Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “The World Is My Home: A Memoir” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

The World Is My Home: A Memoir

James A. Michener

4.01 · Rating details · 742 ratings · 72 reviews

Literary legend James A. Michener was “a Renaissance man, adventurous, inquisitive, unpretentious and unassuming, with an encyclopedic mind and a generous heart” (The New York Times Book Review). In this exceptional memoir, the man himself tells the story of his remarkable life and describes the people, events, and ideas that shaped it. Moving backward and forward across t ...more

Get A Copy

Paperback, 592 pages

Published January 30th 2007 by Dial Press Trade Paperback (first published 1991)

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about The World Is My Home, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry

Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach

The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr.

Books You Wish You'd Read As A Kid

122 books — 24 voters

Best of James A. Michener

53 books — 13 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 4.01 ·

Rating details

· 742 ratings · 72 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of The World Is My Home: A Memoir

Apr 17, 2016 Quirkyreader rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is a memoir that should be read by everyone who reads and writes. Michener describes his life and his influences on his writing.

Michener describes his world travels and the ideas he drew from them. I found his time in the South Seas to be most fascinating. Albeit that was the area he focused on the most, he also touched upon many of the other places he traveled to for his writing research.

One of the best things about this memoir was some of the books he read. It lead me to some new stories ...more

flag 18 likes · Like · see review

Sep 21, 2009 Cindi rated it really liked it

Shelves: world-culture, amazing-people, education, history, 2009, nonfiction

I'm on page 199 and so far I have to ask this question: REALLY? Can this author really have accomplished so much in his life? I feel like a couch potato compared to him and I don't even watch t.v.!!

Finished!

A bit of a Renaissance Man, James Michener was an aficionado of opera and classical music, as well as art, collecting enough prints to form a small art museum. In his youth, he read classical literature from many lands. He was, of course, a writer of non-fiction as well as fiction. And a trav I'm on page 199 and so far I have to ask this question: REALLY? Can this author really have accomplished so much in his life? I feel like a couch potato compared to him and I don't even watch t.v.!!

Finished!

A bit of a Renaissance Man, James Michener was an aficionado of opera and classical music, as well as art, collecting enough prints to form a small art museum. In his youth, he read classical literature from many lands. He was, of course, a writer of non-fiction as well as fiction. And a traveler. In writing about other lands, it was requisite to him that he live in those places. He held various positions on committees in the government, working with the postage stamp committee, working for NASA and various semi-secret missions. That's not all. He kept up with a keen interest in bull fighting and played on a competitive volleyball team. The list of his interests and work that come out in the text of this book goes on and on; I was amazed more than once at the places he went, the people he knew, the awards he received, the speeches he gave, the jobs he held, the volunteer work he did, the money he donated.

I liked that Michener made choices about the kind of writing he would do and then stuck to it. He wasn't driven by money, although he was accused of it. Having grown up very poor, he made some decisions early on which killed his competitive nature in regards to money. He liked to help people and he did so regularly with money or favors. He also donated large sums to help up and coming writers in many countries. His plans for after his death was that all of his money would be donated to the arts and for scholarships etc.

I have to admit, that like most memoirs, there are a lot of names to keep straight and that can make the reading a little tedious in places.

This was an interesting read in the context of Outliers which I read this summer. I made a careful watch of how intelligence, opportunity, and hard work played out in Michener's life.

Michener did a good job in this autobiography of selling several other of his books to me. I'd like to read a few, maybe more! ...more

flag 13 likes · Like · see review

Jun 25, 2014 Rex Fuller rated it really liked it

With undiminished affection for Michener and his work, I admit I only skimmed the last parts of this one–the constant digressions got to me a bit. But at some point it will worm its way back for true completion.

Let’s remember, Michener originally had no birth certificate. No one could tell him when, where, or to whom he was born. As they say, not an auspicious start. He grew up with a number of other abandoned babies in the home of Mabel Michener, whose husband died young, and the broader, real With undiminished affection for Michener and his work, I admit I only skimmed the last parts of this one–the constant digressions got to me a bit. But at some point it will worm its way back for true completion.

