Chesapeake

by James A. Michener

Book Overview

In this classic novel, James A. Michener brings his grand epic tradition to bear on the four-hundred-year saga of America's Eastern Shore, from its Native American roots to the modern age. In the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0394502027
• ISBN13: 9780394502021
• Release Date: January 1978
• Publisher: Random House (NY)
• Length: 865 Pages
• Weight: 2.18 lbs.

Customer Reviews

A great book!

A book I have read this class over 4 times. This books leaves me with such great feelings!

Informative, Interesting, Probing, And Captivating

What made Chesapeake so good was the fact that when Michener did the research for this book he actually took the time to not only visit The Chesapeake Bay but to actually live here in Maryland while he wrote it. He immersed himself in the culture.The result that was accomplished was a thorough education of this special area that I personally have lived near all my life. I gained a deeper understanding of where I live. The second thing that I love is the story line. Michener knows how to tell a good story. Yes, there are a lot of facts, especially geographical facts. But he explains them through the lens of very well created characters who show the many mindsets that were prevalent during the time periods he explored. He goes all the way back to the beginning of the 17th Century and brings us through to the late 20th Century. And I did not get bored. If you desire to gain a more thorough knowledge of and a greater appreciation for our beloved Chesapeake Bay, this book will definitely help you accomplish both.

"Chesapeake" Charms the Reader

Author James A. Michener has conceived and written an epic novel about the land we now know as the Chesapeake Bay region. Using his characteristic writing style of starting at the very beginning (in this case, with the Native American Indians) and then developing the story generation after generation through his rich and interesting characters, Michener tells the complete story of the Chesapeake region. The reader learns how the white settlers from Europe displaced the natives, what animals roamed its lands or flew its skies (he has a whole chapter on Canadian Honker geese - fascinating reading by the way!), what the settlers faced when they tried to build homes and put down roots, how the American shipbuilding industry came to this region, the fight for emancipation of the negro in the Civil War, the great migration of geese and the hunters that tried to shoot them for food and sport, and so much more. Like other Michener novels, as I was reading "Chesapeake" I thoroughly became engrossed in the story to the extent that I forsook sleeptime to enjoy hours of late-night reading. I literally could not put the book down! Yes, the novel is long - over 1,000 pages, but it is still an absorbing page-turner. Each chapter is a mini-novel in itself and tells the story of a particular generation of people in the Chesapeake Bay development. Michener has a knack of creating and developing characters that are both interesting and believable and this is his greatest strength as a writer. The reader comes to care about these fictious charcters as though they are living breathing realities, and in a sense, the characters are "real", as Michener's painstaking research enabled him to create his charcters based on historical personages. "Chesapeake" is a marvelous book in a long series of marvelous Michener books. For those that love sweeping epic novels, this is a book for you. It seems that Michener's writing style either fascinates or tries the patience of his readers. Michener goes into great detail in explaining the lives of his characters and some readers are impatient with his extensive prose and are apt to put his books down before finishing them. I happen to love his writing style and appreciate the detail, as it paints vivid word pictures in my mind that I never forget. Michener is one of my favorite authors, for each of his books takes me to a particular place or culture, and it is as though I am actually viewing that culture, its people, and the land first-hand. I have learned a wealth of information about near and distant lands thanks to the writing of James A. Michener. These are places I may never have the opportunity to visit in my life, but thanks to Michener, it is as though I have been there through his writing. I most certainly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about the land and people of the Chesapeake Bay region, or to one who is a student of American history. The book is also a good read for the story alone, irre

My Chesapeake...

People from the western shore sneer and ignore me if I say I'm from the Eastern Shore. I'm not really from there--just spent a number of years there. Doesn't matter. They're just jealous that western shore isn't capitalized and that somebody unique and fascinating like James Michener never wrote a book about where they live--ha! If you're lucky enough to have ties or just a handful of memories about Maryland's Eastern Shore, then you'll find this book absolutely enthralling. From the mighty warrior who became the unlikely leader of a small band of Indians later known as the gentle Choptanks to a handful of diverse European families who shaped the bountiful wilderness into the comfortably proud land it is today, Michener's book is alive with strong women, stubborn men, the crafty and the vile, the shamefully wrong and the helplessly righteous. Don't let the size of the book scare you--it's a fast read full of laughs and wonder, historically altered, yet accurate to the times and places in so many ways. A rare book describing the growth of a portion of our mighty country including the trials and tribulations of the Native Americans and the never ending struggles of the Africans brought over as slaves. He glosses through the Civil War, but I think the book might've been twice as long had he written much more about it. For everyone who's stalked the marshes and seen the skipjacks gallantly skim by, from the poor farm boy to the community-building rich--Michener's toast to you. As treasured as the Bay herself.

A Wonderful Experience!

I'm a Michener fan, but this is the best of the best in my humble opinion.As I write this, I'm waiting for a confirmation of my reservation to spend a long weekend in Cambridge MD and take a couple of days exploring the Choptank and surrounding area.We vacation several times a year on Maryland's Eastern Shore, Baltimore, Annapolis, St. Michael's, Havre de Grace and the general Chesapeake area, so I'm somehwat familiar with the area. As a young adult, I first read the book when it was first introduced in the 70's. Now I'm retired, I just read it again to re-discover the fascinating stories and appreciation for the history behind them.As a northern Pennsylvanian, I loved the chapter about the character who follows the Susquehanna River to its point of origin in upper New York state. That chapter touched very close to my home.As others have said, don't let the size intimidate you. I've completely immersed myself in this wonderful combination of fiction and fact, including reading the book with two maps beside me and frequent visits online to gather even more details of significant events.Now I can't wait 'til Spring thaw to take my trip back into time... I want to know more... I need to know more!

This book is excellent! You must read it!

When I was first given Chesapeake, I thought that it would be boring. Who could cover 400 years of history and not be boring? I was so wrong! I love this book and can not wait to read it again. I became so involved with all of the families, that when someone grew old and died, I mourned their death! This author's insight into people and animals is amazing! I loved the chapter on the geese and how they were outsmarting the Turlocks! My appreciation for history has increased, as well as my vocabulary. Michener describes the scenes in the book so vividly that you feel like you are there. Do not be intimiated by the size of the book, I wish that it was longer. I is wonderful! You will not be disappointed!

It's one of those great books that becomes a classic!

Although it is the largest book I've read, it was one of the best! I would've finished it alot sooner, had I more time. I enjoyed learning about the struggles of the Paxmores the Steeds, the Turlocks, and most of all, the Native Americans. when I was reading it, my U.S. history class was learning the same information, and my teacher was amazed I knew so much! I also read the book for a book report, and my teacher was amazed I picked the book, as opposed to the shorter, Catcher in The Rye-like books we've been reading. Never have I learned this much history from one book, and actually kept my interest in it! I went to the Chesapeake Bay when I was little, and remembered the atmosphere that I had forgotten, almost immediately. If this is a fair example of what James Michener has written, you can count me in as a regular James reader.