James A Michener (James Albert Michener) Biography

American novelist, born in New York City, educated at the University of Northern Colorado, and the University of St Andrews, Scotland. His Tales of the South Pacific (1947; Pulitzer Prize, 1948) was later made into the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, South Pacific. His many bestselling novels include Sayonara (1954), later made into a film with Marlon Brando; The Bridge at Andau (1957); Hawaii (1959); and Chesapeake (1978). His most accomplished novel is generally considered to be Centennial (1974), a grand epic of the opening up, or ‘taming’, of the American West. Other novels, reflecting Michener's ongoing concern and engagement with politics and world affairs, include The Covenant (1980), an epic treatment of South African history; Legacy (1987), a fictional look at the Iran/Contra affair; and The Novel (1991), set in the publishing world. The World Is My Home (1992) is an autobiography, and Literary Reflections (1993) is a collection of essays.