This is an extremely long book, and to be honest, books of such a large size might not have much success in today's market. (It consists of 1200 pages with a tiny font size.) Nevertheless, I was determined to learn about South Africa and its history, so I persevered.

We begin with the Nxumalo family. The blacks in that region were engaged in gold mining and trading. Spices were highly desired, and there were numerous tribes in this part of the world.随后, the Dutch and English arrived, settled there, and adhered firmly to their Bible and the Old Testament, which seemingly supported slavery.

Primarily, we follow three families: the Dutch Van Doorns, the English Saltwoods, and the servants/slaves of Nxumalo. Everyone despised one another and vied for control and power. Anti-semitism and Hitler are frequently mentioned. Winston Churchill makes an appearance as a journalist during the Boer War in 1900. The history is rather negative and typical of human nature. Diamond mining was also of great significance.

Michener is a genius in seamlessly weaving the characters from one generation to the next. He offers a comprehensive view of the history of whites, the Dutch, the English, the Afrikaners, blacks, and other tribes. We reach the era of apartheid in the 1900s. It's a rather unpleasant story, but it's probably similar to that of all nations, countries, and lands that were desolate before the establishment of real governments. Now, I can engage in a chat with my South African neighbor and listen to her perspective.

A bible of a book - both in terms of size and contents - that retells the history of South Africa through the stories of both fictitious and historic characters.

This truly ambitious endeavour is presented in the true Michener style. When I read it at the age of 16, it had a profound effect on me, and that effect still persists.

The book ends in the 1980s, and I am still amazed at Michener's remarkable insight into the shaping of post-apartheid South Africa. His detailed and vivid descriptions bring to life the complex and tumultuous history of the nation.

Through the eyes of the characters, we witness the struggles, the triumphs, and the changes that have occurred over the years. It is a captivating and educational read that offers a unique perspective on South Africa's past and its journey towards a more inclusive future.

This book is not only a literary masterpiece but also a valuable resource for anyone interested in understanding the history and culture of South Africa. It is a must-read for those who want to explore the rich tapestry of this fascinating country.

I discover James Michener, whom I only knew by reputation. His work is a fabulous research of a historian, which is why I give it 5 stars.

The reading is passionate, a mixture of fiction and history. However, it is sometimes tedious and difficult to fully understand the diverse world of this murderous South Africa. There are wars and rivalries among these tribes, who are slaves of the white minority whose only superiority is to possess guns and horses.

But it is also a discovery of these fabulous local primitive peoples (in the sense of the first arrivals), so diverse, with multiple cultures, scorned, exploited, often exterminated by the unbearable Catholic whites.

Overall, Michener's work provides a detailed and vivid picture of South Africa's complex history and diverse cultures, making it a must-read for anyone interested in this region.

The Covenant was recommended by a friend to provide me with some background on South Africa for our recent trip.

By listening to an audio version, I managed to complete this long epic historical novel. I discovered that the history of SA is truly fascinating! Michener initiated his book with the Dutch East India Company [VOC] and their interactions with the native tribes who were already living and flourishing in South Africa.

Of course, he also incorporated the Huguenots, the British, the Trekboers, the Missionaries, and the Voortrekkers, all of which played significant roles in the history of SA.

Understanding the history of SA and how the societies that entered SA, established colonies, and subjugated the native population was truly heart-breaking! SA is abundant in resources that could have been utilized to support all groups, both native and non-native. However, as Michener demonstrates, the whites and colored established governments that exclusively granted power to the colonists and reflected their views of white supremacy.

Michener, to his credit, described how the beliefs that gave rise to this social injustice were founded on greed, self-serving religious "covenants," and the desire to exhibit their superiority.

This detailed history provided me with an understanding of why apartheid was so devastating to all the inhabitants of SA and why the Afrikaners would persist in promoting the fallacies that commenced when these "outsiders" entered Africa and claimed it as "theirs."

This book served as an excellent introduction to SA and made my trip there far more insightful.

1200 highly researched pages offer a comprehensive look at the entire history of South Africa. Dozens of in-depth historical events are vividly explained through the legacies of three families. One is Dutch, one is Zulu, and one is English.

The Dutch arrived in 1562. People often assume that the Afrikaners are solely of Dutch descent, but in fact, they are a blend of 40% Dutch, 35% German, 20% French Huguenot, and 5% a mix of Madagascar slave, Malay, and Hottentot.

The Zulu and Xhosa are descendants from the Bantu region in the 13th Century.

The English arrived in 1806 to make South Africa a protectorate of the Crown, but more directly to prevent Napoleon from gaining control of it.

