[.ca] Centennial (ISBN 0613339959)

To sir, with love:
Once again, James Michener has created a wonderful story about a place, Colorado this time. From the rock formation, to its inherent animals, and, afterwards, the people - indians, english, german, russian, italian, japanese, Michener presents us with a lesson in writing, describing the arid landscapes, the flat, ugly Platte river, the majestic Rockies, the beaver trappers, the search for gold, the extermination of a race, the cattle ranchers. What more can I say about a book that's more than a thousand pages long and even so a very pleasant reading, never tiresome? Centennial, the focal point of the book, is an imaginary town, but very vivid in my mind. That's the power of Michener's storytelling. He was able to provide his readers with a great cast of characters, this time spanning a little more than three centuries. Blending history with things as different as, for example, dry-land farm technincs, Michener gives us a fantastic lesson about the United States. James Michener is one of my favorite authors, and, in my humble opinion, one of the great writers of the 20th century. We have to mourn his passing because Michener is that rare kind of author, the kind that have his readers always on his mind, always respectful, doing excellent researches, providing historical fiction like no one else. Thank you, Mr. Michener, wherever you are. Thank you for your kindness, for worrying about the quality of your books, thank you for compelling me to read more than 10,000 pages of your work, and not regreting even one minute of that reading. Grade 9.3/10

The History Stories you didn't read in High School Textbooks:
This was my first Michener...always wanted to read this one, but the size was intimidating. Finally got around giving it a shot! Overall, I enjoyed the experience! Some great stories about the "regular folks" that made the American West great.... struggles between Native American tribes and the white folks, to cattle driving, farming, and more, the characters in this book come to life. It is like you are there in the old west, on your own ranch! Most of the stories are excellent. My favorites include "The Wagon and the Elephant," the story of a falsely accused outcast from the east who moves west to start over, and "The Cowboys," a story about driving cattle from Texas to Colorado for the purpose of starting a profitable ranch. I'll agree with many people's comments that the second chapter can probably be skipped without missing much. It reads more like a college geology textbook, talking about the land formation history. It is relevant to some things that happen later in the book, but you won't miss out. The real stories here are with the people. I will admit that through the last 1/3 or so, it was getting long. Of course, a book like this could probably be even longer, I'm sure there are hundreds of interesting stories that could be told! Give it a try. If a particular story doesn't catch your interest within a few pages, skip it and try the next. Just give yourself the chance to be taken back to another time and place.

Summer reading at its best:
It's a tossup between "The Source" and "Centennial" for my favorite James Michener book. While "The Source" got me really interested in the Middle East, "Centennial" turned my attention in a big way towards the American Indian and the West. As I mentioned in my Amazon review of "The Source," back in my early teens I thought that the length of a book somehow corresponded to its difficulty level, so I thought that if I could read a 1,000+ page book, then I must be REALLY smart and also grown up! Anyway, the very first book I decided to read, based on these sophisticated criteria, was "Centennial," by James Michener. I quickly (and happily) found out that the book was not hard to read at all, and also that it was fascinating and highly entertaining. I read it like I was watching a movie! I strongly remember being completely engrossed as the centuries flew past, as lands rose and fell, as man came to North America, and eventually as the Indians and Europeans fought it out for control of the West. I definitely remember that this was a very different perspective on American history vis-a-vis the Indians than I was getting from Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone on TV. Some people have criticized James Michener for not being a particularly sophisticated writer, or the most elegant prose stylist ever. Well, that may be, but Michener sure could collect a ton of information, he sure could spin a great yarn, and he sure could get you hooked on the topic at hand -- the American West, the Middle East, South Africa, Hawaii, outer space. James Michener is summer reading at its (intelligent and entertaining) best.

Massive Historical Fictional Tale of Western Frontier:
I've had this book likely over seven years, and it has taken all of that to get through this: seven starts and stops, but at the end here the determination to see the read through. I agonized over the prehistoric, dinosaurish opening, but then found the Indian and trapper-mountain men section fascinating. But for me the best section was the establishment of the area of Centennial and the ranching. Having grown up in this area, it sure seems like Centennial would have to be Sterling. The Hereford and Black Angus are the backbone of the ranching community, here well represented in this epic tale of the West. Panaramic in his scope, Michener provides all the angles, sugar beets, irrigation, livestock wars, minority farm workers, etc. Easily the funniest part was the tragic tryout of the preacher at Centennial's Union Church who preached lengthily on the sheep and the Good Shepherd passage from John. Hilarious knowing that the sheep-cattle wars were raging and he was preaching to the cattle choir! Massive research well written, but tedious read through all 1038 pages. Sorry, but I enjoyed T.A. Larson's History of Wyo much more and recommend it to those interested in the area.

A Sprawling Epic of the American West:
I've been fortunate enough to read several of James A. Michener's works, and CENTENNIAL is by far my favorite from this gifted author. In fact, I've read this book twice, which is no small task, given its 900-plus pages. CENTENNIAL is about a fictitious town of the same name in Colorado. The town is not nestled in the majestic Rockies, as one might expect, but instead is located out on the vast, open, treeless, windswept plains that run down from the eastern slopes of the mountains. It is here, at the nexus of two radically diverse land masses, that Michener gives the reader a comprehensive history of the area, from the formation of the land and its rivers, to its prehistoric inhabitants, to its early settlers, to its subsequent clash of various cultures. The plains Indians, fur trappers, pioneer settlers, soldiers, ranchers, dry land and irrigation farmers, and the hearty descendents of these diverse groups--all are depicted vividly and weaved into an engrossing story by an author with a keen eye for detail. CENTENNIAL furnishes an impressive assortment of powerful, unforgettable characters: Lame Beaver, an Arapaho chieftan; Pasquinel, a French fur trapper; pioneer Levi Zendt; trail boss R.J. Poteet; ranchers Jim and Charlotte Lloyd; and many more. Through these characters the reader is given an epic tale of the American West, a tale that is beautiful, compelling, profound, and often tragic. CENTENNIAL is higly recommended to any student of the American West, or to any lover of epic literature.