Let’s remember, Michener originally had no birth certificate. No one could tell him when, where, or to whom he was born. As they say, not an auspicious start. He grew up with a number of other abandoned babies in the home of Mabel Michener, whose husband died young, and the broader, real Michener family, never shied from reminding him he was not one of them. Now, recall that he lived or spent substantial time in over a hundred countries, including Afghanistan, Indonesia (Java), and Singapore. He particularly loved islands, dozens of them, including Barra in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland and Bora Bora, his favorite, in the New Hebrides of the Pacific. He thought he was the only man to have spent a Christmas on Easter Island and Easter on Christmas Island. He really did make the world his home. And you can say it did not even stop there. He was one of the first champions at NASA of sending a civilian into space, and never quite got over the Challenger disaster that killed the first to be sent up. Although he did not publish anything until he was 41 (Tales of the South Pacific, which won the Pulitzer for fiction in 1948), before he died he published over forty major works of both fiction and non-fiction, probably capturing forever the title of most prolific producer of long sagas. And still, writing was not one of his greatest passions, which were travel, literature, music, and painting. Just one of many possible anecdotes shows, perhaps most important of all, he was an honorable man. As a Quaker he was exempt from military service but volunteered anyway.

Three things especially stand out. First, he goes to some length to prove he was just plain lucky, citing his having survived three plane crashes (one of which involved fatalities), and that if Tales of the South Pacific had been published a year earlier or later it could not have won (against All The King’s Men in 1947 and Guard of Honor in 1949). Second, success was not unmixed. A few examples: Hungary, Spain, and South Africa banned his books, Afghanistan and Israel threatened him not to return, and Israel, Hawaii, and Texas denigrated the books about them. Third, he did not allow his unabashedly liberal politics to either bias his writing or to keep him from friendship with conservatives.

How he came to be a writer is here in a beguiling way. He treats you with what he saw in the Pacific in the form of stories of his wartime experience and warmly tells why they were so important to him. At some point, you realize that, of course, this is the real thing behind Tales of the South Pacific. He later explains why he chose to be a writer (he avoids “author” as pretentious). Over-simplified, he did because it was the way in which he could make a difference. And he gives his thought process for choosing what he would write. He chose things big enough to show that all of humanity are brothers.

Of Michener, “you couldn’t make this up, no one would believe it” is really true. ...more

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

Aug 19, 2021 Heidi'sbooks rated it it was amazing

Shelves: book-club-books

My apologies to my friend who kept putting this forward as a book club selection. I voted against it two years in a row. My fellow bookclubbers picked it by majority rule. I'm so glad they did! This is an incredible memoir. Some of the stories are so fantastical that it is hard to believe that one person could have accomplished everything in this book.

The book starts with tales of him in World War II on a ship headed for the South Pacific. They had to mutiny against the captain to get food and w My apologies to my friend who kept putting this forward as a book club selection. I voted against it two years in a row. My fellow bookclubbers picked it by majority rule. I'm so glad they did! This is an incredible memoir. Some of the stories are so fantastical that it is hard to believe that one person could have accomplished everything in this book.

The book starts with tales of him in World War II on a ship headed for the South Pacific. They had to mutiny against the captain to get food and water for the sailors. His stories of Island hopping and the work he did for the navy after the war are fascinating in themselves. He didn't start freelance writing until he was 40 years old. He wrote for hours everyday. His pattern was to move to a location and pick 5 threads of research about that geographical area and use that research for his novels.

He did all this while having excruciating pain in his hip and 2 heart attacks, and suffering from gout. His background as an orphan was extraordinary. He didn't know who his parents were and he had no birth certificate at all. A woman took him in at the age of 2 and raised him with a pack of other foster kids and orphans. In his boyhood he hitchhiked across the USA and explored various regions with almost no money.

He writes about the publishing world and his time at Macmillan Publishing and his dealings with Random House. He shares his grueling process for writing and research. He shares his love of opera, how he memorized hundreds of poems, his love of English and History, and his love of art (particularly Japanese prints). He ended up with a substantial collection that he donated to a museum.

There is so much in this book that a review doesn't do it justice. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He served on the board for NASA, he served on the committee that chose who went on the postage stamp. And the list goes on and on....

Now what Michener book am I going to read next? I'm hoping to delve into his fiction, maybe one of his epic tomes. Hawaii? Chesapeake? The Source? Which one is your favorite? ...more

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Nov 18, 2017 Shane rated it really liked it

This was the best “short book” of Michener’s that I have read, an invaluable tour through the world of a writer of the last century who made a lot of money at it. Even though this memoir reads like a literary version of Sinatra’s song, “My Way,” this author accomplished and witnessed a lot during his long and colourful life without having to resort to the tabloids for fame.

