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275th out of 3,151 books
—
13,799 voters
Alaska
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 moder...more
Paperback, 896 pages
Published
November 12th 2002
by Random House Trade Paperbacks
(first published 1988)
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Oct 11, 2007
Joel Neff
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Travel lovers and fans of epic stories.
Epic, as a description, is thrown around far too often these days. So often, in fact, that the meaning has been diluted down to where it is used only to describe a long story.
Alaska, by James Michener is not just a long story. Rather, Alaska is an epic in the original sense - a story that is told over the course of epochs, involving generations of characters and genealogies.
The story begins with the forming of the continent of North America and takes the reader through modern times. Along the w...more
Alaska, by James Michener is not just a long story. Rather, Alaska is an epic in the original sense - a story that is told over the course of epochs, involving generations of characters and genealogies.
The story begins with the forming of the continent of North America and takes the reader through modern times. Along the w...more
For two months the author took me on a journey, soaring over majestic mountains and ice crusted seas. I was immersed in the history of the people and their ways and shown both sides of what happens when cultures clash. Alaska unforgiving and brutal to those who don,t follow her rules but a gem to behold for those who take the chance to know her. I probably read an additional three books of info online just following up on some of the topics the author went over in the book. The closest you can g...more
I have rated this a 4, though I'm closer to a 3.5 on this particular book. I love Michener, and I love his style of writing. His books are a blend of historical exposition with a narrative and fictional story. He's very adept at creating families of characters that walk through the history of place and that hold and retain your interest. I give Michener a 5 while giving "Alaska" a 3.5.
The book is long (over 850 pages) as is typical for Michener. I didn't find that this book stuck together as wel...more
The book is long (over 850 pages) as is typical for Michener. I didn't find that this book stuck together as wel...more
This time Michener outdoes himself by starting the story of Alaska from the time the earth itself was formed. The geologic forces that created the mountains and volcanic islands of Alaska and the waves of hunter-gatherers that moved into Alaska across the land bridge from Asia and Siberia are described in such vivid detail you feel you are almost watching a PBS documentary. The early explorations by the Russians and their encounters with the "natives", the exploitation of Alaskan natural resourc...more
Marvellous. The best book I have read of Michener's so far.
Michener is truly the epic storyteller par excellence.
In his typical style, he starts way back tracing the early origins of Alaska and how this mass of land came to be formed, takes you through a stunning history of the native peoples both Eskimo and Inuit, through to the inevitable encroachment of white man, the Japanese invasion of the Aleutian and Kodak islands as well as the sale and purchase of the land by the Russians and American...more
Michener is truly the epic storyteller par excellence.
In his typical style, he starts way back tracing the early origins of Alaska and how this mass of land came to be formed, takes you through a stunning history of the native peoples both Eskimo and Inuit, through to the inevitable encroachment of white man, the Japanese invasion of the Aleutian and Kodak islands as well as the sale and purchase of the land by the Russians and American...more
Michener can be long winded, but the message stays in my mind.
As is his way, he goes back to the very beginning of time explaining
how the movement of the subterranean plates shifted and reshifted
to create the Alaska we know today and how the first men to cross from Asis to Alaska had to work all the time to get food and shelter. His account covers the history of all the tribes of Alaska. His account of the gold rush and how cities came and went was so interesting. I am friends with a married co...more
As is his way, he goes back to the very beginning of time explaining
how the movement of the subterranean plates shifted and reshifted
to create the Alaska we know today and how the first men to cross from Asis to Alaska had to work all the time to get food and shelter. His account covers the history of all the tribes of Alaska. His account of the gold rush and how cities came and went was so interesting. I am friends with a married co...more
Having vacationed in the superlative that is Alaska this summer, I eagerly settled in with this Michener blockbuster and immensely enjoyed it. So very informative and written in the comfortable style that is the trademark of a Michener book. He proceeds from the distant past to the near present and assists readers to appreciate that Alaskans have survived their history, environment and land with an independence and courage that we in the lower 48 can only dream about.
Alaska is the most northern...more
Alaska is the most northern...more
Michener books just astound me in their detail. He takes an enormous chunk of history and makes it seem like it’s no big deal to cover in under 1000 pages. The book covers the formation of the landmass of Alaska to the late 1980′s. And he brings to life lovely characters, some who are real and some who are fictitious in order to further illustrate his story. You see how each touches the land in some way that alters it forever. Some of their stories are uplifting – the village of Athapascan women...more
Loooong story. I'd been trying to listen to this since before we went to Alaska. Unfortunately, it's 46 CDs (for comparison, the longest Harry Potter book was 23 CDs) and there's only one copy in our library network. And, apparently a lot of people want to listen to it, so there are always requests. So I kept having to listen to a few CDs and return it.
But I stuck to it, even though this might possibly be the worst audiobook performance I've ever subjected myself to. I'm so used to listening to...more
But I stuck to it, even though this might possibly be the worst audiobook performance I've ever subjected myself to. I'm so used to listening to...more
view all 15 comments
What I enjoy about Michener is his ability to create an interesting fictional story infused with (mostly) historical accounts and facts, allowing the reader to learn history without it feeling like a boring history lesson.
