town Torremolinos.

From a great master of historical fiction comes a brilliant tale of love amid war. James A. Michener combines powerful storytelling with deep sensitivity in this novel of a U.S. Army man who, against all odds, falls for a fascinating Japanese woman

The People, humanoid beings forced to emigrate to Earth when their home world is destroyed, settle in the American Southwest and attempt to preserve their culture and paranormal abilities.