An orphan, raised by a single foster mother and brought up a Quaker, Michener had a stoic discipline that helped him overcom This was the best “short book” of Michener’s that I have read, an invaluable tour through the world of a writer of the last century who made a lot of money at it. Even though this memoir reads like a literary version of Sinatra’s song, “My Way,” this author accomplished and witnessed a lot during his long and colourful life without having to resort to the tabloids for fame.

An orphan, raised by a single foster mother and brought up a Quaker, Michener had a stoic discipline that helped him overcome life’s challenges. He measured himself only against the stronger personalities he met on his travels, never being content with his last success, or being let down by his last failure. His travels during the WWII through safe battle zones like the South Pacific gave him a mother lode of stories about this rather uncontrolled part of the world and its chains of islands that seem to fall off Mercator’s map. A chance intervention by some powerful personalities who liked his recounting of the South Pacific, saw him win a Pulitzer Prize for his first novel. This resulted in movie and stage rights for “South Pacific” that kept him in royalties, enabling him to embark on a full time writing career. He had ample preparation, having been an academic and an editor at McMillan, before the journey began.

He also stumbled on a unique formula that found favour with audiences anxious to learn about the world, albeit in more palatable terms than what came out of dry history books. Hence the Michener doorstopper books on places like Hawaii, South Africa, Poland et al, each taking approximately three years to write, where Michener immersed himself in the locale, in its history dating back to creation, and brought it alive with fictional (and sometimes, non-fictional) characters and stories. He was often criticized for subverting history to suit his plots, but he did not read reviews of his books. Success begat success, leading to a string of best-sellers, and soon he was giving his money away to worthy causes, because he says that he never was any good at managing money.

He was a political animal, born into a Republican community but drifting over to the Democratic cause over time. He ran for Congress unsuccessfully and thereafter served on many political committees at the Federal and State level, and even accompanied President Nixon to China.
Throughout the chapters—arranged by subject and not by date, and therefore causing some repetition in places—we see Michener’s philosophy emerge:
• He didn’t believe in “trickle-down economics” and preferred to pay taxes.
• He wasn’t a fan of the National Guard. He believed that rich and poor alike should be conscripted.
• He was a strong supporter of middle class values.
• He disagreed with the unfair distribution of wealth in favour of the 1% of popular writers (of which he was one), but justified it only if these staggering earnings were plowed back into the promotion of literature in general (which he did).
• He believed that an orphan of colour would not have had the same chances he had, because he was cocooned and supported by a loving foster mother, a connected extended family, and mentors in school and college who encouraged his development. Orphans of colour often do not have these support networks, he observes.

He alludes to the fact that he did not have a literary style (pointed out by many of his critics) and that he was merely a story teller, that his characters were cardboard cut-outs, and that he had little skill or intent in understanding their psychology. He was a loner in the literary establishment.

The section I found most revealing was his dissection of the publishing process of the last century from the inside, as an editor and a best-selling author. He provides statistics and economics that help us understand the business model of traditional twentieth century publishing which has now changed dramatically with technology. I marvelled at the team assembled around him to produce each of his books: secretary, expert reader, editor(s), lawyers, and proof-reader—and he still found errors in his work. Today those roles are all rolled into one: the author—and well, there are always those odd errors still around.

And yes, I guess he has earned the right to sing the song “My Way” for there were times when he “bit off more than he could chew’: surviving three plane crashes, a heart attack, gout, and the transplanting of various body parts, and having his books initially banned in the countries he had written about.

Despite his moralistic style of declaiming how he had “done it,” I found this book to be revelatory of a time gone by in publishing.
...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

May 19, 2008 Michael rated it it was amazing

One of the very best books about one of the very best authors of all times. I believe Michener's passing left a huge void in the literary world, which will take some time to fill.