Prior to reading this book, I knew nothing about Alaska aside from what I could remember from basic college history courses. I purchased this book to refresh my knowledge as well as to be "inspiration" for a trip I was about to take to Alaska, as I wanted to learn more about Al...more
Prior to reading this book, I knew nothing about Alaska aside from what I could remember from basic college history courses. I purchased this book to refresh my knowledge as well as to be "inspiration" for a trip I was about to take to Alaska, as I wanted to learn more about Al...more
This was my copy, but in paperback. My father gave it to me soon after it came out, because I have lived in Alaska, and he thought I would enjoy it. It took me years to finish, but I did. And I did enjoy much of it. Loved learning the history of the state, from way back, and the ways of both the native Alaskans and the Russians who attempted to make the land their own.
Of course Michener is a master storyteller and writer. No criticism there. Just that I don't agree with his evolutionary ideas, s...more
Of course Michener is a master storyteller and writer. No criticism there. Just that I don't agree with his evolutionary ideas, s...more
The first two chapters are pretty brutal, but apparently that is Michener. They talk about the geological formation of Alaska and though detailed and informative can be skipped. Once he gets into the third chapter following a pack of mammoths and the life of a salmon things pick up a bit but the book still drags a bit. As Michener gets into the human portion of the novel it gets much more readable.
The book follows interwoven characters and stories (some historical figures and some fictional fig...more
The book follows interwoven characters and stories (some historical figures and some fictional fig...more
Sep 10, 2011
Michelle
added it
James A. Michener is known for his highly detailed narrative and pages-long expository on the history of a region. When done correctly, a reader is taken on a whirlwind adventure through time, following the growth and development of an area through the eyes of the land and of a select few founding families. When done poorly, the effect is more like a lengthy history textbook. Alas, Alaska falls into the latter category.
What Michener does well can become nauseatingly boring over time without a hu...more
What Michener does well can become nauseatingly boring over time without a hu...more
A passionate story of a passionate region. The experiences of Michener's Alaskan characters are just as exciting and tumultuous as their surroundings. I appreciate that Michener's passion for the lives he created didn't tempt him to give them fairytale endings. Even when a character got a leg-up in one instance, life in Alaska's frontiers continued to assult them on other fronts. His portrayal of encounters between Native Alaskans, Europeans, and Asians were realistic in that they didn't become...more
The first five hundred pages of this brick of a book were informative and entertaining enough to get me over the half-way hump, but it quickly became less of a page turner and more of a slog. I think sometimes that updating my progress on Goodreads is more of a motivator to make it through a book than actually reading it... Is that a sign? If your goal is to tell the entire cultural history of a place in a novel - telling it through individual narratives might not be a bad way to do it, especial...more
After reading this book I hiked the Chilkoot Trail from Dyea Flats, near Skagway, into British Columbia along the exact route of the gold seekers of 1898. There were abandoned items all along the way. I doubt it has changed much in one hundred years. It was exhausting and exhilerating simultaneously. Made it to Lake Bennet and took a tourist train back to Skagway.
This book contains some of the most stirring and also the most troubling events I have ever read about. Thoroughly researched, as alwa...more
This book contains some of the most stirring and also the most troubling events I have ever read about. Thoroughly researched, as alwa...more
Excellent writing albeit lecturing at times. Smooth and intelligent. The characters are amazing, some lovable and others despicable. The problem is that there are too many characters and stories. With that said, this is definitely one of the greatest adventures I've read. I would have easily given Alaska 5 stars if not for the sheer mass of stories, which made much of it unmemorable as a result. Also, the first chapter dragged so badly that I almost stopped reading. A whole chapter on plate tect...more
"I loved this book! Of course, I have never read a Michener book that I didn't thoroughly enjoy. He creates interesting characters and tells the history of a place with such care through the people of the place and time.
I learned a lot about Alaska. It is interesting to read about the wide spectrum of activities that have occurred in that beautiful land, the gold rush and the salmon fishing. I like that Michener starts at the prehistoric time to describe the land and the animals that were there...more
I learned a lot about Alaska. It is interesting to read about the wide spectrum of activities that have occurred in that beautiful land, the gold rush and the salmon fishing. I like that Michener starts at the prehistoric time to describe the land and the animals that were there...more
This book would have been half as long and at least three times as good if the writer didn't babble on.
Whenever he wrote about people he was over-theatrical. His undertone when speaking of female characters was insulting and he managed to make every love story boring (and many of them disturbing) - and that is hard to do!
But there are other ways to give a story value besides its characters. Michener is great at describing ecology, geology and with the personifications of the salmon. The way he...more
Whenever he wrote about people he was over-theatrical. His undertone when speaking of female characters was insulting and he managed to make every love story boring (and many of them disturbing) - and that is hard to do!