The only original inhabitants of the land were the Khoisan hunter and gatherer tribes. They hunted the rhinoceros and painted colorful drawings inside caves 12,000 years ago.

A central theme of this book is how the Afrikaners fought for their freedom against the Dutch State, then the English State, against the Zulus and other tribes, in the Boer War, and then eventually only to take away the freedoms of all others later on.

Written in 1980 in the midst of Apartheid, Michener provides a detailed analysis of many different aspects of the suffering and offers some very accurate predictions about the future.

Although Nelson Mandela is not mentioned in this book, my own additional research gave me a fresh perspective and respect for the man. It can be encapsulated in Mandela's famous quotation: 'No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.'

I vividly recall reading this book during my twenties. Back then, Michener was a highly popular writer of historical fiction. However, today, it is quite rare that anyone in their twenties has even heard of James Michener, let alone read anything he wrote. Despite this, upon re-reading this book, I did manage to learn a great deal about the history of South Africa. Michener completed this work in 1980, long before blacks were able to break free from their second-class status and attain power, initially through the person of Nelson Mandela. Consequently, the ending of the book, which contains some speculations regarding the eventual resolution of race relations there, is, of course, not current. Nevertheless, I do not believe this book is "dated." A person can still glean a significant amount of knowledge about how South Africa came into being by reading this book. It offers valuable insights into the past, which can help us better understand the present and perhaps even envision the future.

I truly loved this book.

It is an incredibly long one, consisting of 1200 pages, yet it is most definitely worth every single page.

One aspect that might seem a bit less believable is that you get to follow two or three families over the course of several hundred years, and somehow they are involved in every crucial part of South Africa's history.

From the arrival of Jan van Riebeeck, through the development of the vineyards, the Boer Wars, and all the way to apartheid.

However, I thoroughly enjoyed being able to trace the story of one particular family.

It was especially fascinating to see how each member reacted to different situations, and often there were three generations present at once.

Also, it was extremely interesting to observe how much religion influenced the Dutch Boers and Voortrekkers, and how strongly they desired to maintain their Afrikaner identity, once they had accepted that identity separate from being Dutch.

The language aspect truly fascinated me as well.

Throughout the book, different generations would repeat the same phrase: if the invader suppresses your language, you lose your soul.

This was a concept that I hadn't really thought about before, as it seems quite obvious that being multilingual won't steal your soul.

Once the apartheid era was reached in the book, I loved seeing the differences between the white parts of South Africa, which were still divided between Afrikaners and English speakers, and the black part of society.

They discussed Sophiatown and District 6, black neighborhoods that were razed because the white population wanted the land.

The different laws and the application of those racist laws were brought to life through the eyes of the descendants of Xhosa and Zulu families that we had been following since before 1652 (van Riebeeck).

There is just so much packed into this book, and it is done so brilliantly, that it makes you think while also allowing you to escape to a foreign country (for me, anyway) with a culture that is so rich and diverse.

Meticulously researched, this work is epic and mostly entertaining.

It is truly fascinating to observe how a dreadfully inaccurate interpretation of the Old Testament could give rise to so much evil.

It is a pity that it concludes in 1980. How can there be a book about South Africa (SA) without any mention of Mandela?

Nevertheless, on that particular note, it offers rather insightful perspectives on what was likely to occur.

Although I am certain that not all of Michener's judgments or descriptions are politically correct, considering what it is - a historical fiction novel about SA published by an American in 1980 - it is very well executed.

It manages to capture the essence of the times and the complex issues surrounding South Africa during that period, presenting a vivid and engaging account that keeps the reader hooked from start to finish.

Despite its limitations, it remains a valuable piece of literature that provides a unique window into the past.

Glorious and Epic Introduction to the History of South Africa (4 stars)

I have always harbored a deep desire to delve deeper into the history of South Africa. This epic narrative serves as an excellent means to immerse oneself in its extensive history. It presents a captivating account of different generations of people in South Africa, effectively showcasing some of the historical underpinnings of the racial and cultural tensions. In particular, it highlights the divides between Africaners, English, Coloureds, and Blacks.

Regrettably, it only extends up to the Apartheid era and does not truly explore beyond that. I found myself especially intrigued by the Africaners. The majority of them were of Dutch origin, but also included German Hugenot stock. They brought their unique brand of Calvinism to South Africa. In many ways, they saw themselves as a new Israel, believing they could apply the Old Testament to themselves. They were confident that as long as they refrained from intermarrying with the locals (Canaanites), God would bestow upon them the direct blessings of the Old Testament. It is truly a fascinating story that offers valuable insights into the complex history of South Africa.

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Of the Michener books I've read, this one, "The Covenant," may have been the most emotionally trying.

