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Alaska: A Novel |  | Author: James A. Michener
Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks
List Price: $15.95
Buy Used: $1.50
as of 11/23/2009 00:27 CST details
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Seller: leftiesforever
Rating:  64 reviews
Sales Rank: 14602
Media: Paperback
Edition: Trade edition
Pages: 896
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.2 x 1.5
ISBN: 037576142X
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9780375761423
ASIN: 037576142X
Publication Date: November 12, 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
In this sweeping epic of the northernmost American frontier, James A. Michener guides us across Alaska’s fierce terrain, from the long-forgotten past to the bustling technological present, as his characters struggle for survival. The exciting high points of Alaska’s story, from its brutal prehistory, through the nineteenth century and the American acquisition, to its modern status as America’s thriving forty-ninth state, are brought vividly to life in this remarkable novel: the gold rush; the tremendous growth and exploitation of the salmon industry; the discovery of oil and its social and economic consequences; the difficult construction of the Alcan Highway, which made possible the defense of the territory in World War II. A spellbinding portrait of a human community struggling to establish its place in the world, Alaska traces a bold and majestic history of the enduring spirit of a land and its people.
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 64
 Disappointingly Biased September 10, 2009
W. Jackson (Lawrenceville, GA USA)
After visiting Alaska recently I searched for books that would fill in the gaps in my understanding of the state's history. Along with historical works, I chose Michener's Alaska believing that it would be an enjoyable and enlightening read. I found it to be well-written with fascinating plot development. However, I also found it to be unnecessarily liberal in its portrayal of any groups other than the native Alaskans. In particular, Michener too often depicts businessmen, missionaries, politicians, military leaders, etc., from the "lower 48" as conquerors who are driven mainly by their own greed for money and/or power and lacking in basic morality. I realize from other reading that much occurred during the development of Alaska that demonstrated too little regard for the indigenous population and the resources of the land, but all "Americans" from the "lower 48" were not as evil as the author seems to insinuate.
A brief but good example is Michener's (fictional) account of the sinking of the Montreal Queen cruise ship south of Juneau within the "inside passage." The fictional account is obviously loosely based upon an actual sinking of the S.S. Princess Sophia after running aground on Vanderbilt Reef in 1918. After 36 hours on the reef, the Princess Sophia was finally broken apart by the raging waves, and all passengers and crew were lost. It was determined that it had been impossible to immediately rescue the passengers due to the terribly bad weather, prohibiting vessels from approaching safely. But in Michener's account, the picture is one of a ship's captain so driven by the need to save money for the shipping company that he will not risk other ships claiming any salvage rights by off-loading anything or anyone. In addition, the ship is owned by the same company that has been essentially raping the land of its resources and treating its people as serfs. As a work of fiction, such depiction is certainly within the rights of the author; but since this is a historical fiction, the reader is always trying to ascertain what might be actual fact. Unfortunately, the liberal cast that Michener gives to this account is repeated over and over throughout the book. A positive aspect of this bias is that the reader is often compelled to search out the actual history to determine what the real facts actually were.
The extent of the bias is, in my opinion, not just unnecessary; it exposes the underlying bias of the author himself.
 A thrilling read August 3, 2009
B. A. Chandler (Eastern, MA USA)
I love this book, I love the way the author writes, he starts from the beginning. It is so rich and full of character. I can't give a detailed review because I read it so long ago, but I have never forgotten the feeling I had while reading it. On a recent long-awaited trip to Alaska I got to see what I read about, the mountains, the gold rush trails taken by those hoping to strike it rich,the hardships they dealt with. And this is such a small part of the book, it starts at the formation of the land mass that will be Alaska, this is how he wrote. I have read all his books and was greatly saddened by his passing some years ago. I made this purchase to have my daughter discover the joy of Micheners writing and to relive our trip. My Mother passed on the love of this author to me and I am hoping to do so with my daughter. I will be reading it again, I highly recommend it.
One of the best books I've read May 28, 2009
Joseph C. Helton
If you're into historical fiction, get this book, and watch out! You'll be like me, developing a keen interest in Alaska, it's history and environment. Michener is without a doubt a great writer, and great person. His insights into Alaska's long and winding history make for highly enjoyable reading. The book is indeed long, but very much worth it. I highly recommend this book.
Another great read by one of America's greatest authors May 16, 2009
G. French (Raleigh, NC)
I am prejudiced when it comes to Michener novels. I have read most of them and its just a good fit for me for I love history. If you have not read one of his novels, I would suggest you start with Caribbean. Its relatively short and if you like it, you can then graduate to Hawaii and Space and the other great reads. He not for everyone but those who like him, love him. I am finishing up Chesapeake.
#1 book for #49 State December 1, 2008
K. W. Gerth (Oak Ridge, TN United States)
Starting all the way back before Alaska was fully shaped until the BIG earthquake in the past century. WOW!!! I couldn't stop reading because I wanted to know what would happen next. Why is Russia so prominent in Alaska? Where did the eskimos come from? All these questions are answered plus you get love stories, bad guys, good buys, great ladies, and descriptions so descriptive you'll want to get a blanket because you'll feel like you are there. I've recommended this book to several friends who loved it and recommended it to others.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 64
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