I chose this book because what 28-year-old male book lover born in Dallas could resist a 1096-page challenge simply called "Texas"?

It's truly remarkable that it was not only readable but also highly enjoyable. I probably would have gritted my teeth and forced myself through it just to say I had done it, but fortunately, it was a pleasure to read. Michener has this amazing ability to narrate real estate while simultaneously focusing on the historical implications of high school football. He managed to convince me that he is an expert in each and every field he discussed. It was extremely impressive to witness how he could turn a story completely around within just a few paragraphs.

There are a few things that I might have deducted points for in other authors but actually endeared me to Michener. Firstly, he has a repeated use of a unique word, often within the span of a short story. For example, "hornswoggle" was used 3 - 4 times, with the first 2 - 3 within the same chapter. Secondly, he seemed to excitedly showcase his brilliant sentences when killing off a character. This always led to an abrupt ending, leaving you in the suddenness of it to realize what had happened. Additionally, there were 4 - 5 paragraphs that I highlighted in my own copy because they stood out, almost like a sore thumb, due to their excellent writing. They seemed to take a break from the story so that Michener could express his beliefs about the topic - women in ministry, animals, and a couple of other commentaries on what was happening in the story.

Criticisms I've read claim that Michener used stereotypes and dramatized the history of Texas. However, I think that was precisely his point, and in one chapter, he said so explicitly. I'm choosing to take this book as a textbook for everything I need to know about this great nation-state.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a captivating read that took me on a journey through the rich and diverse history of Texas. The hardest part of reading it was discerning what was historically accurate. With so many different accounts and interpretations, it can be challenging to separate fact from fiction. However, this only added to the intrigue and made me want to do more research on my own.

The book is filled with lots of great stories about many aspects of Texas life. From the early settlers and their struggles to the modern-day Texans and their achievements, there is something for everyone in this book. The author does an excellent job of bringing the characters and events to life, making it easy to imagine what it was like to live in Texas during different times.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Texas history or just looking for a good read. It is engaging, informative, and entertaining all at the same time. I can't wait to see what the author comes up with next.

I finally finished it.

Not quite history, not quite fiction, this book was... well, historical fiction. And it really taught me why I don't like historical fiction. Many of the made-up historical "facts" are pointless, the characters are one-dimensional, and everything about Texas has to make it into the plot, no matter how unrelated. Armadillos... football... hunting... Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders... chicken-fried steak.

That said, there were reasons I kept reading this 1096-page behemoth. Since moving to Texas three years ago, I have become curious about Texas history and culture, and this book familiarized me with both, and gave me perspective on the character and political views of Texans. It had just enough plot to keep me reading, on a cheap level. But that's about it.

Some of the sentiments, while perhaps true in the minds of many Texans, had no place in a historical work. For example, the statement about Scottish descendants governing various places and leaving schools, hospitals, and libraries as if they were the only ones capable of such things. Also, the idea that a romantic miracle occurred during the battle with Santa Anna to convince Texans that God is on their side. And the claim that slaves lived well under the loving care of kind masters is simply a misrepresentation.

Furthermore, the discussion about how men discipline women because of some inherent mystery and suspicion is a rather one-sided view. It fails to take into account the real reasons for such behavior, which are more likely related to the inherent aggressiveness of men and their need to feel superior.

All in all, I would prefer to read my history from a history book. But the Alamo chapter was great.

Overall, when it comes to Michener novels, this one ranks at the bottom of my list.

Texas was overly long and unbearably boring for most of the book. It's very clearly a 2-star read, yet I gave it three stars because I did learn a bit about Texas history, specifically the significance of the Alamo, Goliad, and San Jacinto. As a history enthusiast, this aspect was slightly redeeming.

This 1,100-page volume is essentially a collection of mini-novels linked together through a complex web of family connections. Each chapter is interrupted by a modern “task force” meeting, some of which have little relevance to the content of the previous chapter. The task force sections were presumably included to connect Texas history to modern times, but they made the book disjointed, and the dialogue in these parts was stiff and cumbersome. Michener could have omitted all the task force absurdities, and the story would have remained intact.

