In his signature style of grand storytelling, James Michener sweeps us back through time to the Holy Land, thousands of years ago. By exploring the lives and discoveries of modern archaeologists excavating the site of Tell Makor, Michener vividly re-creates life in and around an ancient city during critical periods of its existence, and traces the profound history of the Jews, including that of the early Hebrews and their persecution, the impact of Christianity on the Jewish world, the Crusades, and the Spanish Inquisition. Michener weaves his epic tale of love, strength, and faith until at last he arrives at the founding of Israel and the modern conflict in the Middle East. The Source is not only a compelling history of the Holy Land and its people but a richly written saga that encompasses the development of Western civilization and the great religious and cultural ideas that have shaped our world.
The Source: A Novel
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“Fascinating . . . a wonderful rampage through history.”—The New York Times
“James Michener is something rare and valuable: an honorable craftsman doing honorable work. . . . He manages
to make history vivid.”—The Boston Globe
“Magnificent . . . a superlative piece of writing both in scope and technique. It is, in fact, one of the great books of this generation. . . . It will hold the interest of any reader, no matter what religion he may be.”—San Francisco Call Bulletin
“James Michener is something rare and valuable: an honorable craftsman doing honorable work. . . . He manages
to make history vivid.”—The Boston Globe
“Magnificent . . . a superlative piece of writing both in scope and technique. It is, in fact, one of the great books of this generation. . . . It will hold the interest of any reader, no matter what religion he may be.”—San Francisco Call Bulletin
From the Inside Flap
In his signature style of grand storytelling, James Michener sweeps us back through time to the Holy Land, thousands of years ago. By exploring the lives and discoveries of modern archaeologists excavating the site of Tell Makor, Michener vividly re-creates life in and around an ancient city during critical periods of its existence, and traces the profound history of the Jews, including that of the early Hebrews and their persecution, the impact of Christianity on the Jewish world, the Crusades, and the Spanish Inquisition. Michener weaves his epic tale of love, strength, and faith until at last he arrives at the founding of Israel and the modern conflict in the Middle East. The Source is not only a compelling history of the Holy Land and its people but a richly written saga that encompasses the development of Western civilization and the great religious and cultural ideas that have shaped our world.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
213 of 221 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This sweeping epic traces the fictitious history of Makor, a city in Israel, from prehistory to modern times. Starting in the 1960s, an archeological dig turns up artifacts in an ancient mound composed of the remains of successive settlements in Makor. Then, starting with the deepest, oldest artifact and moving forward in time, in successive chapters Michener chronologically describes the inhabitants (who are often descendants of characters in earlier chapters) and events in and around the city over thousands of years. In this way, he tells the fascinating story of the Jews and other local inhabitants, of Judaism and its role in the creation of Christianity and Islam, and of the establishment of the modern state of Israel.
This is the first book I have read by Michener, my interest having been piqued when a friend responded to my praise of Edward Rutherfurd's "London" by describing Rutherfurd as "a poor man's Michener". My friend's point was that Rutherfurd borrowed Michener's often-used story structure for historical fiction, a structure perhaps best exemplified by "The Source". As much as I enjoyed "London", it pales in comparison to "The Source", one of the classics of the genre. I recommend it without reservation.
130 of 133 people found the following review helpful
By L. Feld
Format:Mass Market Paperback
When I was in my early teens, back in the days of disco, fat ties, oil crises, and gaudy leisure suits (aka, the 1970s), I remember looking through my parents' book collection for the book with the most pages. At the time, I thought that the length of a book somehow corresponded to its difficulty level, and that if I could read a 1,000+ page book, then I must be REALLY smart and also grown up! Anyway, one of the first books I decided to read, based on these sophisticated criteria, was "The Source," by James Michener. Surprisingly, I found out that the book was actually easy to read, fascinating, and highly entertaining, and I whizzed right through it (boy, did I think I was smart afte that)! I remember being completely engrossed as the centuries flew past, as conquering armies marched, as cities rose and fell, as blood flowed through the streets of Jerusalem, and as the Jews wandered through the Middle East and Europe. I also remember thinking that the Middle East had an incredible history that I needed to learn a lot more about.
