This 1430-page epic offers a comprehensive look at four and a half centuries of Texan history. It begins with the Spanish Missionaries and progresses all the way to the modern-day US State in the 1980s, a time when Texas was known for its oil wealth, grand real estate in Houston, and the Cowboys football team in Dallas.

Michener's characters are traced through multiple generations, allowing us to witness the early Spanish building of missions, the influx of white immigrants from England, Scotland, Ireland, Germany, and various eastern US States, especially those sponsored by Steven Austin. We also experience the Indian wars against the Apache and Comanche, the conflicts with the French, Mexican Independence, the heroic deeds of Sam Houston and the battles at the Alamo and San Jacinto, the rise of the Texas Rangers, the era of ranching and cattle driving, the invention of barbed wire, the impact of cotton and slavery, the prevalence of gun culture, the expansion of the railways, the development of oil technology, and even modern-day sporting traditions.

Reading this book has been a revelatory experience for me. I now have a clear understanding of what transpired at the Alamo and then at San Jacinto, and I comprehend why the sacrifices of men like Davy Crocket and Jim Bowie, as well as the significance of the Yellow Rose of Texas, were so crucial.

What does it truly mean to be a Texan? Texas is a place of such vast proportions that it can nearly fit my entire country into it three times over. It's conceivable to live a long life in Texas and remain oblivious or unconcerned about what's happening in the rest of the world. The diverse descendants of this land have fought their own battles for survival. What we now recognize as part of the USA was once part of Spain, then Mexico, and for a decade, it was an independent country.

This rich and complex history of Texas is a testament to the resilience and tenacity of its people, and it continues to shape the state and its identity to this day.

A good part of this book was really boring.

Michener is one of my favorite authors. His works usually offer rich and detailed descriptions, captivating storylines, and profound insights into various cultures and historical periods. However, with this particular book, he seemed to have missed the mark.

The narrative dragged on in some parts, lacking the usual pace and excitement that I have come to expect from his writing. The characters, although well-developed in some aspects, failed to fully engage me on an emotional level.

Despite this disappointment, I still have a great deal of respect for Michener as an author. I will continue to read his other works, hoping to rediscover the magic and brilliance that made me a fan in the first place.

It has taken me a full 2 months to read this book.

And during this period, I also read some easy books in between.

The reason for such a long reading time is that this book is extremely long and is filled with numerous historical facts that are skillfully woven into the lives of various kinds of families that composed Texas.

To be honest, the last 300 pages were definitely not those that could make me eager to turn the pages continuously.

However, after having invested so much time in this book, I simply had to finish it.

Finally, I have to give the author a full 5 stars.

This is because I truly understand how much time and effort he must have dedicated to his research.

His hard work and meticulousness are evident throughout the book, which makes it a valuable and engaging read despite its length and some less exciting parts.

Overall, I am glad to have read this book and have gained a deeper understanding of the history and families of Texas.

I absolutely adored this book.

I initially discovered it in a thrift store when I was just 15 years old.

The blurb on the back caught my attention and made it seem rather entertaining.

Little did I know that it would turn out to be even better than I had anticipated.

I began reading it right away and became completely engrossed with every character I encountered.

The historical sections were truly captivating.

I gained a wealth of knowledge about Texas.

I loved how comprehensively everything was covered.

For me, it was an epic book that I never grew tired of.

There were so many events and happenings throughout the story.

I really appreciated how there were modern characters who were learning things that were connected to the historical aspects.

Once again, I must express my love for this book.

I wish I could experience the joy of discovering it for the first time all over again.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in history.

After spending several months exploring Hawaii, I made up my mind that I wanted to read more, perhaps even all, of Michener's books.

However, I must admit that picking up and completing one of his works is no easy task. It requires a significant investment of time and effort.

Nevertheless, it is well worth it! This time around, I selected Texas, the birthplace of my maternal grandfather.

Like many of Michener's other books, Texas is a multigenerational saga. It begins in the mid-1500s with the conquistadors and covers a wide range of topics, including prejudice, slavery, war, politics, Indian relocation, longhorn cattle, oil, football, and much more.