Throughout the book, Michener unashamedly glorifies all the worst aspects of Texas history. Slavery, the KKK, cattle theft, underhanded dealings in oil and real estate, and simple, cold-blooded murder on the frontier are romanticized to the extreme throughout the novel. Admittedly, some of these events were social norms of a different era and should not be judged through a modern lens, but Michener clearly wants the reader to sympathize with this nonsense to enhance the mystique of Texas and its inhabitants.

The final chapter is a hodgepodge of several unrelated storylines that don't tie together as they should. It seems that Michener simply forgot these plot lines in the story and added them on at the end. The final page ends on a cliffhanger with the selection of a professional football player to direct an art museum. Before offering the player the directorship, the museum sponsor calls Tom Landry to ensure that the player is not gay. It was a strange and stupid ending to an exhausting tale that I couldn't wait to finish.

In conclusion, skip this one. Michener has written some excellent books - many of which I still hope to read - but Texas is not one of them.

Very long.

This fourth time of reading this book, I made a different choice. Instead of reading it all at once, I decided to read it in segments.

Basically, the book presents the history of Texas in a unique way. It tells the story along several family lines, which makes it not only a historical account but also a collection of personal narratives.

As I read through each segment, I felt like I was a keeper of these stories. I was able to immerse myself in the lives of the characters and gain a deeper understanding of the history and culture of Texas.

This approach to reading has allowed me to appreciate the book on a whole new level. It has also made me realize that history is not just a collection of facts and dates, but a living, breathing thing that can be passed down through generations.

I look forward to continuing my journey through this book and uncovering more of the hidden gems within its pages.

TEXAS

This book about Texas is an extensive exploration that spans from the 1500s in Mexico until just after the 1984 election. It's so long that taking notes was necessary to keep track of all the events. The story reveals that Texas's identity is shaped by a multitude of factors such as its connection to Mexico, the importance of cotton, a history of violence including shooting people, a certain degree of willful ignorance, the wealth from oil and ranching, and even a mention of the baby Jesus. According to the book, most people in Texas are portrayed as either super rich and successful, unless they're Mexican, and many of them are rather unlikeable. However, there's an undeniable charm and romantic narrative associated with the land. By the end, the reader is left both envying Texas and being annoyed with it.

The book is divided into several parts. Part 1 starts with a kid in southern Mexico hearing about cities of gold up north from a crazy naked guy. He then embarks on a journey with Spanish priest guys and explorers only to find that the place is a dump, which turns out to be Texas. There are also details about how it was frowned upon for real Spaniards to marry mestizos. Part 2讲述了一些牧师在得克萨斯州尝试建立圣安东尼奥，通过 ranching 和 dancing 发展起来。西班牙王室还从加那利群岛派来了一些人，似乎是为了惩罚他们过于傲慢。基本上，传教系统建立了现代定居点的开端，但后来阿帕奇人杀死了所有人，同时还提到了灌溉。Part 3涉及到人们对婚姻的执着，西班牙人希望他们的女儿嫁给其他西班牙人，但人数不够，情况很糟糕。不过，有一些来自新奥尔良的不错的法国人和一些在墨西哥出生的西班牙人可能符合要求。在未来的圣安东尼奥，最热门的女人沿着 Camino Real 去寻找男人，她爱上了一个被科曼奇人杀死的法国男人，然后一个美国男人出现了，他准备随时打架，想在得克萨斯州建立商店，因为他认为这里是与美国进行贸易的好地方。他试图娶那个热门女人，但最终选择了一个更富有的女人，这让热门女人的爷爷很生气，两人进行了决斗，爷爷死了。热门女人嫁给了加尔扎，加尔扎把美国男人打倒在地。

This book contains excessive use of the word ‘dour.’

Part 4 is set in the 1800s and follows a family from Tennessee making their way to Tejas via Louisiana. Along the way, they meet a drunken Irish priest. The family is desperate to get their own land, and the priest tells them they have to be Catholic to enter Tejas and get land. So they convert, but when they arrive, they are confined to Nacogdoches and told they can't have any land. They then take off with the drunk priest in search of Steve Austin's colony. Mexico decides to outlaw slavery, but Steve Austin argues that they need it to grow. The Tennessee boy and his Mexi friend Garza go back to Tennessee to sell land and get money, while the puss boy doesn't want to go because he's scared. The dad meets Sam Houston in Tennessee, who later gets disgraced and has to leave. Then the dad dies from cholera on his way back to Tejas. There's also a brief interlude about Methodists and how they came to Texas and became both super religious and hypocritical.

