Covenant Pb [Paperback]

James A Michener (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1992

Set in South Africa, beginning 15,000 years ago and ending with the Boer War, this is a novel about people caught up in the march of world history. It is a story of adventure and heroism, love and loyalty, and cruelty and betrayal.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

With his unique ability to brilliantly portray a land and its people, James A. Michener has taken on the establishment of modern-day South Africa and, in this bold and boisterous novel, made it his own. In this epic tale of struggle and adventure, peopled with missionaries, tribesmen, adventurers and scoundrels, we learn of the sweeping passions and intense rivalries that play an important part in the development of a flourishing empire. From the Java-born Van Dooms, whose descendants become the first Treknoers and Afrikaners, to the Nxumalos, who help to forge the powerful Zulu nation -- this is a stow of love and loyalty, cruelty and betrayal, adventure and heroism, from the mind of a master storyteller.

Look for other titles by James A. Michener available from Random House AudioBooks, including Alaska, Caribbean, Mexico and Texas. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Simon Jones has appeared in the films Green Card, Brazil, and Monty Python's Meaning of Life, among others. He has been featured on Broadway in The Real Thing, Benefactors, and Private Lives.

The Covenant is available in paperback from Ballantine Books. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 1088 pages
• Publisher: Mandarin (January 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0749311614
• ISBN-13: 978-0749311612
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.1 x 2.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,205,518 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

93 of 96 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An epic historical novel, October 29, 2003

By 

mrliteral - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The covenant (Paperback)

Sometimes it's nice to read a small book, a quick 150-300 page diversion from the real world. At other times, however, it's nice to read a book with some real "meat" to it. Few big name writers were more adept at producing these meaty books than James Michener, and in the Covenant, he presents one of his biggest, a 1200+ page epic about South Africa.

As usual, Michener is not as interested in adventure or characters as he is with relating the history of a particular region. This is his formula: to cover a region from prehistoric times to the present, watching it slowly get settled and eventually civilized, though this civilization is often with a great price. This is not to say that he doesn't write a compelling story: he does, but he does not use heroes or villains to populate his world.

This is a good book, but a reader new to Michener should learn to try and not get too attached to specific characters, as Michener treats them rather unsentimentally, and they often die in undramatic fashion. Also, although there are some unpleasant people, Michener does not make them truly evil; he usually can show that these characters believe they have justifiable reasons for their actions. Writing as objectively as possible in a novel, he judges no one but rather allows the reader to make the judgements.

Many will be put off by the size of this book, but this is actually a reasonably fast read. In the end, the reader will feel both entertained and educated, and that is perhaps the best that can be asked of from a novel.

48 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Michener - the consummate "citizen of the world", October 17, 1999

By 

Stuart Kelly (Sydney, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Covenant (Mass Market Paperback)

It isn't easy to sum up the South African story in a few pages. As a South African I've had to suffer an endless litany of populist garbage published on the back of my country's "flashpoint" status since the 1990s.

It's even harder for an outsider to fully fathom the bitter legacy which drove the two great tribes of southern Africa on a path towards war and reconciliation. But Michener, the consummate "citizen of the World", has again hit the nail on the head.

Michener has an unerring feel for the birth of nations. He proved it first in "Hawaii" but, for me, "The Covenenant" is his greatest accomplishment.

The story of the pioneering Afrikaners and their clash with the proud Zulu empire ranks as one of the all-time great "historical bookmarks" - and there's no one better to tell the tale.

I'm glad you came along, Mr Michener.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Monumental, October 17, 2003

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Covenant (Mass Market Paperback)

This most fascinating of books tells the story of South Africa in the form of an Epic. It traces the history of South Africa, from the arrival of the first black Africans, through to the cementing of apartheid (the book having been first published in 1980). To a certain extent, the book traces the history of South Africa through the history of a certain (fictional) family, the Van Doorns. As the story strides through history, we see the various members of the family born, make their mark upon history, and then pass on. Along the way, the story takes many sidetracks, showing the history of other people and groups that also affected South African history, as they also join the narrative.

It's hard to say too much about this book. It is simply monumental in its scope, and yet in execution it is wonderfully simple and easy to read. Having read this book (in two volumes), I now feel a much deeper understanding of the history of South Africa, and the varied people who live there, than I could ever have gotten from a history book. The book is very even-handed, showing the heights and the depths that people of all colors can reach to.

Overall, I think that this is one of the most important books that I have ever read, and certainly one of the most masterfully written. I cannot recommend this book enough!