This is a must for anyone who every enjoyed his books. ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Sep 17, 2016 Steph (loves water) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Writers

Recommended to Steph (loves water) by: Quirkyreader

Shelves: 2016, memoir

Outstanding. This man was amazing. Every section he wrote about, I related, in some way. He had me rediscovering Beethoven and looking up artists I've never heard of. I loved his stories of the South Pacific (real and fiction), and his views on politics, philosophy, and education. Highly recommended. ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Mar 14, 2020 Barbara King rated it it was amazing

Shelves: memoir

This memoir is a must read for Michener fans. And even if you are not yet a fan, it is very worthwhile. Michener traveled the world and lived where may of his books are set. He was not only a writer but a humanitarian. He ran for congress unsuccessfully but that led to opportunities for government service. He was part of President Nixon’s entourage on his historic trip to China. In 1956, he happened to be in Vienna when Hungarians were escaping their country following their failed revolution. He ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jul 22, 2022 Joe Clark rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, biography

This memoir is like a Michener novel - starts strong but runs on too long. The man lived an amazing life and his war stories make interesting reading. But his views on writing are stodgy and snobbish.

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Nov 05, 2020 David rated it liked it · review of another edition

11/5/20: Will read concurrently w/ Michener's Poland.

Gave up on Poland. Moving this behind the wall for now.

1/26/21: Have recently read The Bridges At Toko-Ri and now am reading Tales of the South Pacific, so will go back to this.

2/7/21: The first sentence of the book says, "This will be a strange kind of autobiography because I shall offer the first seven chapters as if I had never written a book, the last seven as if that were all I had done." But the book clearly is a memoir, not an autobiogr 11/5/20: Will read concurrently w/ Michener's Poland.

Gave up on Poland. Moving this behind the wall for now.

1/26/21: Have recently read The Bridges At Toko-Ri and now am reading Tales of the South Pacific, so will go back to this.

2/7/21: The first sentence of the book says, "This will be a strange kind of autobiography because I shall offer the first seven chapters as if I had never written a book, the last seven as if that were all I had done." But the book clearly is a memoir, not an autobiography -- and an unusual memoir because it’s a mix of reminiscences and reflections on writing; some good stuff, some tedious.

Michener was in his 80s when he wrote this version of his memoirs (there are others). As I read it, I had the impression that Michener was taking perhaps his last opportunity to share thoughts that had rattled around in his head for 50 years. These included considerable praise and appreciation for people who had influenced or helped him along the way. He also has a fair amount to say about luck -- both good and bad -- and is quite specific about occasions when he benefited by good luck, perhaps more than most people.

Perhaps the most valuable thoughts in the book deal with his good fortune in winning the Pulitzer Prize for Tales of The South Pacific, which launched his writing career: "The only generalization I can offer is that in an irrational world if a prudent course has been followed, you make yourself eligible to capitalize on luck if it happens to strike. If you have not made yourself eligible, you may never be aware that luck is at hand." He goes on to describe how he had made himself eligible to "seize the breaks if and when they come."

Several chapters in the first section of the book are humorous, especially his experiences in the South Pacific, and several chapters in the later section seem a bit defensive about his fame, although he claims that two of his basic tenants are "never complain" and "never explain."

Overall, I'm glad I read this book and I may try again to read one of his lengthy novels -- this time Texas, since it's sitting in our bookcase. I hope I like his version of the Lone Star State more than I liked his version of Poland. But first I'll finish the second reading of Tales of the South Pacific.

...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jan 29, 2010 Robin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: travel-world, adventure, biography

Throughout this charming autobiography, James A. Michener portrays himself as an average man with average talent and experience. He wrote nothing non-academic until after age 40. He says he only became successful by immersing himself in his subject matter and by keeping a strictly disciplined writing schedule. As one reads the biography though, it’s obvious that his character and lifestyle are far from average. He calls himself a storyteller rather than an author. He wrote this book at age 84, a ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Aug 02, 2019 John Majors rated it really liked it

Very inspiring book for those wanting to write/create. Michener wrote something like 40 books in his life. His VERY FIRST BOOK won the Pulitzer and was turned into a world famous broadway show and movie "South Pacific." That launched him, but he still had to keep writing. He does a good job painting a picture for how easy it would have been for him to quit after that first book. So many people told him he couldn't write and he should give up (including his agent!), that he was lucky to win the P ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jan 18, 2017 Brian rated it really liked it

In my teens and twenties, I was a big fan of James A. Michener, and I have read most of his books, some of them ("Tales of the South Pacific" and "The Source") more than once. So I was curious to read his auto-biography and was pleased that I did. I did not know much about Michener the person, and he incorporated just about everything I would ever have wanted to learn about him: his youth in Doylestown, PA, his college years at Swarthmore College, his life up to WWII, his career in the U.S. Navy ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Aug 15, 2015 Cynthia rated it it was ok