Part 5 begins with more people from Tennessee coming to Texas, with the influential ones being Irish. It then jumps to early 1800s Scotland and the MacNab family. The MacNab kid decides he doesn't want to go to school and do Presbyterian stuff, so he goes to Northern Ireland and causes trouble. His type are now called Scots-Irish, and they like to drink, steal, and hate authority. He eventually moves to America with his son, who hears about Texas and gets excited. There are conflicting rumors about what awaits them in Texas. They end up marrying Mexican girls and the son adapts well to Texas life. One of the Scots gets caught stealing livestock, and it's shown that Mexican men, even if they're good at farming, are prone to beating their women, and slavery is also prevalent. Then it jumps back to the present, and there's a discussion about whether the people who settled in Texas from the US were criminals, deadbeats, or really awesome Americans. The book also starts using the name ‘Quimper’ more often, which has a vaguely vaginal but fun weekend/boating sense.

Part 6讲述了墨西哥对得克萨斯州人民自行其是的行为感到愤怒。他们有一个反复无常的统治者 Santa Anna，他骑马前往 Bexar（又名 San Antone）镇压叛军，他确实做到了。那个从第一部分的孩子的后代、其姐妹嫁给了第五部分的苏格兰 - 爱尔兰人的墨西哥人站在了墨西哥人一边，因为他是墨西哥人，厌倦了北方佬来到得克萨斯州表现得好像他们拥有这个地方一样。两个苏格兰人在与墨西哥人的战斗中死去。Campbell 在阿拉莫，MacNab 在戈利亚德大屠杀中。很多白人被 Santa Anna 的手下直接枪杀。然而，MacNab 的儿子逃脱了，他非常生气，于是他去加入了 Sam Houston 的队伍，Sam Houston 听起来像是一个能智胜 Santa Anna 并狠狠教训他的厉害人物。他确实做到了。Houston 的队伍一开始充满了抱怨和怀疑他指挥的人，但他们不断撤退，直到 Santa Anna 的补给线被拉长，然后在圣哈辛托狠狠地打败了他们。MacNab 的儿子 Otto 杀死了很多墨西哥人，并救了加尔扎一命。Quimper 孩子甚至还随机俘虏了 Santa Anna 本人，尽管他还是有点胆小。Houston 把将军当作人质，让墨西哥军队回到墨西哥，并将 Tejas 改名为 Texas，称其为一个独立的国家。还有一个名叫 Lamar 的法国人也非常厉害。

Part 7讲述了得克萨斯州成为一个国家后，人们开始为如何管理它而忙碌。Quimper 孩子和 Otto MacNab 拥有一些土地，并打算从中致富。许多县以在与墨西哥的对抗中战斗或牺牲的人的名字命名。得克萨斯州面临的一个大问题是没有钱，美国因为自身的金融恐慌无法给他们任何钱，而当他们自己印钱时，质量很差且毫无价值。所以一些人试图发行以自己财产为后盾的私人货币。另一个问题是墨西哥人，包括加尔扎，不断回来声称一些土地是他们的。于是得克萨斯骑警队成立了，Otto MacNab 加入了他们，他们杀死了很多墨西哥人，还打败了一些切罗基人，但随后科曼奇人来了。科曼奇人骑马且毫不留情，他们杀死了很多白人，白人也开始有组织地反击。与此同时，得克萨斯人（他们现在这样称呼自己）经常谈论教育，但并不真正重视它，而且还发明了山核桃派。然后故事切换到德国，那里的人们因为严冬导致作物歉收而生活艰难。一个名叫 Allerkamp 的家庭一无所有地乘坐一艘破旧的船搬到了得克萨斯州。其中一个儿子 Ernst 与得克萨斯骑警队一起进行了一次远征，并遇到了对他妹妹有好感的 Otto MacNab，他妹妹也对 MacNab 有好感。这个德国家庭非常勤劳，建造了一个锯木厂并缝制流行的帽子。他们的另一个儿子回到他们到达的海湾，帮助建造了印第安诺拉港。Benito Garza 是一个备受追捧的强盗。最终，得克萨斯州被总统波尔克接纳为美国的一部分。然后又回到现在，讨论了得克萨斯州有多种不同的土地类型，以及工作队的人都嘲笑叙述者没有拥有一个牧场，因为拥有得克萨斯州的一部分是成为得克萨斯人的关键之一。