In most of his place-history novels, we are confronted with the harsh realities of how nations and societies evolved into the so-called "civilized" places we know today. In "Chesapeake," there's the issue of border state-slavery. In "Hawaii," we see how the missionaries and white families dominated the economy and mistreated the immigrant Chinese, Japanese, and, worst of all, the native Hawaiians. In "Centennial," the subjugation and extermination of the Indians before they were pushed onto reservations is depicted. And in "The Source," the treatment of the Israelites and Canaanites by various invading forces like the Greeks, Romans, Turks, and more is shown.

"The Covenant" is no different. It presents a very ugly history. First, there's the way the Dutch and then the English treated the native Hottentot (Khoisian) people and the San. Then the Xhosa (blacks) mistreated their neighbors, followed by the whites' mistreatment of the Xhosa, the Zulus' mistreatment of other black tribes, the whites' persecution of the Zulus, the whites' persecution of the Coloureds (even those with one non-white ancestor), and finally, the way the Afrikaners treated almost everyone. Above all, there's the deeply ingrained idea among the settled whites in South Africa that they are on a mission from God, projecting the Old Testament stories of the Israelites onto themselves.

The book was published in 1980, so apartheid was still prevalent as it concluded, but its end was approaching, and white fears were leading to more oppressive and inhumane actions. The attitudes of those in power were becoming more unyielding, and the treatment of those who dared to challenge the status quo was almost unbearable. I found it difficult to stomach many of the characters, and I'll never look at a native South African Afrikaner in the same way again.

As expected from Michener, the book is meticulously researched. It contains many insights that could only have come from firsthand experience or personal histories shared with the author by those who lived through those times or their descendants. We experience the history of South Africa from the perspectives of the settling Dutch, English missionaries, native tribesmen and their neighbors, and even a visiting American (a common literary device for Michener to project his own feelings and impressions). No author does a better job of remaining objective while providing a subjective understanding of the thoughts and emotions of as many of the subjects as possible.

After reading this novel, you'll have a good understanding of South Africa's history, along with a significant amount of misplaced emotional turmoil and internal conflict over who to relate to, who to blame, and who to dislike. Usually, after finishing one of his books, I realize that it's hard to assign too much blame due to the complex circumstances and emotions that are beyond any one person's control. But in this book, the reader is forced to admit that South Africa was a melting pot of inhumanity and ferocity, made worse by the actions of each of its players. On an emotional level, this can be more challenging than what even a die-hard Michener fan is used to. However, on an intellectual level, the reader won't be disappointed, as there's no better summary of the major periods in South Africa's history than what the author provides in his fictional portrayal of intersecting destinies.

I give this book four stars because Michener really outdid himself this time. No other author is as adept at tugging at both your heartstrings and your conscience while satisfying your thirst for knowledge about relatively unknown places and showing you an in-depth view of their development. I'll probably need some time to recover from this emotional trauma. And when an author can tell a story in a matter-of-fact way that has such an impact on the reader, it's clear that we're dealing with the work of a genius. "The Covenant" may not be his most recognized work, and perhaps not his best-written (arguably), but its effect on this reader was profound.

I first read The Covenant nearly twenty years ago. It was recommended to me by a South African associate when I mentioned my upcoming vacation to South Africa. At that time, apartheid had ended peacefully, and Nelson Mandela had completed five years as the first president of the new government. I took the book superficially then, as it seemed to be about the past.

Twenty years later, with this second reading, my older and wiser mind was in awe of the parallel South African history to that of the US. Both nations subjugated their native inhabitants, established governments dominated by colonists, and codified white supremacy.

The laws in both countries aimed to repress non-whites. South Africa's were more severe as it repressed the majority, while the US focused on a minority. In both cases, greed, self-serving religious interpretations, and circular reasoning fueled the injustices.

In 1994, after the story in The Covenant ended, the white South African government faced reality and cooperated with the majority to end institutional racism peacefully. Some might say the US did the same earlier, but in reality, freedoms in the US allowed for the circumvention of laws, pushing minority repression underground.

The most alarming aspect of the book is the process the South African minority used to enact their racial agenda. As white Americans become a new minority, their actions resemble those of the South African minority. They are using government constructs to secure power, such as gerrymandering and passing laws to disenfranchise non-white voters.

South Africa could serve as a model for the new white minority in the US to gain control. Even more concerning is the US government's built-in favoritism towards rural states where the new minority resides, similar to that in South Africa before 1994.

The Covenant is a long work of historical fiction, but the detailed history leads up to the end of apartheid and its downfall. It gives the reader a true sense of the beliefs and fallacies that led to apartheid and leaves no room for speculation.