Michener's South Pacific

Michener's South Pacific PDF Author: Stephen J. May
Publisher: University Press of Florida
ISBN: 0813037867
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 280

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Book Description
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, James A. Michener was an obscure textbook editor working in New York. Within three years, he was a naval officer stationed in the South Pacific. By the end of the decade, he was an accomplished author, well on the way to worldwide fame. Michener’s first novel, Tales of the South Pacific, won the Pulitzer Prize. Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein used it as the basis for the Broadway musical South Pacific, which also won the Pulitzer. How this all came to be is the subject of Stephen May’s Michener’s South Pacific. An award-winning biographer of Michener, May was a featured interviewee on the fiftieth-anniversary DVD release of the film version of the musical. During taping, he realized there was much he didn’t know about how Michener’s experiences in the South Pacific shaped the man and led to his early work. May delves deeply into this formative and turbulent period in Michener’s life and career, using letters, journal entries, and naval records to examine how a reserved, middle-aged lieutenant known as "Prof" to his fellow officers became one of the most successful writers of the twentieth century.

Michener's South Pacific

Michener's South Pacific PDF Author: Stephen J. May
Publisher: University Press of Florida
ISBN: 0813037867
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 280

Get Book

Book Description
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, James A. Michener was an obscure textbook editor working in New York. Within three years, he was a naval officer stationed in the South Pacific. By the end of the decade, he was an accomplished author, well on the way to worldwide fame. Michener’s first novel, Tales of the South Pacific, won the Pulitzer Prize. Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein used it as the basis for the Broadway musical South Pacific, which also won the Pulitzer. How this all came to be is the subject of Stephen May’s Michener’s South Pacific. An award-winning biographer of Michener, May was a featured interviewee on the fiftieth-anniversary DVD release of the film version of the musical. During taping, he realized there was much he didn’t know about how Michener’s experiences in the South Pacific shaped the man and led to his early work. May delves deeply into this formative and turbulent period in Michener’s life and career, using letters, journal entries, and naval records to examine how a reserved, middle-aged lieutenant known as "Prof" to his fellow officers became one of the most successful writers of the twentieth century.

Return to Paradise

Return to Paradise PDF Author: James A. Michener
Publisher: Dial Press Trade Paperback
ISBN: 0812986776
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 450

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Book Description
James A. Michener, the master of historical fiction, revisits the scenes of his first great work, Tales of the South Pacific, the Pulitzer Prize winner that brought him international acclaim. In this sequel collection, Michener once again evokes the magic of the extraordinary isles in the Pacific—from Fiji and Guadalcanal to New Zealand and Papua New Guinea—through stories that burst with adventure, charm, and local color. For Michener’s many fans around the globe, Return to Paradise is a precious second look at a land of enchantment by one of the most gifted storytellers of the twentieth century. Praise for Return to Paradise “A brilliant book and a worthy successor to Tales of the South Pacific.”—The Atlanta Constitution “This is a book that should be read by everyone. . . . All who have seen the South Pacific will find on every page the odors of frangipani, copra, blood, and beer.”—The New York Times “There’s drama and pathos and adventure and humanity . . . and a very high degree of excellence. Michener can write.”—Kirkus Reviews

South Pacific

South Pacific PDF Author: Jim Lovensheimer
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 9780199779703
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 288