Part 8讲述了总统波尔克想要更多的土地，于是他派 Zachary Taylor 前往得克萨斯州夺取更多的墨西哥土地。他想要一直到巴拿马的土地，但最终他们只得到了纽埃西斯地带。为了做到这一点，他们需要得克萨斯人的帮助，而北方的每个人都认为得克萨斯人是一堆垃圾，因为他们穿着风衣，按自己的规则行事。Santa Anna 仍然在附近，还失去了一条腿，这对墨西哥人来说很重要。而且在男人外出与墨西哥作战时，科曼奇人把所有人都搞得一团糟。Otto MacNab 变得非常厉害，几乎会射杀任何人。他最终娶了那个德国女孩。Garza 仍然是一个大强盗。

Part 9讲述了棉花在得克萨斯州非常重要，所以他们对奴隶制很热衷。当北方的人们开始说奴隶制不好时，他们非常愤怒。一个来自南卡罗来纳州和佐治亚州的棉花种植家庭带着他们的奴隶来到得克萨斯州，建立了一个巨大而成功的种植园，所以他们自然倾向于脱离联邦并“保护我们的生活方式”。他们与仍然备受尊敬并自称将军的 Yancy Quimper 结盟。他通常是一个混蛋。那些在没有奴隶的情况下为自己和社区创造了美好生活的德国人反对奴隶制，因为他们离开了一个压迫性的地方，不想在他们的新家园建立一个奴隶州。为此，支持奴隶制的人恨他们并杀死了他们。Sam Houston 一直说他想维护联邦，支持奴隶制的混蛋们因此恨他。基本上，支持奴隶制的人是有史以来最糟糕的人，他们无法想象自己工作，也不认为奴役他人不是最道德的行为。他们对拥有奴隶如此兴奋，以至于愿意为此发动战争。MacNab 和骑警队与联邦作战，因为我猜他现在也是个混蛋了。但南方没有获胜，奴隶获得了自由。然后在现在，工作队与人们争论得克萨斯州是否被认为是一个聪明的州，答案是否定的，但他们认为它是一个强大的州，这是事实。工作队还讨论了来自南方深处（卡罗来纳州、佐治亚州、阿拉巴马州等）的移民对得克萨斯州文化的影响。所有人都同意得克萨斯州充满了南方文化（骑士精神、有限的妇女权利、秋葵等），但它不是一个南方州。

Part 10讲述了内战结束后，一些人仍然心怀怨恨，印第安人问题仍然存在。总统格兰特认为最好的办法是派宾夕法尼亚的贵格会信徒去与印第安人交朋友并驯服他们。得克萨斯人认为这是一堆垃圾，当科曼奇人发疯并开始抢劫、强奸和割掉人们的生殖器时，他们基本上是对的。最终，得克萨斯人说服贵格会信徒科曼奇人是动物，并开始打击他们。他们还最终杀死了 Garza，结束了他的强盗生涯。科曼奇人绑架了一个小女孩 Emma Larkin，他们强奸了她并烧掉了她的耳朵和鼻子。她被救出后，后来嫁给了主要的贵格会信徒 Rusk，Rusk 继承了她所有的土地，这是一个不错的举动。在现在，据了解黑人在历史上并没有得到公平的待遇，他们做了很多战斗（如作为水牛士兵等），但得克萨斯州的白人非常种族主义。

