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—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 … 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.
BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from James A. Michener’s Hawaii.
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
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Michener at his historical best…and not as long as some
Loved it!!!!!!
I loved learning some history of Colorado and the plains and the early settlers.
I’m reading this for the 2nd time, more than thirty years between. It was like coming home, things you forgot, “oh yeah!” He starts at the beginning of time, we are there as the place that will be Centennial starts to form then change as Earth changes in its birth and rebirth. You spend some time with the animals that populate Centennial as the …
Being born and raised in Western Nebraska, I recognized many of the geographical landmarks of the area in eastern Colo and western Nebr. So interesting. Having studied the history of the Native Americans of the Plains this book was a wonderful refresher course.
It is a long book but not boring.
This is a hard read fora slow reader. I resonated with those reviewers who gave up mid-stream due to all the background information and detail; STILL I was rewarded by staying with it.
Slow reading but interesting
Fascinating and memorable. Highly recommended!
Another great Michener story, in this case, about Colorado.
Centennial is one of my go-to books when I have nothing else in queue to read (a rarity!). It was the first of Michener’s book I read and it initiated my interest in all his works, from Chesapeake, The Source, Recessional, and more. The degree of detail he goes into from the beginning of the Earth to the present is a bit much for some, but it …
Took a long time but one expects that with Michener. My great grandfather moved west, made a soddy, and was the schoolmaster in a small town in western Nebraska. I even enjoyed the ancient geology lesson.
I found it fascinating about the history of the Jewish religion in a fictional story.
Typical Michener, long but captivating.
Read the book a few times. Watched the TV Mini-series on DVDs few times. LOVE this story.
A bit of a slog in places but an entertaing read
Classic Michener, novel of the Western migration. Informative and fun with interesting historical and created characters intermixed.
If you like history this comes alive for you
Long, which is typical of the user. But informative in a fiction kind of way.
One of the best books I’ve ever read.
A wonderful story. An entertaining way to learn history