Well, almost 30 years later, with a Masters Degree in Middle East Studies, with a couple of trips to the region under my belt, and with a job dealing with the Middle East, I can blame it all, at least in part, on reading "The Source" at age 12 or 13. Seriously, though, I do believe that the seed of my life-long fascination with history, international relations, politics, and the Middle East was planted when I read "The Source" as a young teenager. Actually, come to think of it, another Michener book -- Centennial -- got me fascinated in the history of the West and the American Indian, while several others made me want to learn more about South Africa, Hawaii, the South Pacific, the Chesapeake region, and even outer space. So, definitely read James Michener, but be warned: you could become addicted to a lifetime of learning, travel, and adventure.
163 of 174 people found the following review helpful
By S. Edwards
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
I love Michener and wound up getting this book from the library. About 35% of the way through I decided to get it for my Kindle and finish reading it on there. The story is awesome but when I switched to the Kindle version I discovered an amazing number of typos in the text. Within the first two pages I read there were five. I guess the publisher isn't as picky with quality control for the Kindle folks.
UPDATE: After reading to 85% of this book I came across a section that is totally missing. I know because it repeated a previous chapter. I went BACK to the library to figure out what was going on and discovered that a whole page was replaced by a previous page. Now I wonder about previous chapters where they seemed to end without resolution. I will be asking for my money back. I would be more understanding if the Kindle version were free or maybe around a dollar but to have a book cost nearly as much as the paperback be obviously unedited is ridiculous! It appears that the text was scanned using OCR and no checking was done. Frequently odd characters appear in the text such as a ? instead of a letter in the middle of a word. Pathetic!
UPDATE: After reading to 85% of this book I came across a section that is totally missing. I know because it repeated a previous chapter. I went BACK to the library to figure out what was going on and discovered that a whole page was replaced by a previous page. Now I wonder about previous chapters where they seemed to end without resolution. I will be asking for my money back. I would be more understanding if the Kindle version were free or maybe around a dollar but to have a book cost nearly as much as the paperback be obviously unedited is ridiculous! It appears that the text was scanned using OCR and no checking was done. Frequently odd characters appear in the text such as a ? instead of a letter in the middle of a word. Pathetic!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Te best of many
Michener has several wonderful books but this s my favorite. I have come back to it several times and it always grabs my interest and gives me a great read.
Published 2 days ago by Scott McGrath
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outstanding!
An in depth look at how civilization and Judaism may have evolved. Each chapter a story told unto itself. Read more
Published 3 days ago by Sci Reader
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent book. I had read in Vietnam and wanted to read again.
Michener really knows how to write a book. The Source was very well done and I want to read other books that he has written.
Published 8 days ago by herb
5.0 out of 5 stars
makes a great gift
I bought this for my husband and he loves it! heard about it from a neighbor, so he thought he'd give it a try. Great book, if a bit long.
Published 10 days ago by Sara Packard
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting
This was my Dad's favorite book, so I decided to read it. Very intersting, especially through the prisim of today and conflict in the Middle East.
Published 12 days ago by J. Fugate
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good reread on Kindle
I read this years ago before a trip to Israel. Going again this summer so I decided to reread it. I prefer kindle to paper now so it was nice to find available as a kindle... Read more
Published 13 days ago by Edward Westrick
5.0 out of 5 stars
This was a Great experience. Would definitely do it again....
This was a Great experience. Would definitely do it again. Everything was described accurately. Item was here in great time.
Published 14 days ago by John Choate
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Story of The Levant Brought to Life
The Eastern Bank of the Mediterranean Sea is part of the area where civilization sprang from Hunter Gatherers. In this book, James A. Michener tells the story of a "tell. Read more
Published 15 days ago by Carl Robinson
4.0 out of 5 stars
Understanding Israel and the middle east tension
This book was published in the mid-1960's. It's really interesting to read this it nearly 50 years later. Read more
Published 16 days ago by D. Mitchell
5.0 out of 5 stars
A very good read
A wonderful book. This is the second time reading this book. It gives you an in site on the Jewish religion.
Published 17 days ago by Carol McKechnie