Part 11讲述了 Rusk 和 Larkin 试图将他们的牧场建设成一个城镇。他们遇到了一个旅行推销员，他向他们介绍了带刺铁丝网，这可以防止他们宝贵的牛走失。为了支付围栏的费用，他们不得不把整个牧场抵押给银行。后来发现银行家是寄生虫，会欺骗人们的土地。围栏把东西围起来惹恼了其他没有自己水源的牧场主，所以得克萨斯人开始做他们最擅长的事情，除了种族主义之外，他们互相射击。最终，第九部分的一个奴隶主，现在是一名参议员，通过了一些法律，要求富有的牧场主分享资源，但这些法律并没有得到很好的执行。得克萨斯人容易互相争斗，导致互相射击。一场争斗是因为一个人有一个糟糕的兄弟，所以他的好兄弟射杀了一名法官，法官的家人和朋友很生气，开始反击，经过一段时间，很多人被杀。最终，骑警 MacNab 进来并迫使达成休战，但后来法官的人带来了一个雇佣枪手，好兄弟（实际上是个混蛋）被射杀。然后 MacNab 在被同一个雇佣枪手射杀后死亡，这个雇佣枪手随后被更多的骑警杀死。法治！MacNab 的遗孀去印第安诺拉看望她的兄弟，一场飓风来了，摧毁了一切，但她幸存了下来。Rusks 有一个最糟糕的孩子，他是一个脾气暴躁的胖子，因为他妈妈小时候被科曼奇人绑架而对她很不满。他真的很糟糕，他的爸爸是个大懦夫，所以他妈妈把他送上了一次牛群驱赶，他在道奇城射杀了两个人。牛仔们把他带回家，大家都认为他是一个真正的胖子混蛋。社区决定建造一个法院，并聘请了一位时髦的建筑师，他带来了一些意大利石匠。Larkin/Fort Garner 的人们不喜欢意大利人，因为他们是天主教徒。其中一个意大利人爱上了一个当地女孩，但她是个婊子，他雕刻了一个她的阴部雕像，并把它放在了法院上。她离开了城镇，他后来开枪自杀了。在现在，工作队得到了一个小组的人，他们试图向他们强调在得克萨斯州从来没有发生过任何坏事，以及一些奇怪的辩护、种族主义、圣经敲打之类的事情。“不要说女人除了生孩子还做了什么。确保人们知道我们的奴隶制是好的那种。不要谈论墨西哥人的贡献。不要谈论犹太人或中国人或工会。我们不妨禁止跳舞。确保得克萨斯州被视为绝对完美、白色，而外面的一切都是同性恋、共产主义、撒旦的污秽之地，阿门。”（这些人听起来像是游说公共资金建造一个创世博物馆的人。）然后一位气象学家出现了，谈论了龙卷风、“飓风”（显然加尔维斯顿在世纪之交有一场巨大的飓风）和蓝北风。太好了！

Part 12讲述了这部分开始时人们在争论 1900 年还是 1901 年应该是真正的世纪之交。贵格会信徒 Rusk 认为应该是 1901 年，其他人都称他为异端。当 1901 年到来时，他庆祝并被一匹马踩死了。棉铃象鼻虫出现了，吃掉了旧奴隶制支持者的棉花，迫使他们搬到了 Waxahachie，那里雨水较少。棉铃象鼻虫喜欢雨水和玉米。政治被审视并显示出完全腐败，人们将墨西哥人偷渡过来并让他们进行欺诈性投票。共和党人和民主党人都很糟糕。然后故事切换到浸信会复兴传教士，他们来到城镇让一切变得糟糕。他们讨厌跳舞和娱乐，听起来真的很糟糕，可能是该州今天宗教落后的重要原因。去他妈的。事实上，这个城镇开始变得如此正直，以至于三 K 党又兴起了，太好了！他们确保黑人和犹太人搬出去。然后他们谋杀了一个与他没有结婚的女人住在一起的男人，尽管他们没有发生性关系，而且她很恶心。而这一切的领导者是谁？那个肥胖的混蛋 Rusk 孩子。然后发生了最好的事情，这让我几乎想说去他妈的这些人和他们糟糕的州：一个男人来到城镇，被胖子 Rusk 和他的三 K 党成员用鞭子抽打，然后他后来去找 Rusk，告诉他在他拥有矿产权利的一些土地上有石油。太棒了。财富在得克萨斯州对这些糟糕的人微笑！在 Cobb 种植园的一个人在赢得一场在教堂为去学校舞会的女孩辩护的小战斗后，被说服竞选参议员。所以……他必须想出合适的腐败方式并操纵一些选票。Rusk 变得超级富有，并开始痴迷于高中足球，花了很多钱让他当地的球队里充满了 22 岁的人。此外，他的妈妈在去世前帮助保护了得克萨斯长角牛品种。回到现在，工作队了解到得克萨斯州的性格是基于三件事：牧场、油井和周五晚上的足球。