These topics may seem diverse, but Michener is a master storyteller. He vividly描绘s the attitudes of those who have claimed Texas as their own, an attitude that persists to this day.

While there were some sections that seemed a bit slow-paced, it is important to remember that this is the story of an entire state, not just a single family or industry.

Overall, Texas truly lives up to its reputation as an epic tale.

I first picked up Michener's Texas due to my admiration for Edward Rutherfurd. Both authors share a common narrative style of telling the story of a specific place through the interconnected tales of certain families across the ages, a method that I typically relish. This novel, then, aims to be a fictional account of Texan history. Michener delves into significant events such as the battle at the Alamo and the Civil War, as well as factors like religion, the immigration of diverse ethnic groups, oil, and American football, exploring how they influenced the Texan spirit.

At the outset, I thought I was reading an average, rather slow-paced book. But around the halfway mark, I realized I was truly enjoying it. This was despite not usually having an affinity for the characters. As an English person who has rarely seen a gun in real life, some of the stories and personalities made me feel as if I was reading about an alien species. I suspect that was the intended effect.

I thoroughly enjoyed several chapters, especially The Mission and The Fort. However, not all the characters' fates are revealed, particularly those of the female characters like Franziska Allerkamp Macnab and Emma Larkin Rusk. Either I missed it or it wasn't fully disclosed. I would have liked to know more about what happened to the family of Mordecai Marr, as they could have provided an interesting example of an Hispanic-American family compared to the all-Hispanic family of the post-Benito Garzas. I also think there could have been more perspectives and stories from Native Americans and blacks. The weakest sections of the book were the chapters set in the twentieth century, as it becomes more challenging to create an adventure out of arrogance, optimism, and greed in times within the memories of many readers.

Overall, I would recommend this book. Given the political events that have occurred since its publication, I found it particularly enlightening. I wonder what Michener would have thought, but unfortunately, we'll never know as he passed away in 1997.

You wouldn't think there would be such a thing as "too much information about Texas." However, this book was like being submerged in a warm bath of Texas details. It was comfortable and unchallenging, almost as if it could go on forever. Eventually, you have to either get out or face the risk of feeling queasy. I managed to make it about 30% of the way through it, but this doesn't really count as a point for me.

This book seemed to be based on a rather peculiar new used book store algorithm. The idea was to find the book with the most copies on the shelf, assuming that it would be a good one. But the flaw in this logic is quite obvious. If there are a lot of copies sitting on the shelf, it's most likely because no one wants it. Maybe the content wasn't engaging enough, or perhaps it didn't offer anything new or unique. Whatever the reason, it's clear that this algorithm didn't quite hit the mark when it came to selecting quality books.

Overall, my experience with this book was rather underwhelming. While it had its moments of comfort and ease, it lacked the depth and excitement that I look for in a good read. I'll be sure to approach future book selections with a more discerning eye and not rely solely on the number of copies on the shelf.

Not as good as covenant, and the hokey present day meetings are all just a bit much.

It seems that these aspects really detract from the overall experience. Had this been the only Michener I read, I’d be unlikely to read another.

But it’s the fifth or so that I’ve delved into.

Essentially, it is a collection of a dozen novellas that follow the Texan epoch through families of all creeds and ethnicities.

This gives a comprehensive view of the different cultures and experiences within that particular time and place.

However, the hokey nature of the present day meetings still lingers in my mind and affects my perception of the work.

Despite this, I continue to read on, perhaps hoping to find something more redeeming in the remaining stories.

Or maybe I’m just curious to see how Michener weaves together the lives of these diverse families.

Either way, I’m still engaged enough to keep going, even if I’m not completely satisfied with certain elements.

2.75 stars, marked up to 3 by Goodreads.

This book is extremely long! It's so long that it might be too much for many people. In fact, it would have been too long and not particularly captivating for me if it hadn't been about TEXAS. I lived in Texas from age 19 through 23, attending college in West Texas and working in Dallas during the summers. Additionally, my parents, in-laws, and various friends and relatives have lived there ever since. So, I did find it interesting!