His memoir was too long! In the edition I read, it ran 512 pages, there were so few times that I found myself quickly turning pages to read what was next. If he had written his novels in this fashion I would never have read more than one. I rate him as one of my favorite writers (he prefers this designation than "author"), but I just wish I had never read this book. I also found it frustrating that he never mentions how he came to live with the woman whom he would later think of as his mother. H ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Dec 29, 2016 Armelle rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

An interesting but frustrating read, James Michener's autobiography is organized basically thematically rather than chronologically - with endless annoying references to what he's either said before or what he's going to tell you later.

Much of it was interesting - James Michener came from extremely humble beginnings, but led an extraordinarily large life - but there were more than a few eye rolls at yet another "I'm so smart/humble/honest/well-educated/whatever" passage.

It was also an extremely ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Mar 03, 2012 Haggis Chihuahua rated it it was ok

My Dawg, but I'm glad I finally finished reading this one--five hundred pages, all of them pretentious, in which he explains over and over and over again why he's not pretentious. GAH!

Michener has long been one of my favorite authors, but if the man himself was anything like he presented in this memoir, he had to be the most annoying person in whatever room he walked into, and in whatever city he chose to live.

I gave this two stars only because he was a veteran of WWII and I have much respect f ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Feb 27, 2017 Colin Drake rated it really liked it

Michener is the archetype for "a gentleman." This book can be a bit dry in certain spots, it's not for everyone, but if you want to read a story about a man who lived a damn good life then I think this may be a good place to start. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

May 08, 2012 Valerie Bell rated it liked it

This book was an interesting autobiographical insight into Michener's early life and the geography and cultures that formed his writing. Probably only interesting if you are a Michener fan. I am.
...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jul 26, 2013 Eileen Division rated it really liked it

Wordy, but that's Michener. He spins a good yarn, even about his own life. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

May 12, 2020 Cliff Ward rated it really liked it

'You're not a Michener! Who in hell do you think you are, trying to be better than you are?" This is one of James early memories when he was refused birthday cake at a family party when he was a young child.
Orphan James, taken in by a very poor but loving single woman when he was a young boy, lived in a total state of poverty such that he grew up with nutritional deficiencies which caused long lasting health problems and he had never played with a single toy that he did not have the creativity t 'You're not a Michener! Who in hell do you think you are, trying to be better than you are?" This is one of James early memories when he was refused birthday cake at a family party when he was a young child.
Orphan James, taken in by a very poor but loving single woman when he was a young boy, lived in a total state of poverty such that he grew up with nutritional deficiencies which caused long lasting health problems and he had never played with a single toy that he did not have the creativity to make himself from old pieces of junk.
Despite the pain of rejection from some of the other 'true Michener' family members he decided there was no point for him to 'want' the things he didn't have and he decided to cut them completely from his mind. But what he did magically find was a library. It contained endless books he could read for free. He started reading and discovered the world beyond him and behind him in tales of far off lands in times long since past and through his reading he found the heroes and role models that had escaped him in the real world.
James A Michener just never stopped trying. He got three college degrees and became a professor and professional teacher. Joining the Navy during WW2 and becoming a war correspondent he found himself in the South Pacific where he wrote his first book and won the Politzer Prize for Literature.
James became a world renowned writer of some 40 globally selling books. In addition he ran for office as a Democrat and traveled the world sometimes as a political advisor or a reporting specialist. He was the guest of a number of US Presidents and famous people around the world including the Pope and the Queen of England. By the end of his life he had given away to various charities more than US$100 million. Various institutions regularly asked if they could name buildings or physical sites such as hotel suites in his name, but somehow he could never quite forget the taunting cruelties of those other children during his formative years and at such times he simply stated he wanted to be remembered as a writer and he thought the best legacy would be a row of books on a shelf which would educate and inspire the generations to come.
This book runs from story to story neither keeping any chronological order nor any other pattern which can be easily followed. It certainly is helpful the more of his books you have read, as many of his stories in this book are based on the efforts to create some of his great novels and the challenges therein. But for me the last chapter where he discusses his life meanings was the one with far the most interest. I wish there had been more details about his upbringing and the more personal side of his life. Perhaps even in such an autobiography looking back on his life aged 85 years some things are just too sensitive and painful to really contemplate.
I will take the experience of this book along with me as I continue to read more of James A Michener's great books and novels. Thank you James.
...more

flag Like · see review

Mar 23, 2017 Amber Lea rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, memoir, history

This book is really hard to rate, because my feelings about it were all over the place.