（其余部分因空间限制无法容纳。）

I came across this book at a thrift store for just $1. As I held it in my hands, I thought to myself, "Well, I can't truly call myself a Texan if I don't take on this massive tome." So, I decided to give myself a challenge and read all 1,096 pages at my small ranch in the Hill Country.

To be fair, there were some moments of truly brilliant writing hidden within this historical fiction. I'm a sucker for flawed characters and stories that don't shy away from the harsh realities of history. However, when I finally turned the last page, I let out a rather underwhelming "meh."

The inclusion of the present-day "task force" storyline felt uninspiring and detracted from the overall experience. If that part had been excluded, I would have had an extra 100+ pages that I could have dedicated to a more engaging novel. In the long run, was it worth it? I suppose so. But would I recommend this book to others? Probably not.

Full disclosure: This review, which is my first, is in response to my son's gentle reminder that I read a lot of books but never bother to write reviews. So, stay tuned for my next review once I've finished my next batch of 50 books! ;)

A Trans Texan's View

When I was just four years old, my father relocated our family from California. I spent my formative years in the Fort Worth area. I completed my high school education in a small farming community high school near Decatur, TX. Then, in 1960, I graduated from Texas Tech College at Lubbock. After that, I joined the Navy and served for 26 years before retiring from military service. Subsequently, I became involved in the construction industry for another 30 years.

Throughout my career, my parents remained in Texas. They had various occupations, being small business owners in the Ft. Worth area, farmers in the Decatur TX area, ranchers near Stephenville, TX, and retirees in Alpine, TX, Fredericksburg, TX, and San Angelo, TX. This, along with my schooling years, enabled me to fully appreciate the differences in climate and topography across the state.

Although Michener's "TEXAS" employs fictional characters to depict the making of the State of Texas, it allows the reader to understand why Texas has developed to the level and standing it has within the USA. Having experienced Texas for the past 75 years in diverse ways, I could relate to Michener's Texas and gained more knowledge about its history. If you desire to know why Texas has the characteristics it has today, I highly recommend reading "TEXAS".

This is a truly great book that every true Texan should definitely read. It offers a much broader perspective on Texas history compared to what one might have learned in Texas history classes. If you are more interested in delving deep into the history of Texas rather than exploring complex characters, then this book is a must-read for you. The characters in the book are deliberately crafted as prototypes representing the diverse range of people who have lived in Texas over the years.

The book begins with the discovery of Texas by shipwrecked Spanish explorers. It then takes you through 200 - 300 years of Texas history that you probably haven't heard much about during the time when Spain controlled Texas but didn't develop it significantly. After that, the arrival of the anglos is described. It follows the settlers from Scotland all the way to Texas. Later, there is a fascinating section about a German family settling in Fredericksburg. The section on the Alamo is undoubtedly the highlight, presenting a more accurate portrayal of the complex political events that led to the Texas revolution than what is usually taught in Texas schools. Subsequently, there is more information about settling the western frontier and the conflicts with the Comanches. Slavery, the civil war, and racism are presented as tragic and unfortunate events, which is appropriate. The book concludes with the oil boom and 20th-century immigration from the Midwest and Mexico, as well as plenty of details about Texas football.

I really enjoyed reading this book after conducting research on my Texas lineage, which dates back to many of the times and places discussed in the book. I'm not sure if a non-Texan or a newcomer would appreciate this book as much as I did, but I like Michener's writing style so much that I plan to read Chesapeake and Centennial next, which are about Virginia and Colorado respectively.

1,500 pages of brilliance.