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Book Description
Rodgers and Hammerstein's Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical "South Pacific" has remained a mainstay of the American musical theater since it opened in 1949, and its powerful message about racial intolerance continues to resonate with twenty-first century audiences. Drawing on extensive research in the Rodgers and the Hammerstein papers, including Hammerstein's personal notes on James A. Michener's Tales of the South Pacific, Jim Lovensheimer offers a fascinating reading of "South Pacific" that explores the show's complex messages and demonstrates how the presentation of those messages changed throughout the creative process. Indeed, the author shows how Rodgers and especially Hammerstein continually refined and softened the theme of racial intolerance until it was more acceptable to mainstream Broadway audiences. Likewise, Lovensheimer describes the treatment of gender and colonialism in the musical, tracing how it both reflected and challenged early Cold War Era American norms. The book also offers valuable background to the writing of "South Pacific," exploring the earlier careers of both Rodgers and Hammerstein, showing how they frequently explored serious social issues in their other works, and discussing their involvement in the political movements of their day, such as Hammerstein's founding membership in the Hollywood Anti-Nazi League. Finally, the book features many wonderful appendices, including two that compare the original draft and final form of the classic songs "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Out-a My Hair" and "I'm In Love With a Wonderful Guy." Thoroughly researched and compellingly written, this superb book offers a rich, intriguing portrait of a Broadway masterpiece and the era in which it was created.

Tales of the South Pacific

Tales of the South Pacific PDF Author: James A. Michener
Publisher: Dial Press Trade Paperback
ISBN: 0812986350
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 386

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Book Description
Tales of the South Pacific is the iconic, Pulitzer Prize–winning masterpiece that inspired a Broadway classic and launched the career of James A. Michener, one of America’s most beloved storytellers. This thrilling work invites the reader to enter the exotic world of the South Pacific and luxuriate in the endless ocean, the coconut palms, the waves breaking into spray against the reefs, the full moon rising behind the volcanoes. And yet here also are the men and women caught up in the heady drama of World War II: the young Marine who falls for a beautiful Tonkinese girl; the Navy nurse whose prejudices are challenged by a French aristocrat; and all the soldiers and sailors preparing for war against the seemingly peaceful backdrop of a tropical paradise. Praise for James A. Michener and Tales of the South Pacific “Truly one of the most remarkable books to come out of [World War II] . . . Michener is a born storyteller.”—The New York Times “Riveting and emotional . . . Ever since James Michener wrote Tales of the South Pacific, the dreamers among us have been searching for our own Bali Ha’i.”—The Washington Post “Atmospheric . . . [Tales of the South Pacific marks] the beginning of Michener’s long exploration of what happens when cultures connect, or fail to.”—Los Angeles Times “Few writers changed the face of American fiction as profoundly as did James Michener.”—San Francisco Chronicle

Rascals in Paradise

Rascals in Paradise PDF Author: James A. Michener
Publisher: Dial Press Trade Paperback
ISBN: 0804151512
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 401

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Book Description
In a thrilling collection of nonfiction adventure stories, James A. Michener returns to the most dazzling place on Earth: the islands that inspired Tales of the South Pacific. Co-written with A. Grove Day, Rascals in Paradise offers portraits of ten scandalous men and women, some infamous and some overlooked, including Sam Comstock, a mutinous sailor whose delusions of grandeur became a nightmare; Will Mariner, a golden-haired youth who used his charm to win over his captors; and William Bligh, the notorious HMS Bounty captain who may not have been the monster history remembers him as. From lifelong buccaneers to lapsed noblemen, in Michener and Day’s capable hands these rogues become the stuff of legend. BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from James A. Michener's Hawaii. Praise for Rascals in Paradise “The best book about those far-scattered islands that has appeared in a long time . . . a portfolio of rare and ruthless personalities that is calculated to make the curliest hair stand straight on end.”—The New York Times “[Combines] research and scholarship (A. Grove Day was a professor at the University of Hawaii) with a gift for spinning a yarn and depicting character (Michener, journalist and novelist, needs no introduction).”—Kirkus Reviews

Three Great Novels of World War II

Three Great Novels of World War II PDF Author: James A. Michener
Publisher: Gramercy
ISBN: 9780517150382
Category : American fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
A trio of classic bestselling novels that unforgettably capture the experience of American fighting men in World War II -- and have captured the hearts and minds of generations of readers.