Michener's attitude towards Texas is clearly muddled. I believe he had a love-hate relationship with the state. As a liberal Easterner, he must have found many aspects of Texas abhorrent, which is evident from his numerous comments (through his characters) that Texas never contributed anything to HIGH CULTURE. On the other hand, I think he found Texas endlessly fascinating, perhaps like watching a 25-car wreck on an icy freeway. In one sense, I think he came to like many of his Texas sources and thus tried to be very nice, but he still couldn't shake the idea that Texans are hicks at heart.

I can guarantee that I would not have read this book if it had been about, say, Idaho or New Jersey (but who would write a book about Idaho or New Jersey?). It's the unique allure of Texas that made this long read somewhat bearable for me.

I first read Texas some 30 years ago when it was initially released.

In light of the controversy over the past few years regarding illegal immigrants and the idea of building a wall between the U.S. and Mexico, I believed that a reread would assist in restoring perspective.

The book has endured well and is perhaps even more relevant now than when Michener penned it in the early 1980s.

Considering the fact that I have a genuine enjoyment for fictionalized history, my time spent on this reread was not in vain.

If one has not yet read this and has an affinity for history, whether fictionalized or not, then it would be worthwhile to take some time and give this a read.

With 1400 pages, one can be confident that the characters are thoroughly developed.

This book offers a rich and detailed exploration of Texas's history, presenting a fictionalized account that still manages to capture the essence and significance of the events and people that have shaped the state.

It provides a unique perspective on the complex issues surrounding immigration and border control, making it a thought-provoking read in today's context.

Overall, Texas is a captivating and engaging book that is well worth the time and effort of any history enthusiast.

This book is the very reason why I have read so few other books this year. With a whopping 1322 pages (and small print to boot), it surpasses "Atlas Shrugged" as the longest novel I have ever delved into. It is a grand and sweeping epic that spans 850 years of Texas history, being part "Lonesome Dove" and part "One Hundred Years of Solitude."

It commences in 1535 when Coronado leads the first Europeans from Ciudad de México into what would eventually become Texas in a quest to uncover the Seven Lost Cities of Gold, and concludes in the mid-1980s with a longhorn auction and the art museums of Fort Worth.

Generations of various fictional families, such as the Garzas, Quipmers, Rusks, Allerkamps, Cobbs, and Macnabs, intricately weave in and out of the narrative. They usually represent some typical Texas archetypes: the Spanish loyalist, the cowboy, the transplanted Southerner, the German immigrant, and so on. Every 200 pages or so could almost stand alone as a novel in its own right. Some chapters even begin in Scotland, Germany, and antebellum South Carolina, with 100 or so pages dedicated to detailed descriptions and narratives before the characters make their way to Texas.

If Michener were able to update this book, he would surely incorporate elements like the Bushes, Ross Perot, the ongoing immigration debate to the extent that Texas could potentially become a solid blue state, and perhaps even the San Antonio Spurs dynasty.

Michener has penned eponymous novels about "Alaska," "Hawaii," "Chesapeake," "Iberia," "Caribbean," and "Poland," as well as one on Jews and Jerusalem titled "The Source." If they are as meticulously researched, captivating, and epic as "Texas," I will most definitely have to read them as well.

This book is truly an absolute delight.

The characters are vivid and engaging, and the story is captivating from start to finish. What makes it even more remarkable is the in-depth exploration of history. Michener's sense of humor adds an extra layer of charm to the narrative.

The story spans approximately four centuries, following the lives of around five family lines during that time. These families are spread across different geographical regions and are involved in various industries within Texas. If I had been taught this version of Texas history during my formative years, my perception and appreciation of my state would have been completely different.

There are two topics that Michener covers with great proficiency and which were unfortunately overlooked in my public elementary education. Firstly, the violence perpetrated by the Apache and Comanche Indian groups and how it interacted with the settlers on the Texas frontier. Secondly, the role of slavery in Texas and the state's position within the Confederate States of America.

One of the aspects that I thoroughly enjoyed was my familiarity with the geography and the unique spirit of Texas that Michener so skillfully describes. I wonder if someone who is not familiar with the state would derive the same level of enjoyment from the book. This was my first encounter with Michener's work, and I am eagerly looking forward to reading more of his books in the future.