Pilgrimage: A Memoir of Poland and Rome [Hardcover]

James A. Michener (Author), Lech Walesa (Introduction)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Michener's memoir of a recent trip to Poland and Rome is as witless as a postcard, its greeting something like "Having a wonderful time, you won't believe the fuss being made over me." The visit to Poland--Michener's 14th--was occasioned by a government invitation to receive a friendship medal as the author of the novel Poland . Traveling with an entourage of nine, which included industrialist Edward Piszek and former baseball star Stan Musial, Polish-Americans, Michener seems to have been so feted as to make him lose his well-known modesty: " Poland has accomplished so much good that it constitutes a kind of national treasure, whose merit could be duplicated by nothing else." The last stop on the pilgrimage was to clerical Rome, with Michener, a Quaker, receiving communion in the Pope's chapel from "John Pawel Drugi" himself. In recalling his heady trip, the author expresses only one fittingly wry comment: "This is rather out of proportion. All I did was write a book." Photos.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Unwelcome there after publication of his novel Poland ( LJ 9/1/83), Michener was invited to visit the post-glasnost nation in 1988 for a surprise presentation of its prestigious Medal of Honor. On the way home, he and his party stopped in Rome for a meeting with Pope John Paul II. This slight, heavily illustrated account of his trip is about Michener, not the places he visited; as the author himself says, "I wanted to show how exceedingly full the life of a writer can be as he moves well into his ninth decade." For avid Michener fans and comprehensive Michener collections. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 6/15/90.
-Nancy C. Cridland, Indiana Univ. Libs., Bloomington
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 119 pages
• Publisher: Rodale Press; 1st edition (October 1, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0878579109
• ISBN-13: 978-0878579105
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #361,985 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Insights into the Novel and the Man, October 13, 2004

By 

Richard J. Brzostek (New England, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pilgrimage: A Memoir of Poland and Rome (Hardcover)

"Pilgrimage: A Memoir of Poland & Rome" recounts James A. Michener's trip in 1988 to his beloved Poland and Rome. Michener's novel "Poland" favorably influenced world opinion of the central European country, but at the time the book was written, communist Poland was not entirely happy with the book. Then, in 1988, Poland's government realized the positive effect of his novel, as it accurately portrayed the country in its history, people, and thinking spanning nearly one thousand years. People who have read "Poland" may be interested to read about the impact of Michener's book and insight into the book itself, which is recounted in "Pilgrimage."

Michener traveled on his pilgrimage with a small group of close friends that had great influence in those countries. Arriving in Poland, Michener was bestowed the nation's highest civilian medal for writing the book about the country. The author shared his ideas on the irony of at first being rejected by the country for his book and then welcomed back and thanked for it. Later in Rome, Michener met the Pope for the third time.

Although the book is short, it tells an interesting story that provides insight into who the author is and the dramatic impact that his novel "Poland" has had. One may even learn a few new things about Poland by reading this book. For those that have read "Poland," I would recommend this book for these insights. Those that have not read the book "Poland" may still find this biographical account of a pilgrimage interesting.