This remarkable work consists of a staggering 1,500 pages that are filled with nothing but pure brilliance.

Each page is a treasure trove of knowledge, ideas, and inspiration.

It takes the reader on a journey through various topics, presenting them in a captivating and engaging manner.

The author's attention to detail and ability to convey complex concepts in a simple yet profound way is truly remarkable.

Whether you are looking to expand your understanding of a particular subject or simply seeking an intellectually stimulating read, this 1,500-page masterpiece is sure to satisfy.

It is a work that will leave a lasting impression and inspire you to think differently about the world around you.

With its 4.5 rating, it is clear that this book has been highly regarded by readers and critics alike.

So, if you are ready to embark on a literary adventure like no other, pick up this 1,500-page gem and prepare to be amazed.

Quite a long time ago, I resided in Texas for a certain period of time.

That was when I came to truly understand my distinctly European identity and education. For Texas was indeed different. Extremely different. I would walk to the supermarket with my baby in a stroller. However, that is not something you do in Texas. Instead, you take a car. I would buy food for just a day or two. But that is not the norm either. In Texas, people buy groceries for months in advance, filling up their giant trucks to the brim. I attempted to explore the city centre of Dallas. Well, there isn't really one - not in the European sense of the word. After spending a couple of weeks in the unbearable heat, I felt oddly out of touch with the world, as if lost in translation.

Someone suggested going on a road trip to the monasteries around San Antonio to discover the roots of Texan culture.

What great advice! During the trip, I brought along Michener's monumental tale of Texas, which spans the centuries from the Spanish discoveries and settlement over the Alamo to modern oil and real estate empires.

As I read and drove, I gradually began to understand what surrounded me. There were the stockyards in Fort Worth, the ghost towns to the west of Dallas, the NASA in Houston, the beach in Galveston, the government in Austin, the JFK museum and the Southfork Ranch in Dallas, the beauty of San Antonio and the Spanish monasteries, the harsh nature, the sudden rain that could flood a road, the tornado that could cut a garden in half, and of course, the HEAT!

I envision Michener attempting to explore Texas to write its history and the numerous obstacles he might have faced. Initially, the hard surface of Texas does not offer much of a narrative. But Michener's genius lies in the way he imagines the relationship between the country and its individuals, and their mutual interdependence. Texas is what it is because of the individuals who have built their lives in the area over the course of 400 years, and the individuals are who they are because they have adapted their dreams to the strange land they inhabit.

For me, a stranger in a strange land, the only way to solve the mystery of Texas was to read about its journey towards the present times. It made my stay in Texas much easier to comprehend both intellectually and emotionally.

It is a Texas-style brick of a book, but it is definitely worth reading for anyone who is interested in the story of one of the most peculiar places I have ever been to.

I made it well past 90% to the end of the book, and I JUST couldn't do it anymore!

Let me begin by stating that James Michener is indeed a genius. His writing style is truly flawless, and I have had the pleasure of reading some of his other works. The extensive research that goes into his work, along with the years it takes him to produce these masterpieces, is, frankly, quite impressive. However, there is a major issue with this particular book.

James Michener really could benefit from a crash-course on the true, dark history of Texas and the U.S. as a whole. As a people, we must move beyond the notion that we need to glorify the dark past of our homeland in order to be patriotic. While this book does offer some realistic insights into Texan grit and the real stereotypes that exist among everyday Texans throughout Texas history, it fails to accurately represent how slavery factored into the Battle of the Alamo, as well as the Texas Revolution and indirectly, the war with Mexico. Granted, this is a historical fiction piece, but the historical aspect simply isn't that accurate.

I'll stop there. Based on the aforementioned issues, I would have given it one star. However, Michener is still an outstanding writer with an incredible writing style, which is why I added an extra star. I don't recommend reading this book unless you already have an in-depth understanding of the dark and disturbing past that is Texas history.

P.S. Lest anyone think I am being too hard on Texas, I am a born-and-raised Texan from Southeast Texas. My parents and grandparents were all born and raised in Texas, including one set of great-grandparents. I am proud of my heritage to a certain extent, while also being aware of the evils that occurred for Texas to become its own nation for a time and the U.S. state it is today.