Product Description

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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7517 in Books
• Published on: 2002-07
• Released on: 2002-07-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 928 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780375760389
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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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 -- Review

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

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.

Customer Reviews

Historical Fiction At Its Finest
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.

Classic blockbuster that condenses history with great drama
I am not sure James Michener is still in style (he was sure hot in the Sixties, but tastes do change.) However, his blockbuster novels all attempt to condense wide expanses of history by telling stories from the viewpoint of fictionalized individuals.

In "The Source", Michener cleverly uses the archaeological levels of a tel (mound) being excavated, each level becoming a chapter moving up from the bottom level which is earliest history, to most recent. As the contemporary archaeologists unearth foundations and shards, the story of people whose dust forms the tel is told.

This makes what could be dry history vital and in some of the stories, gut-wrenching. As always, Michener goes for great drama, sex, blood, guts and heroism are all drawn with the exquisite skill of a born storyteller. In particular, the story of Urbaal and his fatal attraction to a temple prostitute, and the story of the Jews of Safed, who escaped the Inquisition, are unforgettable.

I rate this as great as "Hawaii" among Michener's novels. It's a good novel to read in light of the current conflicts in the Middle East, though, as a novel, the history is of course not always consistent with current scholarly though, so read it for the superb storytelling.

Excellent Michener epic
Are you constantly perplexed by those "Mideast Peace Talks" that have (seemingly) been going on for 14 centuries? And still there is no peace in sight...and there never will be, of course....Well, Mr. Michener gives us a grand overview of the area. You'll find some surprises. Most notably that the Jews and Arabs used to get along pretty well. Not bosom buddies, of course, but better than they do now. But, I digress. What we have here is history and novel twined together in a fascinating way. Through the device of an archaeological dig, Michener provides personal stories of the folks who have populated the troubled region since prehistoric times. We have love, we have brutality, we have slavery, we have butchery, we have treachery, we have sieges outside the stone walls, we have a secret tunnel through the rock....and love again. It's life itself: messy but wonderful. And you get a nice history lesson along the way, making you a better conversationalist, especially at those cocktail parties in New York City. Great book. You'll like it.