But there are other ways to give a story value besides its characters. Michener is great at describing ecology, geology and with the personifications of the salmon. The way he...more
James Michener's Alaska is an exhaustive -- and exhausting -- primer on Alaskan history, filtered through the lens of fiction. As an alternative to reading a stuffy old history book, this Alaska has a lot to offer: colorful characters (some historical, some fictional), dramatic landscapes, momentous occasions, and far-reaching human drama. On the down side, if you're looking for actual historical facts, they're here -- but you have to go looking for them. While Michener does provide notes detail...more
So, if you've read Michener, you know his style. Epic-- starts with the land formation and goes to the current century. He makes up characters and families that are linked in every possible way to every major event. While the writing is spotty, the characters sometimes not believable, you ALWAYS find out so much about a place! Just like I HAD to go to Hawaii after reading his book on that state, I'm now planning my trip to Alaska... and it actually makes Sarah Palin's resignation speech make a b...more
Got this at a book sale about three years ago. Last one I read by Michener was "Legacy," and before that "Chesapeake," I REALLY like his multi-generational, multi-century novels, looking forward to this one now!
(many moons later) Done! All 868 pages of it! Not a disappointment, and very much in line with his other multi-generational (nay, geological age) narrative. At my age, I have to write down who's who and how they are related to who was in the last chapter/era; went through three of those i...more
(many moons later) Done! All 868 pages of it! Not a disappointment, and very much in line with his other multi-generational (nay, geological age) narrative. At my age, I have to write down who's who and how they are related to who was in the last chapter/era; went through three of those i...more
Un libro extraordinario que narra la historia de Alaska desde la prehistoria. Me transportó a la belleza y crudeza del paisaje y me sentí parte de los afanes y sufrimientos de sus habitantes para dominar un territorio hostil.
Una novela histórica que me enganchó desde el comienzo de la lectura porque reune los requisitos que me encanta encontrar: historia, intriga, drama, etc.
Una se siente encantada con cada una de las épocas y engancha fácilmente con la trama.
Muy bueno!
Ma
Una novela histórica que me enganchó desde el comienzo de la lectura porque reune los requisitos que me encanta encontrar: historia, intriga, drama, etc.
Una se siente encantada con cada una de las épocas y engancha fácilmente con la trama.
Muy bueno!
Ma
I love Michener cause I love long, sprawling, epic tales. This may be my favorite only cause Alaska is one messed up place and Michener brings that long, crazy, rough, touch, somewhat psychotic history to life. From it's earliest animal life to its struggle to become a state, every aspect of Alaska is given an in depth analysis by Michener in a at times thrilling tale of several 'families' and their development over centures. Brilliant and historical fiction at its best!
This is one of my all-time favorite books. Over the last 15 years, I find myself occasionally revel in some of the scenes of the book, the otters cracking oysters while flowing on water, the line of miners walking up the steep hill to get to Canada, the lone skater down the Yukon river to get to another mine - to mention a few. I looked up the delta of the Lena river on Google map; with exotic colors and shapes, the view is quite a treat.
I'd recommend skipping the first couple chapters of this book. It's incredibly dry information about geological formations that really adds nothing to the story. I was surprised at how Michener made a wooly mammoth seem almost human, but the section on animals went on for too long. The book gets good when Michener introduces his human characters, because it's humans that Michener excels at. From there on out the book is excellent.
This is really meant to be a 3 1/2-star review.
It has been years since I read this book - and it may have been the first time I completely finished reading this book - but I found this epic tale of Alaska's origins to be an entertaining, highly informative read. As usual with Michener, the book is very thorough and scrupulously researched, and it is because of his remarkable attention to detail that the storytelling flourishes. However, it is not as engaging of a read as his books Hawaii, The So...more
It has been years since I read this book - and it may have been the first time I completely finished reading this book - but I found this epic tale of Alaska's origins to be an entertaining, highly informative read. As usual with Michener, the book is very thorough and scrupulously researched, and it is because of his remarkable attention to detail that the storytelling flourishes. However, it is not as engaging of a read as his books Hawaii, The So...more
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 tr...more
A great way to get to know Alaska! Michener presents the big picture with respect to the issues and development of Alaska by interweaving great stories and characters over the history of this great land. I read this while on an Alaskan cruise and it made the cruise that much more meaningful. This was my second Michener book, I had read Space in the 1980's and I think I shall read another in the near future.
I loved this book! It's a long one, not sure of the actual word count, but guessing in the 400,000 to 430,000 range.. I don't think I was bored or discouraged once in the three plus weeks it took to read this, and I have struggled with some of his stuff.. Centennial comes to mind. I've spent some time in Alaska, in the Aleutian Islands, and no doubt, the personal connection helped to capture my interest. I loved the inclusion of the maps in my copy. I referred to them frequently throughout my re...more
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James Albert Michener is best known for his sweeping multi-generation historical fiction sagas, usually focusing on and titled after a particular geographical region. His first novel,
Tales of the South Pacific
, which inspired the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific, won the 1948 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
Toward the end of his life, he created the Journey Prize, awarded annually for th...more
More about James A. Michener...
Toward the end of his life, he created the Journey Prize, awarded annually for th...more
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