Parts of it were so interesting that I couldn't put it down, and other parts were really dull, and others downright annoying. For example, I felt like he was constantly pointing out that he's an exceptionally humble man, while also pointing out that's he's pretty damn good at everything. "I'm not a genius or anything, but...obvs, I'm a genius you guys, come on."

It's probably important to point out that I haven This book is really hard to rate, because my feelings about it were all over the place.

Parts of it were so interesting that I couldn't put it down, and other parts were really dull, and others downright annoying. For example, I felt like he was constantly pointing out that he's an exceptionally humble man, while also pointing out that's he's pretty damn good at everything. "I'm not a genius or anything, but...obvs, I'm a genius you guys, come on."

It's probably important to point out that I haven't read any of his work with the exception of this memoir. I'm just obsessed with reading people's accounts of their own lives, so it's difficult for me to speak to the kind of writer he is overall, because I'd honestly never heard of him before I picked up this book. (Which makes me feel stupid to say, because it's constantly being pointed out to me that he's kind of a big deal.) But I could see his other works being very good. But frustratingly, based on this, I'm not sure if I want to sit through another of his books.

Perhaps part of my issue is that his personal philosophies and politics aren't really my cup of tea. He's a moderate liberal (in the 90's sense) who's clearly eager to be liked by everyone and who rocks the boat in incredibly inoffensive ways. He's also a total old guy who feels the need to point out people's genders and races, and be like, "Hey guys, I'm so progressive. I employ lady lawyers." Wow.

Not that I fault him for it too much because...dude was born over a 100 years ago. It was another time. I get that. But it's annoying when he's like, "Look how ahead of the times I was." Cool.

The chapter on art was the worst. You spend most of the chapter trying to figure out what he's even talking about (ice cream? Opera?), and then when you do (art!), he's basically like, "I had to learn not to care what other people think" but he clearly very much cares what people think. He obviously wants to have the right opinions all throughout the book. He's clearly willing to walk away from things he likes if he thinks they're not important in the eyes of others. He points that out multiple times in the book, not just in the context of art.

And that weird inconsistency comes back again and again. Where it's like he wants to believe these things are true about himself, but he's clearly not there yet.

But on the other hand, I never thought I would be as interested in the kind of stories he was telling as I was. I'm like damn, I just legit enjoyed reading multiple war stories. I don't even know who I am anymore.

And I learned some interesting things about how stamps are chosen so...it was definitely educational. The man has done it all, and he knows a lot about a lot of subjects.

But I think the thing I really enjoyed was that he wrote about times I will never experience and that no one alive today can tell me about. He REMEMBERS the 20's and 30's, you know? That's invaluable. It's like hearing stories from the grandpa I never had.

I don't know. I have a million disjointed opinions of this book so I'm just going to leave it at that. ...more

flag Like · see review

Mar 26, 2020 KennyO rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: biography-memoir, non-fiction

It would be valuable to have read at least a few of Michener’s novels before delving into this memoir. His recounting is not chronological (it’s organized by topic) nor does he give many dates in the anecdotes so you may understandably get a mite confused as to when he did what he did. If you have rules about how memoirs should be composed, perhaps give this one a bye.

There are plenty of reviews to peruse so I’ll limit remarks to saying that I got more from some parts than from others. I enjoye ...more

flag Like · see review

Oct 19, 2020 Susann rated it liked it · review of another edition

A bit wordy, a bit egotistical

That about sums it up. Yes, Michener was prolific with his long books, good for a long summer read or snuggled up in front of a winter fire. But he needs a good editor to cut down the cloying repetition. I have in the past enjoyed many of his books, Hawaii, The Source, Chesapeake but that must have been a time when I had nothing else to do. At the close of this book was an excerpt from Hawaii and I can see how the cadence of the words can lull one into a dreamlike w ...more

