James A. Michener’s masterly chronicle of South Africa is an epic tale of adventurers, scoundrels, and ministers, the best and worst of two continents who carve an empire out of a vast wilderness. From the Java-born Van Doorn family tree springs two great branches: one nurtures lush vineyards, the other settles the interior to become the first Trekboers and Afrikaners. The Nxumalos, inhabitants … inhabitants of a peaceful village unchanged for centuries, unite warrior tribes into the powerful Zulu nation. And the wealthy Saltwoods are missionaries and settlers who join the masses to influence the wars and politics that ravage a nation. Rivalries and passions spill across the land of The Covenant, a story of courage and heroism, love and loyalty, and cruelty and betrayal, as generations fight to forge a new world.
BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from James A. Michener’s Hawaii.
Praise for The Covenant
“A prodigious endeavor . . . Nowhere else could an American reader unfamiliar with South Africa get so full an understanding of its problems in so engaging a form.”—The New York Times Book Review
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Michner writes a great book and this is one of his best. Highly detailed and adds many small things you probably didn’t know about South African history.
This is a master piece of story telling! With sweeping vistas and close relationships between pioneering people of centuries gone by it brings joy and yet tears as I followed the lives of those historical figures in South Africa.
I have enjoyed every Mitchner book I have read and they are many but not all, yet.
Each has been the most engrossing history of that particular books subject you could ask for. His characters are realistic and fully fleshed out, regardless of their role in the tale. As far as I am concerned there is no better author.
A good historical story
A book from my mother’s time, I am a boomer, bends time when one realizes that the tell Makor a high mound of the debris of thousands of years of a city puts our narrow window of history in perspective.
Learned much about South African history. It helped explain all that led up to apartheid.
I almost put this away about one third into it. But I’m glad I finished it and learned so much about South African history.
Was on a two-week trip to South Africa as I was reading. Though fiction, it was incredibly accurate and gave me a great perspective on the people I met and the history of this beautiful country.
Love anything by Michener, epic lengths and some over 1,000 pages, start at the beginning of time and move forward to relatively current time.
Michener is a great storyteller! His books are extremely well documented
I loved this book–a wonderful read
A long haul to read, but interesting. Like most Michner books, it entails much historical information an strong characters.
My favorite book ever, I learned so much and then met the author and learned even more!
Great book as Micheners books are. I’m going to read it again to more fully understand South Africa from it’s beginning
Ever wonder how religion can turn a nation into Hitlerian zealots? This epic tale of South Africa history is a real eye opener. I dare every white Christian to read this book. Or any trump supporter (the ones who can read anyway).
Had never read a book by James Michener but thought this one sounded interesting. It was that and so much more. South Africa ftom1600’s through 1970’s. What a wild but wonderful place it must have Been!
Following Dutch settlers, Hugenots (French protestants) and native tribes taken over by English sent by king to claim as part of British Empire. …
Read this prior to a trip to South Africa and mentally referred to it throughout the trip. Michener was a master storyteller who wove accurate history with believable characters.
Interesting, but a long book. The history of South Africa before Apartheid was abolished.
This is a great history of South Africa and its flawed racial systems. The characters are fictional but the situations are all too real.
Great historical novel.