Hawaii

Hawaii PDF Author: James A. Michener
Publisher: Dial Press
ISBN: 0804151407
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 1154

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Book Description
Pulitzer Prize–winning author James A. Michener brings Hawaii’s epic history vividly to life in a classic saga that has captivated readers since its initial publication in 1959. As the volcanic Hawaiian Islands sprout from the ocean floor, the land remains untouched for centuries—until, little more than a thousand years ago, Polynesian seafarers make the perilous journey across the Pacific, flourishing in this tropical paradise according to their ancient traditions. Then, in the early nineteenth century, American missionaries arrive, bringing with them a new creed and a new way of life. Based on exhaustive research and told in Michener’s immersive prose, Hawaii is the story of disparate peoples struggling to keep their identity, live in harmony, and, ultimately, join together. BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from James A. Michener's Centennial. Praise for Hawaii “Wonderful . . . [a] mammoth epic of the islands.”—The Baltimore Sun “One novel you must not miss! A tremendous work from every point of view—thrilling, exciting, lusty, vivid, stupendous.”—Chicago Tribune “From Michener’s devotion to the islands, he has written a monumental chronicle of Hawaii, an extraordinary and fascinating novel.”—Saturday Review “Memorable . . . a superb biography of a people.”—Houston Chronicle

The South Pacific Companion

The South Pacific Companion PDF Author: Laurence Maslon
Publisher: Anova Books
ISBN: 9781862058125
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 200

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Book Description
Following the successful The Sound of Music Companion, comes The South Pacific Companion, the essential guide and history for the discerning musical lover and SP fanatic. 2008 marks the 50th anniversary of this wonderful film. This fascinating book covers the history of the stage show and its historical context. World War II was fresh in the world's minds when this show first opened on Broadway - only 4 years after the end of the war - and this gave the film an immensely poignant immediacy. Deservedly, both the novel and the musical of South Pacific won the Pulitzer Prize. South Pacific returns to the UK stage in summer 2007 with a 10 month tour, starring Helena Blackman (from How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria) and Dave Willetts. In 2008 the musical's first ever Broadway revival is to open at the Lincoln Center in April. With extensive images from the film, plus many never seen before photographs from the original stage show, this is a beautiful and indispensable guide to South Pacific. Wordcount: 35,000 words Other Companion titles: Andrew Lloyd-Webber's Phantom of the Opera Companion 9781862057630 The Sound of Music Companion 9781862057500 The Sound of Music Companion Collection with CD 9781862057777 !-- bullets -- 2008 sees the first US revival on Broadway 50th anniversary of the much loved film Places the story in the wider context of a world at war Many great images from the ever popular film

Reimagining the American Pacific

Reimagining the American Pacific PDF Author: Rob Wilson
Publisher: Duke University Press
ISBN: 9780822325239
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 326

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Book Description
Discusses the makings of the "American Pacific" locality/location/identity as space and ground of cultural production, and the way this region can be linked to "Asia" and "Pacific" as well as to "American mainland"

The Lessons of Tragedy

The Lessons of Tragedy PDF Author: Hal Brands
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 030023824X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 213

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Book Description
An eloquent call to draw on the lessons of the past to address current threats to international order The ancient Greeks hard‑wired a tragic sensibility into their culture. By looking disaster squarely in the face, by understanding just how badly things could spiral out of control, they sought to create a communal sense of responsibility and courage—to spur citizens and their leaders to take the difficult actions necessary to avert such a fate. Today, after more than seventy years of great‑power peace and a quarter‑century of unrivaled global leadership, Americans have lost their sense of tragedy. They have forgotten that the descent into violence and war has been all too common throughout human history. This amnesia has become most pronounced just as Americans and the global order they created are coming under graver threat than at any time in decades. In a forceful argument that brims with historical sensibility and policy insights, two distinguished historians argue that a tragic sensibility is necessary if America and its allies are to address the dangers that menace the international order today. Tragedy may be commonplace, Brands and Edel argue, but it is not inevitable—so long as we regain an appreciation of the world’s tragic nature before it is too late.