flag Like · see review

Apr 12, 2020 Alice Griffin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Excellent writing as one would expect from Michener. This book, his memoir, gives much insight into what motivated him to write and how he was able to be such a prolific writer. Perhaps even more so than his best characters, Michener was an accomplished human being far beyond the books he wrote. He was extremely intelligent - encyclopedic, actually and had so many things he loved and explored. He became an expert in all that interested him. In reading this book, I felt as if I knew him personall ...more

flag Like · see review

Feb 09, 2021 Barbara rated it liked it

Michener was a fine writer and researcher and a generous patron of the arts; he was also an expert at using the “humble brag” in his memoir. At one point, I expected him to drop in a throw away line about visiting Mars. He didn’t, but I think he “humbly” recorded every single thing he ever did that he was proud of, while reminding us how humble he was all the while. Still, I imagine he was an interesting person to talk to, and he certainly left a remarkable legacy behind.

flag Like · see review

Mar 14, 2018 Patti Townley-Covert rated it liked it

Shelves: memoir

Almost put this book down as it was slow reading. But just about that time, I became more engrossed in the story and his experiences as a writer so the inconsequential details seemed worth reading to get to the valuable nuggets. I had no idea Michener's life was as full as it was or the lengths he went to in order to understand the topics he wrote about. ...more

flag Like · see review

Apr 24, 2019 Dano rated it it was amazing

Great memoir by one of my favorite authors. A modest reflection of his life from start Well into his 80s ... well traveled, a veteran and a patriot, not interesting in selling books but rather telling stories. A writer. Have loved his narratives and this memoir sets the stage for many of his writings with behind the scene thoughts. Can’t wait to read all of his novels.

flag Like · see review

Apr 16, 2020 William H. Brown rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A Learning Experience

I've read Michener before - Hawaii, Alaska, The Source - but never anything about Michener. What a unique, interesting, and brilliant man he was. What a thoroughly full life he lead. You'll learn much from him. And it all comes from the man himself - no second or third hand anecdotes. Highly recommended. ...more

flag Like · see review

Aug 30, 2021 Jan Norton rated it really liked it

Over the years I have read most of James Michener‘s book books. And I have enjoyed each one though some more than others. This book which is a look into the man that Michener is was truly a delight to read. He is a man who practice what he believed I did not cave to pressure or money. I’m glad I took the time to read this book.

flag Like · see review

Feb 14, 2022 Robert rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: any and all Michener fans.

I really enjoyed this book, so much more so than I ever expected. I have all of Michener's books, and it was fantastic to take little trips back in time to learn how different books he wrote came about. But most importantly, his was a life of many unexpected twists and turns that left him a better writer, and a better storyteller, for all of his world travels.
...more

flag Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend It | Stats | Recent Status Updates

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Biography

34 users

Nonfiction

28 users

Autobiography > Memoir

26 users

Travel

21 users

History

9 users

Biography Memoir

7 users

Adventure

5 users

Biography > Autobiography

3 users

Literature > American

2 users

Literature

2 users

See top shelves…

About James A. Michener

James A. Michener

2,520 followers

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 ...more

Books by James A. Michener

More…

'The Office of Historical Corrections' and the Power of the Short Story

Danielle Evans was just 26 when she released her short story collection Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self in 2010, a multi-award-winning...

Trivia About The World Is My H...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from The World Is My H...

“At times, working in big cities far from nature, I have been sick with nesomania, and I think the reason is this: On the islands one has both the time and the inclination to communicate with the stars and the trees and the waves drifting ashore, one lives more intensely.” — 4 likes

“What did I learn in my travels? In whatever foreign country I visited I met dreamers who longed to reach America and its promise of an enriched life so I knew we had a country rich in opportunity, but I also met those brilliant Jews already in America who had been denied that promise.” — 1 likes

More quotes…

See a Problem?

Preview — The World Is My Home by James A. Michener

The World Is My Home: A Memoir

Get A Copy

Friend Reviews

Reader Q&A

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

Readers also enjoyed

Genres

About James A. Michener

Books by James A. Michener

Related Articles

Trivia About The World Is My H...

Quotes from The World Is My H...

See a Problem?

Preview — The World Is My Home by James A. Michener

The World Is My Home: A Memoir

Get A Copy

Friend Reviews

Reader Q&A

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

Readers also enjoyed

Genres

About James A. Michener

Books by James A. Michener

Related Articles

Trivia About The World Is My H...

Quotes from The World Is My H...

new topic
Discuss This Book